Spergula saginoides. Pearlwort Spurrey. 
SPERGULA Lin . Gen. PI. Decandria Pentagynia. 
Cal. 5 phyllus. Petala 5, integra» Capf. ovata, i-locularis, 5-valvis. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 24. Herb/e pentapetal^e vasculiferje. 
SPERGULA faginoidts foliis oppofitis linearibus laevibus, pedunculis folitariis lonriffimis, caule repente. 
Lm, Syjl. V egelab. p. 363. Sp.Pl.b31. r 
ALSINE tenuifolia pediculis florum longiffimis. Vaillant Botan. Paris, p. 8. a. 11. 
SPERGULA laricmtt foliis oppofitis fubulatis ciliatis fafciculatis, floribus pentandris. Hud/bn FI. A«gl. 
ed. 2. p. 203. 
SPERGULA laricina. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 224. 
SAXIFRAGA graminea pufilla foliis brevioribus craffioribifs et fucculentioribus. Raii Syn. p. 345 ? 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 
CAULES ex una radice plures, pollicares aut bipolli- 
cares, bafi procumbentes, et ut plurimum re- 
pentes, ramofi, teretes, pilis brevibus glandu- 
liferis vix confpicuis veftiti. 
FOLIA radicalia femipollicaria, linearia, acuta, mucrone 
albido terminata, fatu rate viridia, glabra, fub- 
carnofa, fuperne nuda, inferne et ad oras pilofa, 
piis glanduliferis ; caulina breviora, connata, 
planiufcula, fubfecunda. Jig. 1. 
PEDUNCULI fubere&i, fimplices, pollicares et ultra, 
teretes, ex fufco purpurafcentes, apice nutantes. 
FLORES albi, pulchelli. 
CALYX : Perianthium pentaphyllum, perfidens, fo- 
liolis ovato-oblongis, concavis, obtufis, vifci- 
dulis, margine membranaceis. Jig. 2. 
COROLLA : Petala quinque, alba, longitudine ca- 
lycis, fubrotunda, integerrima, patentia, fig. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque ad decem, fiepius 
vero quinque, fubulata, longitudine germinis ; 
Anther.® parvae, lute*. Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen obovatum ; Styli plerumque 
quinque, filiformia, villofa, reflexa ; Stig- 
mata fimplicia. jig. 5. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula uni-locularis, quinque- 
valvis, calyci infidens. 
SEMINA plurima, minima, fufca, ad lentem pun&ata. 
7 - * I * * 4 * * * 8 - 
| ROOT perennial and fibrous. 
I STALKS, feveral arife from one root, an inch or two 
i in length, procumbent, and generally creeping 
I at bottom, branched, round, covered with 
t fihort glandular hairs, fcarcely vifible. 
I LEAVES next the root about half an inch in length, 
X linear, lharp and terminated by a whitilh 
i point or bridle, of a deep green colour, fome- 
4 what diining, and rather flelhy, on the upper 
I fide fmooth, on the under fide, and at the 
edge, hairy, the hairs terminated by little 
glands, thofe of the ftalk Ihorter, growing 
together at the bafe, flattilh, and tending fome- 
X what one way. Jig. 1. 
I FLOWER-STALKS fomewhat upright, Ample, an 
inch or more in length, round, of a brownilh 
I purple colour, nodding at top. 
I FLOWERS wl^ite and pretty. 
i CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves, permanent, 
I the leaves oval, hollow, obtufe, fomewhat 
vifcid, the edge membranous. Jig. 2. 
I COROLLA : five white Petals, the length of the 
X calyx, of a roundifli diape, entire at the edge 
I and fp reading, fig. 3. 
4 STAMINA: Filaments from five to ten, but mod 
I commonly five, tapering, the length of the 
I germen; Anther zb fmall and yellow, fig. 4. 
4 PISTILLUM: Germen inverfely ovate ; Styles ge- 
| nerally five, thread-fliaped, villous and turned 
back; Stigmata fimple. fig. 5. 
I SEED-VESSEL : a Capsule of one cavity, and three 
X valves fitting on the calyx, fig. 6. 
I SEEDS numerous, very fmall and brown, appearing 
dotted when magnified, fig. 7, 8. 
We are led to confider this plant as the Spergula faginoides of Linnaeus, from its according exactly with a 
minute defcnption given of it by Vaillant in his Botanicon Parifienfe* to which the former refers, and furely 
no name was ever more aptly applied, for did not its confpicuous petals proclaim it, it might for ever have paffed 
for the Sagma procumbens ; thefe lead us to the plant, and examination proves it to be a Spergula, incoudant in- 
deed like many other plants in the number of its flamina. 
In its generic charader this fpecies of Spergula differs in number only from the Sagina procumbens , it agrees 
particularly with it 111 the form of its capfules, fize, and fliape of its feeds, but two obvious fpecific charaders 
at once diftinguifli them, thefe are the fize of the petals, and the peculiar hairinefs of the whole plant ; in the 
Sagma procumbens the petals are very fmall, being much fborter than the calyx, whence they are inconfpicuous ; 
m the Spergula they are of the lame length as the calyx, and, when expanded, become very confpicuous ; the 
Sagma procumbens (which muft not be confounded with the ape tala Linn®i) is fmooth, while the Spergula has its 
Aalks, leaves, peduncles and calyx covered with fhort hairs, having little globules at their extremities, and which 
are very diftinguifli able when magnified. 
It is not uncommon on Putney Heath , and in fimilar fixations about Coomb Wood, Surry ; Dr. Goodenough 
diicovered it plentifully on Bagjhot Heath , efpecially on fome banks thrown up on Potnell Warren , near the oreat 
Log at Virginia Water ; Mr. Lightfoot fhewed it me feveral years ago on Uxbridge Moor ; and Mr. Hudson 
mentions it as growing about Cobham and FJher in Surry. It flowers from June to Auguft. 
, - pIante ' port & ,es bullies de 1 Jilfrn minima flore fugaci. J. R. H. mais elle s’eleve plus haul. Les tlges et Ies pedicules des fleurs 
font ordinaucnient brunes Sa fleur n a qu environ 2 l.gncs de diametre. Elle eft a 5 petales blancs, entiers ronds, qui ne debordent point le 
calice & qui font oppo.e a fes cantons. Le piftile eft un petit bouton tirant fur l’ovale, vert pale, furmonte de e ftiles blancs, courts diftoftz en 
etoile, & entoure de 10 htam.nes blanches amfy que leurs fommets. Ces Etamines n’ont pas une ligne de long. Le calice eft parferae dc petits 
po.ls tres courts. II eft decoupe cn etoil a 5 parties egales. Cette plante ne s’cleve que depuis 2 jufqu’a | pouces, elle pouffe ordinairement 
plufieurs tiges de fa racine, ltfquellcs fe couchent d abord fur la terre, & font droites dans le reft de leur longuer. Ses feuilles font lilies vertex 
condnu. e'n M 'm l *, ?“ K ,“ W f d Ilk commence a ficrir .e„ la £„ JeMap & 
continue an Jn.n & Met. Elle fe tram dans les f ml.es qui font au de la St. Leger entre la foref, et le Village de St. Lneien le lontr du 
' h v ' Y-, ,? ' ”, a le d herl "' So, ‘ fr ““ s ordmairement en 4 Sc quelque'ois 5 lobe, de Is poime vets la bafe Si contient djis fa 
c»vi!e pluncuis leniences noiraftre tres menues. Botan. Par. p. 8, q. 
