Sagina procumbens, procumbent Pearlwort. 
ShGlN A Linnai Gen. Pl. Tetrandria TetragyniAv 
Ctf/. 4-phylIus. Petala. 4. Cdps. i-locularis, 4-valvis, polyfpermai, 
Rail ^n. Gea. 24. Herb.® pentapetaL® vasculifer®. 
SAGINA procumbens ramis procumbentibus. Lin. Syji. Vegetah. Sp. Piant. 18,5. F/, Suec. n, 1551 
ALSINE tetraftemon foliis connatis, lanceolatis. Haller hi/i. n. 861^ 
SAGINA procumbens. ScopoliPl. Carn.n. 183. 
SAXIFRAGA anglicana alfinefolia, Gerard emac. 568, 
CARYOPHYLLUS minimus mufcofus noftras. Parkinfon. 1340. 
ALSINELLA mufcofo flore repens. Cat. Gifs. Raii. Syn.p. 345. Pearl-wort, Chickwced Breakftone,. 
Hudfon. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p, 73. 
Lightfoot. Flor. Scot. p. 125. 
RADIX annua plerumque, in locis vcro umbrofls f$pe 
perennat. 
CAULES plurimi, in umbrofis humentibus repentes, 
in aridis erefti, bi, triunciales, teretes, glabri, 
geniculati, ramofi, proliferi. 
I^^LIA femunciam longa, oppofita, patentia, conna- 
ta, fubulata, mucronata, glabra, faturate viri- 
dia, fafciculatim ramos terminantia. 
PEDUNCULI axillares, plerumque uniflori, alterni, 
foliis longiores, priusquam flores aperiuntur 
apice nutantes. 
CALYX ; Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis ova- 
tis, concavis, perfiftentibus, patentibus, 
COROLLA : Petala quatuor, minima, calyce triplo 
breviora, alba, patentia, &pe manca, Jig. 2. 
’ AMINA : Filamenta quatuor, capillaria ; An- 
ther® liibrotundaj, flavs, 3. 
iSTILLUM: Germen fubglobofum; Styli qua- 
tuor, fubulati, recurvi, pubefcentes ; Stig- 
mata fimplicia, fg. 4. 
PERICARPIUM; Capsula fubovata, pellucida, ca- 
lyce patulo infidens, unilocularis, quadriva- 
Ivis, fg. 5. 
SEMINA numerofa, minima, rUfa, feceptaculo affixa. 
annual. 
DUC m inady places 
K(JU i generally 
perennial. 
STALKS numerous, in ffiady moift places creeping, 
in dry fituations upright, two or three inches 
in length, round, fmooth, jointed, branched 
and proliferous. 
LEAVES half an inch long, oppofite, fpreading, join- 
ing at bottom, 113 ' row, and tapering, termi- 
nated by a fine hair-like point, fmooth, of 
a deep green colour, and terminating the 
brandies in cluRers* 
FLOWER-STALKS growing from the alae of the 
leaves, ufually fupporting one flower, longer 
than the leaves, before the bloflbms open 
nodding at top. 
CALYX : a Perianthium of four leaves, which are 
oval, hollow, permanent, and fpreading, 
COROLLA; four Petals, very minute, three times 
ffiorter than the calyx, white, Ipreading, and 
often imperfeft, fig. 2. 
STAMINA: four Filaments very fine ; Anther® 
roundilh and yellow, fig. 
PISTILLUM; Germen fomewhat globular ; Styles 
four, tapering, bending back a little, with 
an appearance of down on them ; Stigmata . 
fimple, fig. 4. 
SEED-VESSEL: a Capsule fomewhat oval, and 
pellucid, fining on the fpreading calyx, hav- 
ing one cavity and four valves, fig. 5. 
SEEDS Dumerous, very fmall, of a reddifli brown 
colour, and affixed to a receptacle. 
_ Few plants are more liable to mlflead the young- Botanift than n ^ . 
ncty of appearance, in moift ffiady fituations, efpeaaliy If growhw on rb great a va- 
turf and looks like a patch of grafs, the leaves are of { finf * ground, it creeps and forms a thick clofe 
be thefhadyfide, it freqnently grows upright even to the height o^fffx™cl“^an^^ on walls efpecially if it 
walls that are c.xpofed to the ffin it feldom grows more thfu two '"''',7 «'"‘ic'-. »•* 
lar appearance of its feed veflils will in general eafily dillinviXiJ 0"*^“ r ‘i'^^fity, the fingu- 
permanent calyx like a cup on a faucer. ® ^ ® ““ *e center of the expanded 
Its petals are very minute, generally Impcrfcfl and fometimes wanting. 
It is not nnufual to meet with it, having one fifth part of its frnaiCcatlon enereafed 
Being fond of a gravelly foil it often becomes a trouhlefome weed in gravel walks 
It contmues to floaver during the whole of the fiimmer. 
In the leaves we have a good example of the/e&M muemMm. 
