121 
BRAYA ALPiNA. 
Alpine Braya. 
TETRAD YNAMIA SILIQUOSA.— Nat. Ord. CRUCIFERjE. 
Gen. Char. — Siliqua lineari-oblonga, subcylindracea. Stylus brevis. Se- 
mina biserialia. Cotyledones incumbentes. Dissepimetitum medio fissum. 
Braya alpina ; foliis spathulatis subintegerrimis glabris, caule folioso 
pubescente, racemo fructifero brevi. 
Braya alpina, Sternberg and Hoppe, Diss, cum Icon, ex Goett. an Zieg. 
Jan. 1817, p. 155 De Cand. Regn. Feget. Syst. Nat. v. ii. p. 211.— De 
Less. Ic. Sel. v. ii. t. 22. (an excellent representation). — De Cand. Prodr. 
V. i. p. 141; 
Root long, subfusiform, perennial, descending deep into the ground, and 
throwing out many small lateral fibres, at the upper extremity dividing 
into as many heads as there are stems. Stems slightly pubescent, from 
2 to 3 or 4 inches in height, increasing considerably, however, as the 
fructification advances. Leaves rathier numerous, crowded near the root, 
more scattered upon the stem, lanceolate, tapering beloW into a short 
footstalk in the upper individuals, into a long one in those springing 
from the root. 
Flowers in a small capitate corymb, of a pale pink or rose colour, sometimes 
nearly white. Pedicels short, glabrous, scarcely swelling upwards. Ca- 
lyx of 4 ovate, obtuse, concave, erect, glabrous, green leaflets, purple at 
the margin. Petals broadly ovate, clawed, waved, patent, with an ob- 
tuse sinus at the extremity. Stamens 6 ; tetradidynamous ; the two shorter 
ones inserted upon a gland a little below the 4 taller ones. Anther broad- 
ly ovate, yellow. Pollen globular. Pistil: Germen cylindrical, hispid 
upon the valves, the hairs stellate, with 2 or 3 rays. Style short, and, 
as well as the margins of the dissepiment, glabrous. Stigma capitate, 
2-lobed, glandular. 
Siliqua rather short, somewhat more than half an inch long, cylindrical, tur- 
gid, with two cells, opening with two hispid valves, and containing in 
each cell about 6 seeds, affixed to each side of the margin. Dissepiment 
with a central, vertical fissure, which exists in the state of the germen ; 
but the edges of the fissure then lap over each other in a slight degree. 
Seedstalk short, curved. Seeds roundish, slightly compressed, punctato- 
striated, brown. Embryo with the radicle curved up against the back 
of one of the cotyledons. 
VOL. II. 
