Ceraftium femidecandrum. Lead Moufe-ear Chickweed. 
CERASTIUM Lmntei Gen. PL Decandria Pentagynia. . .. 
Cal. 5-phyllus. Petala bifida. Caps, umloculans, apice dehilcens. 
RaiiSyn. Gen. 24. Herba: pentapetala: vasculifera:. 
CERASTIUM femidecandrum floribus pentandris, petalis emarginatis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 362. 
Sp. PI. 627. FI. Suecic. n. 416. 
MYOSOTIS caule fimplici, foliis ovatis, hirfutis, tubis ternis. Haller, hifi. n. 894. 
CENTUNCULUS femidecander. Scopoli. FI. Carniol. n. 549. 
MYOSOTIS arvenfis hirfuta minor. Vaillant. tab. 30. fig. 2. 
CERi\STIUM hirfutum minus parvo flore. Raii Syn. ed. 3./. xv. fig. 1. Hudfon. ed. 2. p.200. Ligbtfi p.2\\. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa, albida. ... | 
CAULIS in locis ficciflimis fimplex, biuncialis, ere&us ; ^ 
ftepius vero ramofus, aut pluribus cauliculis ¥ 
compofitus, ficut in icone exprimitur ; primo | 
vere cauliculi fupra muros aut terram expan- ■$: 
duntur, tandem fubere&i, triunciales, aut | 
etiam femipedales fiunt, colore purpurafcen- y 
te, et pilis glanduliferis veftiti. | 
t 
? 
FOLIA radicalia oblongo-ovata, prope apicem dilata- | 
ta, acuta, punfto rufo terminata, bafi anguf- ; ■ 
tata, connata, leviufcula, medio per longitudi- ] • 
nem fulcata, caulina ovata, villofa. 
BRACTEA duas, concavae, vifcofe, membrana mar- 
ginatae, fub lingula dichotomic caulis. 
FLORES albi, pedunculari, fubcorymbofi. 
PEDUNCULT villofi, ad bafin paululum incraflati, 
florefcente planta longitudine calycis, eredi ; 
perada florefcentia deorfum fleduntur, et du- 
plo longiores evadunt, demum eriguntur. 
CALYX : Perianthium pentaphyllum, foliolis lan- 
ceolatis, membrani acuminata Corolla lon- 
giore terminatis, vifcofis, fig. 1, 2. 
COROLLA: Petala quinque, oblonga, calyce bre- 
viora, apice acute emarginata, fzepe erofa, 
fig- 3’ 4- 
STAMINA: Filamenta plerumque quinque, fubin- 
de fex, raro plura, alba, Corolla breviora : 
Antherje fubrotundte, flavefcentes, fig. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovatum : Styli quinque, 
capillares, albi, villofi: Stigmata fimpli- 
cia, fig. 6, 7. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula membranacea, fcariofa, 
quinquenervis, ore decemdentato, fig. 8. 
SEMINA plurima, minima, ovata, flavefcentia,^. 9, 
10. 
ROOT annual, fibrous, ofawhitifli colour. 
STALK in very dry places is fimple, upright, and a- 
bout two inches high ; but more commonly 
is branched, or compofed of numerous fmall 
ftalks, as expreffed in the figure : thefe early 
in the fpring, are expanded on the walls or 
earth, finally become nearly upright, three 
inches, or fometimes even fix inches high, of 
a purplifh colour, and covered with hairs 
having glands at their extremities. 
LEAVES near the root of an oblong oval fihape, dila- 
ted near the top, terminating in a fharp red 
point, narrower towards the bafe, and uni- 
ting around the ftalk, nearly fmooth, and 
grooved down the middle : thofe of the ftalk 
oval and villous. 
FLORAL-LEAVES two, hollow, vifcous, and edged 
with a membrane, placed under each divi- 
fion of the ftalk. 
ELOWERS white, {landing on foot-ftalks, and form- 
ing a kind of Corymbus. 
