FARONYCHiACE^C. 



687 



On the sandy seashores of western and 

 southern Europe, and northern Africa, 

 extending sparingly into the east Me- 

 diterranean region, and western Asia, 

 occurring here and there more inland in 

 west-central Europe. In Britain, con- 

 fined to the coasts of Devon and Corn- 

 wall. Fl. summer and autumn. 



Fig. 826. 



II. HERNIARY. HERNIARIA. 



Herbs, either annual or with a perennial stock of short duration ; 

 with prostrate, much branched, annual stems ; opposite leaves ; very 

 minute, scarcely visible scarious stipules ; and small, green, granular 

 flowers, crowded in little axillary cymes. Calyx of 5 divisions. Sta- 

 mens 5, alternating with 5 small filaments. Stigmas 2. Seed solitary 

 in a thin, indehiscent capsule enclosed in the calyx. 



A genus of very few species, all growing in sandy places, chiefly 

 near the sea, in southern Europe, central Asia, and Africa. 



1. Common Herniary. Herniaria glabra, Linn. (Fig. 827.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 208, and H. ciliata, Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2857. 

 Rupture-wort.) 



The very much branched stems spread 

 along the ground to the length of a few 

 inches, and are usually crowded from 

 the base with their little green flowers 

 intermixed with small, obovate, or rarely 

 orbicular leaves. The whole plant is 

 glabrous, with the exception of a few 

 usually recurved hairs at the edges of 

 the leaves. 



In sandy places, in temperate and 

 southern Europe and Russian Asia, ex- 

 tending into Scandinavia, but not to 

 high latitudes. In Britain, it occurs in 

 several counties of southern and central 

 England, and in Ireland. Fl. summer. 

 It varies with the clusters of flowers all crowded into a 

 the lower ones separated by considerable intervals. 



spike, or 



