( 388 .) 
SPE'RGULA* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Deca'ndriaI, Pentagy'nia. 
Natural Order. Caryophy'llea5+, Linn. — Juss. Gen. PI. p. 
299. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 159. — Lindl. Syn. p. 43. ; Introd. to 
Nat. Syst.of Bot. p. 156. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 507. — Loud. Hort. 
Brit. p. 501. — Don’s Gen. Syst of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 379. — 
Mack. FI. Hib. p. 40. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th ed.) p. 400. — Rosales ; 
subord. Rhceados.e ; sect. Dianthinas ; type, Dianthaceae ; 
Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 614, 784, 805, & 807. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 5 egg-shaped, blunt, 
spreading, permanent sepals, more or less membranous at tbe edges. 
Corolla (fig. 2.) larger than the calyx, of 5 egg-shaped, concave, 
undivided, spreading petals, with very short claws (see fig. 3). 
Filaments (see figs. 4 & 5.) 10, sometimes but 5, awl-shaped, 
shorter than the corolla. Jlnthers roundish, 2-lobed. Germen 
(fig. 6.) superior, egg-shaped. Styles (see fig. 6.) 5, short, slender, 
spreading. Stigmas downy. Capsule (figs. 7 & 8.) egg-shaped, 
membranous, of 1 cell and 5 (some authors say 6) connected valves, 
covered with the permanent calyx. Seeds (see figs. 9 & 10.) round- 
ish or kidney-shaped, compressed, rough or smooth, sometimes with 
a membranous border. 
The calyx of 5 sepals ; the corolla of 5 undivided petals ; and 
the capsule of 1 cell and 5 valves ; will distinguish this from other 
genera in the same class and order. 
Four species British. 
SPE'RGULA ARVE'NSIS. Corn Spurrey. Field Spurrey. 
Pick-purse. Sand weed. Yarr. 
Spec. Char. Leaves whorled, with minute membranous sti- 
pulas at their base. Stalks of the fruit reflexed. Seeds more or 
less margined. 
Engl. Bot. t. 1535.— Curt. FI. Lond. t. 307.— FI. Dan. t. 1033.— Linn. Sp. PI. 
p. 630. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd edit.) p. 202. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. ii. pt. I. p. 818. — 
Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 502. : Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 336. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 567. — 
Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 652. — Lindl. Syn. p. 48. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 215. — Macr. 
Man. Brit. Bot. p. 32. — Lightf. FI. Soot. v. i. p. 243. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 148. — 
Ahhot’s FI. Bedf. p. 102. — Thom. PI. Berw. p. 48. — Davies’ Welsh Bot. p. 44. — 
Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 223. — Relh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed. ) p. 186. — Hook. FI. Snot. p. 
144. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 104. — FI. Devon, pp. 78 & 183. — Johnst. FI. Berw. v. i. 
p. 102. — Winch’s FI. of Nortliumbl. and Durli. p. 30. — Walker's FI. ofOxf. p. 130. 
• — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 8. ; Supp. p. 71. ; Prim. FI Sam. p. 15. — Dick. FI. Abred. p. 
39. — Irv. Lond. FI. p. 170. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 41. — Mack. Catal. PI. Irel. p. 45. ; 
FI. Hibern. p. 44. — Sperguldria arvensis, Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. 
r. i. p. 425. — Alsine spergula dicta major, Bauh. Pin. p. 251. — Ray’s Syn. p. 
351. — Saginte spergula, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 1125. 
Localities. — I n cultivated fields and gardens, on a sandy soil ; not uncommon. 
Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. A Petal. — Fig. 4. Stamens and Pistil. — 
Fig. 5. A separate Stamen. — Fig. 6. Germen, Styles, and Stigmas. — Fig. 7. A Cap- 
sule. — Fig. 8. The same with the valves open. — Figs. 9 and 10. Seeds. — Fig. 11. 
Receptacle. — Fig. 12. One of the Joints of the Stem. — All magnified ; figs. 9 and 
10, highly so. 
* From spargo, to scatter ; from the seed being so widely dispersed. IIookeb. 
t See folio 37, note t, { See folio 152, a. 