FLOWER-STALKS villous, and thickened a little 
at bottom, while the plant is in flower the 
length of the Calyx, and upright, the flower- 
ing over they are bent backward, and become 
twice as long, finally they again become up- 
right. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, lanceolate, 
vifcous, and terminated by a pointed mem- 
brane, which is longer than the Corolla, 
fig • L 2. 
COROLLA : five Petals, which are oblong, and 
fhorter than the Calyx, fharply cut in at top, 
and often appearing jagged, fig. 3, 4. 
STAMINA: Filaments generally five, nowand 
then fix, leldom more, white, Ihorter than 
the Corolla : Anthers nearly round, of a 
yellowifh colour, fig. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oval : Styles five, very fine, 
white, and villous: Stigmata fimple, fig. 6, 
7- 
SEED-VESSEL, a membranous Capsule, fonorous 
when touched, having five ribs, the mouth 
opening with ten teeth, fig. 8. 
SEEDS numerous, very minute, oval and yellowifh, 
fig. 9, 10. 
MUCH praife is due to the great Linnjeus, for the accuracy with which he has defcribed the more common 
Cera/hums, and particularly the prefent fpecies. To Monfieur Vaillant the public are alfb much indebted, for 
the accurate and elegant figures, which he has given of them in his Flora Parifienfis. 
In the third edition of Ray’s Synopfis , the femidecandrum is added by Dillenius, who has there given a figure 
of it, which, although expreffive of the plant as it commonly grows on heaths, yet tends to millead the ftudent 
with an idea, that minutenefs is its chief chara£teriftic : the defcription alfo has a fimilar tendency. It fays, that 
the ftalks are not vifcous, and that it flowers fomewhat later than the vifrofum ; whereas in both, the ftalks are 
evidently vifcous towards the upper part ; the femidecandrum alfo flowers equally early ; and infiead of being lefs 
branched, as is there aflerted, it is in a common way more fo. It is true that both fpecies, when they grow in 
very barren places, (and in which this fpecies feems chiefly to have been fought for,) have only a fimple ftalk, 
and often do not arife to the height of two inches. 
1 he femidecandrum is a much more common plant than is generally imagined ; and is diftinguifhed, particularly 
when in bloflom, from all the other Cerq/liums with the greateft facility. 
There is fcarce a wall or heath around town, on which this plant may not be found in abundance ; particularlv 
about Hackney ; as alfo under Greenwich Park Wall , facing Black-heath , as well as on the heath itfelf. It comes 
into bloflom foon after the Draba verna, and, like that plant, foon disappears. 
It may be diftinguifhed from the Cerafiiums, when in bloflom, by having only five flamina, whence its name. 
I have fometimes found more; but this number is fufficiently conflant to form a very good fpecific chara&er. 
Linna:us remarks its having ten flamina, five of which produce no Anthers : thefe I muft confefs never to have 
fecn. ^ Scopoli obferves, that he always found it with ten flamina, and attributes the want of Antherje in Lin- 
naeus s five, to the five exterior ones quickly lofing their Antherte. It is poflible that in Carnicla, this plant may 
occur with ten flamina ; but here, like the Alfine , it certainly lofes one half of them. 
The petals form a more invariable chara&er, being always fhorter than the calyx, acutely cut in at top, as if a 
piece had been taken out with a pair of fciflars, and frequently irregularly jagged or gnawed: they are alfo much 
broader than thofe of the Ceraftium vifcofum. 
.The calyx too is often of confiderable ufe in determining this fpecies, (as it may be obferved when neither the fla- 
mina or petals are vifible,) at leaft from the vulgatum, its leaves being very thickly covered with hairs, having 
glands at their extremities, vid. fig. 1, 2. which glands are altogether wanting in the vulgatum. The membrane 
alio, which terminates the leaves of the calyx, is remarkably long in this fpecies. 
Thefe cireumftances if attended to, together with the remarks to be hereafter made on the Cerajtium vulgatum, 
will. It is hoped, enable the ftudent to mveftigate thefe plants, and fix them with certainty. 
No virtues are attributed to it : and it is too inconfiderable to be noxious in agriculture. 
