CARY0PHYLLACEJ3. 



115 



Y. PEARLWORT. SAGJNA. 



Small, matted or tufted herbs, with subulate leaves and small flowers. 

 Sepals 4 or 5. Petals 4 or 5, small, entire or slightly notched, some- 

 times entirely deficient. Stamens 4 or 5, or twice those numbers. 

 Styles 4 or 5. Capsule opening in as many valves. 



A small genus, with nearly the geographical range of Sandwort, from 

 which it only differs in the number of styles. The 5-styled species were 

 formerly included in Spurry, which is now reduced to one or two species 

 easily distinguished by their apparently whorled foliage. 



Is, stamens, and styles usually 4. Petals as many, 



or none 1. Procumbent P. 



Sepals, petals, and styles 5. Stamens usually 10. 

 Sepals obtuse. 



Petals not longer than the calyx. Leaves not clustered 2. Alpine P. 

 Petals longer than the calyx. Upper leaves with 



clusters of very small ones in their axils ... 3. Knotted P. 

 Sepals pointed ; Vernal Sandwort. 



1. Procumbent Pearlwort. Sagina procumbens, Linn. 

 (Fig. 144.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 880. S. apetala, Eng. Bot. t. 881, and S. ciliata, 

 Brit. Fl.) 



A minute annual, or perhaps perennial, 

 1 to 2 inches or seldom 3 inches high, 

 sometimes erect from the base, especially 

 at first, but usually branching and de- 

 cumbent at the base, forming little 

 spreading tufts, usually glabrous, but 

 having often an exceedingly minute 

 glandular down. Leaves small and su- 

 bulate, jointed at the base in a short, 

 broad, scarious sheath, the radical ones 

 longer and often tufted. Flowers very 

 small, on capillary pedicels much longer 

 than the leaves. Sepals about a line 

 long, and obtuse. Petals much shorter, 

 often wanting. Valves of the capsule 

 as long as, or rather longer than the se- 

 pals. All these parts are usually in fours, but they may often be met 

 with in fives. 



Fig. 144. 



