, , . . , „ ,;:Rir A ferries and the obfervations of the modems have 
Mott of the old Botamfts regarded this plant £d d P ind| L ed as an ^l/ine, and this alfo was a farther 
(hewn that their opinion was well founded , J , undoubtedly of the fame genus, mafmuch 
proof of their difeernment, for the Alfne excepted, and that is found to vary in 
as they agree exactly tn the parts of fru&ificatron, 0 f the fame genus as the others, though it 
the Atjine media : the Cerajiium femiecmdrtm is a m to Stellaria an S d called Stellaria Alfinc; the 
has only five flamina; the Aljin' therefore fltould be remove chara aer 0 f Jst'Uaria, 
a part which is o*f the firfl confe q uence in determining the 
genus, and which Limosus has not fuffictently attended to. 
Linn-eus, in general too cautious in malting fpecies, confiders our plant as a 
but as it differs S from that plant in fo many effential points, we cone ude he "P™ * r f b ^ 
fairly examining and controlling the two in a living ftate . Dilleniu ■ J j the callous tips of the 
flowers, but neither he or any other author that we are acquainted wi , an( j eac h ot her, 
leaves, though very confpicuous, nor the particular fituation of the lea s p r - , . flowers 
(fee the defcription^-Doonv, as appears from Ray's Synofifis, had the merit of ? Tf n bnt this 
were prodneed ex alis foliornm, which is certainly one of the moft taking chamBers ° * c 
not produced in the common way ; the fa& is, the flowers would be terminal, did not a new kind of ihoot or 
furculus, rather than a continuation of the item, proceed from the panicle. 
The petals being fo deeply divided, and rereading fo far afunder, has occafioned fome miftakes in the do- 
feriptions which authors have given of the flowers: J. Bauhine defenbes them wi P ’ r j;r _ 
on the contrary, with five, and thofe undivided; this author, affirming to himfelf a f Y n h ° r r de S re ^ ^ f . 
ment, complains that Moatso» and Ray had deferibed them as divided almofl to .the bafe ; a more minute 
infpeaion would have taught him that they were not fuch fuperficial obfervers as he imagined. 
It is a very common plant in wet lpringy meadows, and efpeeially on the edges of the ditches, which in 
terfeft fuch meadows, but cannot be laid to be truly a bog plant, like Anagallis tenella, or iqjeia. 
It flowers from June to Augujl. 
