FONTANA. 
Blinks. 
Mon 
T I A 
MONTIA Lin. Gen, PL Triandria Trigynia. 
Cal. 2 phyllus. Cor, i petala IiTcgularis. Caps, i locularis, 3« valvis. 
Pali. Syn. Gen. 24. Herba: Pentapetala: Vasculifera;. 
MONTIA fontana Lin. Syjl. Veget. p. no. Sp.pl, 129. Suede, n. 115. 
MONTIA Haller. Hiji. n. 301. 
PORTULACA arvenfis. Bauh. fin. 282. 
CAMERARIA arvenfis minor. D///, Gifs, 46. 
PORTULACA exigua feu arvenfis Camerarii J. B. III. 678. 
PORTULACA tricoccos. Pei. Herb. Brti. 10. 13. 
ALSINE flofeulis conniventibus. Merr. pin. 
ALSINEFORMIS paludofa tricarpos flofeulis, albis inapertis. PM. 21. T. 7. £5. 
ALSINE parva paluftris tricoccos, Portulae® aquaticae fimilis. Paii. Syn. p. 352. fmall water Chick- 
weed or Purflane by fome called Blinks. 
Oeder. FI. Dan. /. 1 13. 
Hudfon. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 60» 
Lightfoot. FI. ^ot. p. no. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. 
CAULES plurimi, teretes, glabri, rubentes, in terram 
reclinati et fubinde radices agentes, duorum, 
triumve digitorum longitudine, raraofi et cre- 
bris geniculis intercepti. 
FOLIA oppofita, fefiilia, oblonga, acutiufcula, prope 
bafin anguftata, fubcarnofa, glabra, pallide 
virentia. 
PEDUNCULI plerumque terni, uniflori, axillares, 
peracta florefcentia recurvati, poftea eretSi, 
foliis longiores, e fquama membranacea pro- 
deuntes. 
Cy\LYX: Perianthium diphyllum; foliolis ovatis, 
concavis, obtufis, ereftis, perfiftentibus. 
fg- I* 9- 
COROLLA monopetala, quinquepartita, alba, laciniis 
tribus, alternis, minoribus, ftaminiferis. Jig. 
2. 3. 4- 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, corolla bre- 
viora, cui inferta; Anther a: parv®, albae. 
fg- 4 * 
PISTILLUM : Germen turbinatum, fubtriangulare ; 
Styli tres, villofi, patentes ; Stigmata 
fimplicia. fig. 5. 
PERICARPIUM ; Calyx permanens, audus, trun- 
catus, continet Capsulam, turbinatam, uni- 
locularem, trivalvem, valvulis ovatis, acutis, 
monofpermis, demiflb femine filiformibus, 
calyce paulo longioribus. j^. 6. 7. 8. 10. 
SEMINA nigra, fubreniformia. fg. 1 1. 
ROOT annual, and fibrous. 
stalks numerous, round, fmooth, reddlih, fpreading 
on the ground, and fometimes ftriking root, 
two or three inches in length, branched and 
jointed. 
LEAVES oppofite, feffile, oblong, fomewhat pointed, 
narrowed near the bafe, rather flefhy, fmooth 
and of a pale green colour. 
FLOWER-STALKS generally growing three together, 
each fupporting one flower, proceeding from a 
little fcale in the bofom of the leaves, as foon 
as the flowering is over hanging down, after- 
wards becoming upright and longer than the 
leaves. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of two leaves: the leaves 
oval, concave, obtufe, upright, and permanent, 
jig. I. 9. 
COROLLA of one petal, deeply divided into five feg- 
ments, of a white colour, the three alternate 
ones leaft, having the Ramina attached to 
them. Jig. 2. 3. 4. 
STAMINA: three {lender Filaments Ihorter than 
the corolla to which they are coiinedted : 
Anthera: fmall and white 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen large at top, fmall at bottom, 
and fomewhat triangular; Styles three, 
villous, fpreading; Stigmata fimple._^. 5, 
SEED-VESSEL: the permanent and encreafing Calyx, 
cut off as it were at top contains a Capsule 
of the fame fhape as the germen, of one cavi- 
ty and three valves, the valves ovate, and 
pointed, each containing one feed on the fall- 
ing of which they become thread fhaped and 
a little longer than the calyx. 6. 7. 8. 10. 
I SEEDS black and fomewhat kidney-Ihaped. ^g. ii. 
THIS plant of which there is but one fpecles appears firft to have had a generic charafter beftowed on it by 
Dillenius, who called it Cameraria In honour of Camerarius a German Phyfician and Botanift; Micheli 
afterwards figured it among hIs Nova Genera and gave it the name of Montia in commemoration of his country- 
man Monti an Italian Botanift, which name has been adopted by Linna;us. 
Its parts of frudtification which are reprefented In a magnified ftate, on the Plate, and of which a particular 
defeription is given are fingular enough to juftify thefe Authors in making it a diftlnft Genus. 
The Englifti name Blinks has perhaps been given to this plant from the bloffoms ufually appearing in a half 
opened ftate, but when the Sun ftiines on them they are fully expanded. 
It grows in wet places, efpecially on the moift gravelly parts of Heaths, where the water fiagnates in the 
winte^, on Black-Heath, Hampjlead-Heath, and in other fimilar fituations it is very common, flowering in May and 
ripening' its feed in the beginning of June. 
It is eafy of Cultivation but not remarked for its utility in any refpeft; the feed may probably be the food of 
Imall Birds. 
