Stellaria Holostea. The greater Stichwort. 
STELLARIA Linnai Geti. Pl. Decandria TrigyniA. 
Cal 5-phyllus, patens. Petal. 5. bipartita. Caps, i-locularis, poiyfperma. 
RaiiSyn.Gen. 24. Herba: Pentapetala: vasculifera:. 
STELLARIA Holo/lea foliis lanceolatis ferrulatis, petalis bifidis» Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 352. FI. 
Suecica. p. 150. 
ALSINE foliis gramineis ciliatis. Baller hifl. No. 884. 
STELLARIA Holojlea. Scopoli FI. Carniol. p. 314. 
CARYOPHYLLUS holofteus arvenfis glaber flore majore. Bauhm pin. 210. 
GRAMEN leucanthemum. Gerard emac. 47. Parkmfon. 1325. Raii Syn. 346, The Greater Stichwort. 
Hudfon FI. Angi, p . 1 66. 
RADIX tenui et infirma radicula, fummo cefpite ge- 
niculata reptat, demiffis tamen altius fibris. 
CAULES plures, denfe nafcuntur, erefti, pedales, qua- 
drati, geniculati, fcabriufculi, fragiles, bafi 
pertenues. 
FOLIA lanceolato-acuminata, fubconnata, rigidula, in- 
ferne carinata, ferrulata, feu potius fetis rigi- 
diufculis ciliata, fuperiora adfcendentia, mar- 
ginibus revolutis, e coeruleo-virefcentia, infe- 
riora crebriora, breviora, deorfum flexa, flava. 
FLORES albi, longis petiolis fcabriufculis infidentes, e 
dichotomia caulis prodeuntes. 
CALYX : Perianth ium pentaphyllum, foliolis ova- 
to-lanceolatis, concavis, marginatis, laevibus, 
patentibus, perfiftentibus, fig. i. 
COROLLA: Petala quinque, magna, bipartita, ob- 
cordata, alba, nervofa, bafi virefcentia, paten- 
tia, fig. 2. 
STAMINA : Filamenta decem, alba, fubulata, cor- 
rolla breviora, alterna' glandula flavefcenti ad 
bafin inftru&a : An thera: flavae, oblongae, 
infidentes, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubrotundum : Styli tres, 
filiformes patentes : Stigmata obtufa, fig. 4. 
PERICARPIUM: Capsula fubrotunda, membrana- 
cea, unilocularis, fexvalvis, fig. 6. 
SEMINA plerumque quinque aut fex majufcula, auran- 
tiaca, reniformia, pulchre crenulata, fig. 7. 
t ROOT weak, {lender and jointed, creeps on the furface 
I of the ground, fending down fibres to a confi- 
4 derable diftance. 
? 
I STALKS feveral, growing thickly together, upright, 
a foot high, fquare, jointed, roughilh, brittle, 
I very {lender at bottom. 
I LEAVES narrow and pointed, at their bafes {lightly 
I uniting, fomewhat ftiff, underneath keel- fh;.ped, 
ferrated at the edges, or rather edged with very 
I fine ftiffhairs or briftles ; the upper leaves grow- 
er ing fomewhat upright, the edges turning back, 
? of a bluilh green colour ; the lower leaves more 
I numerous, {horter, bending back, and of a 
I yellow colour. 
I FLOWERS white, {landing on long rough foot-ftalks, 
and proceeding from the forked divifion of the 
I ffklk. 
t 
I CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, of an oval 
pointed {hape, hollow, edged, fmooth, fpread- 
I ing and continuing, fig. 1 . 
I COROLLA: five white Petals, large, divided at top, 
I heart-lhaped, rib’d, green at bottom, fpread- 
4 ing, fig. 2. 
? 
I STAMINA: ten white Filaments, tapering, Ihorter 
4 than the corolla, the alternate ones furnilhed 
I at bottom with a yellowifli gland : An thera: 
I yellow, oblong, fitting on the filaments, fig. 3. 
* 
I PISTILLUM : Germen roundifli : Styles three, 
4 thread-lhaped, fpreading : Stigmata bluntilh, 
I fig • 4 - 
¥ SEED-VESSEL a roundilh membranous Capsule, 
I of one cavity and fix valves, fig. 6. 
I SEEDS for the moft part five or fix, largeifh, of a deep 
4 orange colour and beautifully notched, fig. 7. 
THE Stellaria Holojlea grows very common with us, and with its white delicate bloffoms enlivens our 
woods and banks early in the Summer. Its feeds are very beautiful and like the Chick-weed, but larger. 
A very pretty Moth, called by the Aurelians the leajl Yellow Underwing, whole hiftory is unknown, is 
by them frequently caught hovering over the flowers of this plant when the fun Ihines ftrong. 
