Arenaria trinervia. Plantain-leaved 
Chickweed. 
ARENARIA Lin. Gen. PL Decandria Trigynia. 
Cal. 5-phyllus, patens. Petala 5, integra. Capf. 1 locularis, polyfperma. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 24. Herbje pentapetal* vasculifer^e. 
ARENARIA trinervia foliis ovatis acutis petiolatis nervofis. Liti. Syjl. Vegetab. p 353. Sp. Pl. p. 605. 
F/. Suec. n. 397. 
ALSINE foliis ovato- lanceolatis, trinerviis. Plaller. Hifl. n. 878. 
ALSINE Plantaginis folio. 1 . B. III. 364. Rail Syn. p. 349. Plantain-leaved Chickweed. Huclfin FI. 
Angi. ed. 2. p. 19 1. Lighljoot FI. Scot. p. 230. Qedcr FI. Dan. t. 429. 
RADIX annua, tenuiffima, fibrofa, albida. | ROOT annual, very flender, fibrous, and whitilh. 
CAULES plures, (pith am si, pedales, et ultra, debiles, ^ STALKS leveral, a (pan, a foot or more in length, weak, 
teretes, undique pubefcentes, geniculati, ramo- 1 downy, all round jointed, and very much 
fiffimi. 
branched. 
FOLIA oppofita, ovata, acuta, pallide viridia, trinervia, ? LEAVES oppofite, ovate, pointed, of a pale gree 1 
111 fRffPrrimj mdirrinp nonrILno mioutim .-.111.. ^ 1 ‘I 1 t .1 1 ^ 
tis, fupremis feffilibus, inferioribus petiolatis, ? 
crebrioribus, minoribus. 1 
PETIOLI fubalati, marginibus pilofis. 
FLORES alterni, (olitarii, e dichotomia caulis, 
finely fringed with hairs, the uppcrmoft feffile, 
the lowermofl Handing on foot-flalks, more 
numerous and fmaller. 
I LEAF- STALKS fomewhat winged, the edges hairy. 
I FLOWERS alternate, l'olitary, proceeding from the 
7 I forking of the flalk. 
PEDUNCULI teretes, pubefcentes, primo eredti, de - 1 FLOWER-STALKS round, downy, at firfleredl, finally 
mum horizontaliter extend, apice fubiuflexo, et? horizontally extended, the tip fomewhat bent 
vv P ‘^ U UminCraffat °* I in, and a little thickened. 
CALYX: Perianthium pentaphyllum, foliis ovato- ? CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 
acuminatis, carinatis, pubefeentibus, corolla | ovate, running out to a point, keeled, downy, 
T l0n S , ° nbus ' lm ? longer than the corolla. Jig. r. 
COROLLA: Pet ala quinque, parva, alba, obovata, | COROLLA : five Petals, fmall, white, inverfely 
e-n a AirnvT inte ^ ra ‘ 2 ’ I ovate and entire, fig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta decem, longitudine coroll*, ? STAMINA : ten Filaments, the length of the co- 
alba, filiformia. Anthers minut*, flavas. | rolla, white, filiform. Anthers very fmall, 
-fiS- 3- t and yellow, fg. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum. Styli tres, longi- 1 PISTILLUM : Germen ovate. Styles three, the 
tudine germinis. Stigmata obtufiufcula. | length of the germen. Stigmata bluntilh. 
4 - | fg. 4. 
PERICARP 1 UM: Capfula fubconica, tefta, unilocu - 1 SEED-VESSEL : a Capfule of a fhape fomewhat conic, 
mmu )• r , t . . . I covered by the calyx, and having one cavity. 
SEMINA plurima, fubremformia, plamufcula, glaber- 1 SEEDS numerous, fomewhat kidney- lhaped, flattifh 
nma, nigra. ? very fmooth, and black. 
There exifts a confiderable fimilarity betwixt the prefent plant and the common Chickweed ; the attentive 
oblerver will, however, find them to differ very materially. 
As a principal part of the profefled defign of this work is to remove, as much as poffible, every difficulty 
attending an invefligation of the Britiffi plants, we fhall point out thofe differences which have appeared to us the 
moft finking in comparing the two together. The common Chickweed, as its name imports, is found almofl 
every wffiere, as well in expofed as in fhady fixations ; this, on the contrary, is found with us only in woods, and 
on the fhady banks furrounding them, and, compared with the other, may be confidered rather as a fcarce plant. 
The common Chickweed flowers in March and April ; this produces its bloffoms in May and June. The common 
Chickweed has a row of hairs running down each fide of the flalk ; this is uniformly covered with very fhort hairs, 
fcarcely difeermbk. The former has a procumbent flalk ; this grows eredl. In the former the leaves are not 
diflinguiffied by any veins or ribs; this, on the contrary, has three flrong ones, which give them fomewhat the 
appearance of thofe of Plantain, whence its name. In the former the petals are bifid ; in this they are entire. 
The feeds alfo afford another very flriking difference : in the common Chickweed they are brown and rough ; while 
thofe of the trinervia are black, perfectly fmooth, and fhining. 
We know of no particular ufe to which this diminutive plant is applicable. 
