﻿( 154 .) 



STELLA/R1A* *. 



Linnean Class and Order. DECA'NDRiAf, Trigy'nia. 



Natural Order. Caryophy'llEje:}:, Linn. — Juss. Gen. PI. p. 

 299. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 159. — Lindl. Syn. p. 43 ; Introd. to 

 Nat. Syst.ofBot. p. 156. — Rich, by Macgilliv.p. 507. — Loud. Hort. 

 Brit. p. 501. — Rosales; subord. RhceadosjE ; sect. Dianthinje; 

 type, DianthacEjE ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 614, 784, 805, & 807. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 5 egg-spear-shaped, 

 concave, pointed, spreading, permanent sepals. Corolla of 5 

 deeply cloven, spreading, flat, oblong petals, without claws or 

 scales (fig. 2.). Filaments (fig. 3.) 10, (sometimes, from abortion, 

 only from 3 to 8,) thread-shaped, shorter than the petals, the 

 5 alternate ones shortest. Anthers roundish. Germen superior, 

 roundish. Styles (fig. 4.) 3, hair-like, spreading. Stigmas blunt, 

 downy. Capsule (fig. 5.) egg-shaped, cylindrical, or globular, 

 covered by the calyx and shrivelled corolla, of 1 cpII (see fig. 6.), 

 and 6 valves. Seeds (fig. 7.) numerous, roundish, compressed. 



Distinguished from other genera, in the same class and order, 

 by the calyx of 5 sepals ; the corolla of 5 deeply cloven, spreading 

 petals ; and the 1-celled, many-seeded capsule. 



Eight species British. 



STELLA'RIA NE'MORUM. Wood Stitchwort. Broad-leaved 

 Stitchwort. 



Spec. Char. Lower leaves heart-shaped, stalked ; upper egg- 

 shaped or spear-shaped, almost sessile. Panicles repeatedly forked. 

 Petals twice as long as the calyx. Seeds roundish, compressed, 

 with a tubercled margin. 



Engl. Bot. t. 92. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 603. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd. ed.) p. 190. — 

 Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 473. Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 300. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 546. — 

 Gray’s Nat. A rr. v. ii. p.657. — Lindl. Syn. p. 52. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 204. — 

 Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 228. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 213. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 

 135. — Giev. FI. Edin. p. 97. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gaid. and Bot. v. i. p. 427. — 

 Perry’s Plantae Varvic. Selects, p. 40. — Alsine montana folio smilacis instar, 

 flare laciniato. Dill, in Ray’s Syn. p.347. 



Localities. — In woods, and moist shady places, in the North of England, 

 and Lowlands of Scotland. Rare. — Cheshire; Shady woods near Stockport : 

 Mr. G. Holm. — Cumberland ; Cooms Wood, and Dur.mallet: Hutchinson. 

 By Aspatria Mill : Rev. J. Dodo. — Durham ; In Eglestone. Lambton, Cawsey, 

 Beamish, and Ravensworth Woods; and in hedges at Witton-le-Wear, and 

 Baydales, near Darlington ; also on the hanks of Wear, at Chester-le-Street new 

 bridge: N. J. Winch, Esq. in FI. of Northumberland and Durham. Near 

 Westonhope, Weardale: W. C. Trevelyan, Esq. In Cocken Woods: W; 

 Weiohell’s Herbarium. — Lancash. Every where in this county: Hudson.— 

 'Northumberland; On the island near Hazle-side Stream, Alnwick: Mr. J. 



Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. A separate Petal. — Fig. 3. Stamens, Germen, and 

 Pistils. — Fig. 4. Germen and Pistils. — Fig. 5. Capsule, with the permanent 

 Calyx. — Fig. 6. Transverse section of the Capsule. — Fig. 7. A Seed, magnified.— 

 Fig. 8. Central Column or Receptacle of the Seeds. 



* From Stella, a star; because the corolla is spread in a star-shaped man- 

 ner. Hooker. 



t See saponaria officinalis, f. 37, n. f- ♦ See Bvffonia annua, f. 152, a. 



