SPER GULA ARVE N SIS, CORN SPURREY. 
SPERGULA Linruei Gea. Pl DecAndrta Pentagynia. 
SPERGUI A nr'r- 7 r'e 7 \~‘ 2 ^‘. Pknjapetal® Vasculiferje. 
S;:?;*' s decandris - * '**■*• *■ %- 
“ ? li!s 7*®«^. liminibus rotundis. Haller. hji. g„. 
C rSvT !f er S uIa dlfta ma J°f- Baubm.Pm. 2-ci, J 16 
SAGINA Spergula. Ger.emac. 1125. 
^^ A3JI . Spurrey. Hudfou. FI. Angi. ed. z. p. 203. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. 
CAULES plures, fpithamki, ftt, pedales, fubereai, 
teretes, Leves, fuperne vifcofi, geniculis pIo- 
bofis. b 
STIPULAE ad genicula bina:, bfeviffima;, apicibus in- 
feriorum reflexis. 
FOLIA verticillata, fafciculos duos conftituentia, foliolis 
o£lo circiter in quovis fafciculo, interioribus 
lenfim minoribus, linearia, teretia, apicibus 
flavis, dorlo linea exarato, fuperioribus vifcofis. 
Flores albi, pulchelli, paniculati, panicula ditho- 
toma. 
PEDUNCULI vifcofi, peradta florefcentia penduli. 
CALYX: Peri anthi um peistaphyllurtt, foliolis ovatis, 
obtufiufculis, concavis, patentibus, perfllien- 
tibus, marginibus albidis, jig. 
COROLLA: Petala quinque, ovata, acutiufcula, 
concava, calyce longiora, ungue brevi affixa, 
fig • 2. 
STAMINA: FilamenTa decem* alba, fubulata; An- 
therj® fubrotunda:, flava:* fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fubrotundumj Styli quin- 
que, breves, reflexi* Stigmata fimplicia, 
. . Jig- 4- 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula ovata, tefta, unilocularis, 
quinquevalvis, jig. 5. 
SEMINA plurima, tnajufcula, nigricantia, depceflb- 
globofa, pundtis rufis prominulis ad lentem 
exafperata, annulo manifefte eindta, jig. 6, 
; ROOT annual and fibrous. 
; STALKS numerous, about a fpan or a foot in length, 
nearly upright, round, fmooth, on the upper 
part clammy, joints globular. 
STIPULE growing in pairs at the joints, very ffiort, 
the tips ot the lower ones reflexed. 
LEAVES growing in whirls, and forming two bundles, 
about eight in each bundle, the inner ones 
gradually fmalleft, linear, round, tips yellow, 
with a deep furrow bn the back, the upper 
ones clammy. 
FLOWERS white, pretty, growing in a panicle, which 
is dichotomous; 
PEDUNCLES clammy, hanging dbwri when the flow- 
ering is over. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, the leaves 
Ovate, bluntiffi, concave, fpreading, perma- 
nent, the edges whitiffi, jig. 1 . 
COROLLA : five Petals, ovate, a little pointed, 
concave, longer than the calyx, affixed by a 
ffiort claw, jig. 2. 
STAMINA: ten Filaments, white, tapering; An- 
ther a: routidiffi and yellow, jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: GeriUen roundiffi ; Styles five, ffiort, 
reflexed; StigmatA flmple, jig. 4. 
v SEED-VESSEL i an ovate Capsule covered, by the 
remaining Calyx, of one cavity and five valves, 
fig • 5- 
' SEEDS numerous, rathef large, blackiffi, round, with 
a fmall degree of flatnefs, if viewed with a 
magnifier befet with fmall, reddiffi, promi- 
nent points, and encircled with a manifeft 
rin S’ Jig ■ 6 > 7' 
The Spergula arveujle is feldom found but in a fandy foil * and as that kind of foil does not abound much in the 
5! lb °” ahood ° f , L °" do "’ i0 , tbls P P ecles of Spergula may be conlidered as one of our plant* rariores. On fotfle 
fond nks^rClfa e rI d ' HCat I ’ f ? / n ''fl lbourbo ° d ° f *= Spaniard, we have often noticed it, as well as in tire 
the ^ intended cron A Mds neat Card, alto, r, in Surrey, we have feen it fo plentiful as to appear 
*T. f C r?P- Aa ?° “ Pe “ made of . “ us, it may be conlidered as one of the Word: weeds to which 
a fandy forl « fubjeft. Abroad, however, it is an objeft of cultivation. In fome parts of Flanders, Germany 
whVh°7T * he y foed their cattle with the plant, and their poultry with its feeds ; but as Tares and Buck- “heffl, 
Kjiffing i/ 8 ' m ° re F0duaiVC ’ “ WeU as "Utntrous, may be cultivated in a fimilar foil, our Farmers do wifely in 
It Js found in blofforri from July to September 
We have not found this plant unufually fubjea to vary in the number of its (lamina • .lor have Wt obferved it to 
vary fo much m any other refpefi as to make us fafpeS we had feen the Spergula pentaudra of LinnaeUs, which Mr. 
Hudson makes a variety of the arveujk, contrary to the opinion of fome of the greateft authorities. If the 
drffirence betwixt tliele two plants Was to depend folely on the number of its ftaffliria, we fliould be extremely 
ready to confider them as the fame ; but Rat, whofe opinion mud be allowed to have great weight, defcribes the 
feutaudra as a fpec.es toraUy drftma from the arvenjis. He does not found bis ipecific difference on the number of 
Its flamma, but on charaflers, lefs fubjeft to variation : the leaves at the joints, he obferves, are fewer and thicker 
the plant flowers early, _ and foon goes, off (neither of which takes place in the arvenlh) ; and adds, that Df 
Sherhard obferved it in fandy places in Ireland. J 
theh°refpSvffynonvms th0rS ha,e entertained al > opinion of Its being a diftinfl fpecies, we (hall rjuote 
Spergula foliis filiformibus verticillatis raris feminibus nigris. Saul). Monfp. 167. 
Alfine fpergulse facie mhiima feminibus emarginatis. Bourn. inji. 244. Va ill. Paris 8. 
Alfine fperguhc facie minima. Magn. Mon/p. 14. 
Arenaria teretifolia verna, flore albo, femine limbo foliaceo cin£to. Rupp. Jen. 10 1. 
Spergula annua, femine foliaceo nigro circulo membranaceo albo cindto. Moris hili. 2. p. e i 1. lUf. 28 Bili Gifc 
46. E. N.C. cent. 5 p. 275. /. 4. 1 1 J 
On thefe feveral authorities we cannot but conclude, that there exifts fuch a plant as the Peptandra ; uor can we 
avoid expreffing a wiffi, that fome gentleman, whofe refidence may afford him an opportunity of obferving its 
Inltory, will favour us with a more complete account of it. & 
