Cerastium aquaticum. Marsh Cerastium or 
M OUSE-EAR (Z H I C K W E E D. 
CERASTIUM Linnai Gen. Pl. Decandria Pentagynia. 
Ran Synop. Gen: 24 Herbae pentapetale vasculifera:. 
CERASTIUM aquaticum foliis cordatis, feffilibus, floribus folitariis, frudibus pendulis. Linnai Syji: 
Veget ab. p. 363. FI. Suecic.p. 137. 
ALSINE foliis ovato- cordatis, imis petiolatis, tubis quinis. Haller, hift. n. 885. 
STELLARIA aquatica. Scopoli FI. Carniol. p. 320. 
ALSINE aquatica major. Bauhin. pin. 254. 
ALSINE major . Gtrard emac. 611. maxima Parkinfm 759. RaiiSyn.f. 347. Huifm FI. Angi f. 177. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa, repens. 
CAULES bipedales, debiles, pene teretes, teneri, filofi, 
hirfuti, ramofi, rami alterni. 
FOLIA Caulis feflilia, amplexicaulia, cordato-acumi- 
nata, margine in fuperioribus prefertim undu- 
lata, laevia, fubvifcida ; ramorum magis undu- 
lata, petiolata. 
PEDUNCULI alterni, e dichotomia caulis, uniflori, 
poft. jlorefcentiam penduli. 
CALYX : Perianthium pentaphyllum,perfiftens, folio- 
lis lanceolatis, concavis, fubcarinatis, apice 
obtuliufculis, hirfutis, margine membranaceis, 
petalis paulo brevioribus. Jig. i . 
COROLLA : Petala quinque alba, patentia, bipartita, 
laciniis oblongis, nervofis, divaricantes, fig. 2. 3. 
STAMINA : Filamenta decem, fubulata, alba, re- 
ceptaculo inferta, ad bafin et inter petala alterne 
locata, jig. 4. quae inter petala locantur paulo 
longiora funt et glandula ad bafin inftruuntur 
jig. 5. Anthers infidentes, biloculares, albae, 
fg • 4- 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubrotundum, apice fulcatum, ' 
Styli quinque albi, filiformes, longitudine : 
Germinis. Stigmata fimplicia, jig. 6. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula ovata, obfolete pentagona, ; 
ore quinquedentato. Jig. 7. ; 
SEMINA rufa, fubreniformia, fcabra, 60 numeravi, : 
fg. 8. 9. 
ROOT perennial, fibrous, and creeping. 
STALKS about two feet in length, weak, almoft round, 
tender, ftringy, hirfute, and branched, the 
branches alternate. 
LEAVES of the Stalk feflile, embracing the Stalk, 
fomewhat _ heart fhaped and acuminate, the 
edge particularly in the upper ones waved, 
fmooth, and fomewhat vifcid ; thofe of the 
branches more waved with fhort footftalks. 
FOOTSTALKS alternate, from the forking of the 
Stalk, uniflorous, after the blojfom is gone off 
pendulous. 
CALYX : a Pri anthium of five leaves, perfifting, the 
leaves lanceolate, concave, flightly keel-lhaped, 
bluntifh at top, hirfute, at the edge membra- 
nous, and a little fhorter than the Petals, fg. 1. 
COROLLA : five Petals white, fpreading, divided 
almofl: to the bottom, the lacinias or fegments 
oblong, nervous, and divaricating, fg. 2. 3. 
STAMINA : ten Filaments, tapering, white, fixed 
to the receptacle, placed alternately, one at the 
bafe and one betwixt each petal, fg. 4 ; thole 
placed between the petals are a little longer than 
the others, and furnilhed at bottom with a gland, 
fg. 5. Anthers white and bilocular, fg. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen roundilh, at top grooved, five 
Styles thread-fhaped, white, the length of 
the Germen. Stigmata fimple, fg. 6 . 
SEED-VESSEL: an oval Capsule, flightly pentangu- 
lar, the mouth quinquedentate. 
SEEDS reddilh brown, rough, about 60 in each capfule, 
fg. 8. 9. 
SOME of our modern and moft celebrated fyftematic Botanifts feem very much divided with refped to the Genus 
to which this Plant Ihould belong. Haller makes it an Alfne or Chickweed ; Scopoli a Stellaria , and Linnjeus a 
Cerafium. We lhall not pretend to decide who is moft in the right, but only obferve that its general habit or appear- 
ance, and the form of its feeds, might eafily induce Haller to confider it as an Alfne ; the lhape of its petals, with 
the ftru&ure of its feeds, would juftify Scopoli in calling it a Stellaria, while the number of its flyles might lead 
Linnaeus with propriety to place it among the Cerafliums. To us it appears to have the greateft natural affinity with 
the Alfne media or common Chickweed ; it is true Linnaeus ranks that plant among thofe which have five Stamina 
yet it is frequently obferved to have more, and the ftruifture of the flower evidently fhows it to be formed for having 
ten, and thofe flowers which have not that number may be confidered as imperfect. The Seeds of thefe two plants 
are fo fimilar as fcarcely to be diftinguifhed from each other, and their ftalks are procumbent, tender, brittle and 
ftringy, indeed they frequently fo much referable one another, as to oblige the young Botanift to have recourfe to the 
very different fize of their flowers in order to diferiminate them. 
This Plant grows in moift places, on the banks of rivers and by ftreams of water, it flowers in July and Auguft. 
Scopoli afierts that the plants of this kind afford excellent food for Kine. 
