( 460 .) 
MGE'NCHI A * *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Tetra'ndria f, Tetragy'nia. 
Natural Order. Caryophy'u.E/E +, Linn. — Juss. Gen. PI. p. 
^99. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 159. — Lindl. Syn. p. 43. ; Introd. to 
Nat. Svst. of Bot. p. 156. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 507. — Loud. 
H<>rt. Brit. p. 501 . — Don's Gpn. Syst. of Gard. & Bot. v. i. p. 379. — 
Mack. FI. Hib. p. 40. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th ed.) p. 400 . — Rosales ; 
subord. Rhceados.e; sect. Dianthin.e ; type, Dianthace^e ; 
Bum. Outl. of Bot. pp. 614, 784, 805, & 807. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 4 elliptic-spear-shaped, 
concave, equal, converging, pointed, membranous-eds(ed, permanent 
sepals. Corolla (fig. 2.) of 4, spear-shaped, undivided, entire, up- 
right petals, shorter than the calyx, withering. Filaments (see figs. 
2 & 3.) 4, thread-shaped, ascending, shorter than the petals. 
Anthers (see fig. 3.) of 2 roundish lobes. Germen (see figs. 2 & 4.) 
superior, egg-shaped. Styles (see fig. 4.) 4, terminal, very short, 
spreading. Stigmas (see fig. 4.) blunt, downv. Capsule (see fig. 5.) 
membranous, the length of the calyx, cylindrical, slightly egg- 
shaped, of 1 cell, and 1 valve, opening at the summit with 8, occa- 
sionally H), equal, shallow, pointed teeth. Seeds (figs. 6 & 7.) 
numerous, kidney-shaped, rough, attached, ea ch on its own stalk 
to a central cylindrical receptacle, half the length of the capsule. 
The calyx of 4 sepals ; the corolla of 4 petals ; and the 1 -celled, 
1-valved, mam-seeded capsule, opening at its summit with 8 or 
10 teeth ; will distinguish this from other genera in the same class 
and order. 
Differs from Sagina (t. 199.) in the capsule being 1-valved, not 
4-valved. 
One species British. 
MOENCHIA ERECTA. Upright Moenchia. Upright Pearlwort. 
Least Stitch wort. 
Spec. Char. Herb glaucous. Stems upright, smooth. Leaves 
spear-shaped, acute. Peduncles solitary, long, 1-flowered. 
Sm. Engl. Ft. v. i. p. 241. — With. (7th edit.) v. ii. p. 262.— Hook. Brit. FI. p. 
78. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 420. — Rev. G. E. Smith’s PI. of 
S. Kent, p. 12. — Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 46. — Winch’s FI. of Northumberl. and 
Durham, p. 11. — Bab. FI. Bath p. 8. ; Prim. FI. Sam. p. 15. — Pampl. PI. of Batter- 
sea, p. 4. — Irv. Lond. FI. p. 170. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 15. — Leight. FI. of Shropsh. 
P- 79. — Moenchia gluuca, Pers. Syn. PI. v. i. p. 153. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 
661. — Lindl. Syn. p. 49. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 60. — FI. Devon, pp. 32 and 183.. — 
Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. A separate Stamen. — Fig 4. Germen 
and Stigmas. — Fig. 5. Capsule, with the permanent Calyx. — Figs. 6 it 7. Seed. — 
All, except fig. 6, magnified. 
* So named, by Ehrhart, in honour of Dr. Conrad Mosnch, Professor of 
Botany and Chemistry at Marburgh, and author of “ Enumeratio plautarum imli- 
genarum Hassiae;” and several other Botanical works, between 1777 and 1802. 
He was born at Cassel, August 15th, 1744 ; and died at Marburgh, in the Electorate 
of Hesse, January 6th, 1805. 
See fol. 46, note f. 
i See fol. 152, a. 
