Cerastium Pumilum. 
Dwarf Cerastium. 
CERASTIUM. Limi. Gen. FI. Decandria Prntagy.nia. 
Cui. 5-phylIus. Petala 2-fida. Capf. i-locularis, apice dehifcens. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 24' Hmm Piktapitau Vaicuhkm. 
CERASTIUM pumilum floribus pentandris, petalis bifidis longitudine calycis, capfula calyce duplo 
. longiore. 
hefitate to publifh it as a fpecies perfeaiy dillina. For want of a more appropriate name, we have a g 
it that of pumilum. 
1 Tt agrees with the Ceraltium femiiecanirum in being about the fame fize, ufually a little (mailer, having 
nearly the fame habit, the Tame number of flamina, and in being alfo an annual; but differs from it in the 
following particulars. 
The whole plant, but more efpecially tile ftalks and leaves, are more evidently hairy, being indeed perfeffly 
hirfute nearly P as much fo as in the vulgatum; the flowers are confiderably larger, the petals being neatly twice 
Se fee fully as long, or rather longer than the calyx, of com e more fliewy, more confpicuous alio from 
their fu’perior whitenefs, regularly bifid or divided down one third, fo that they greatly referable thole ol the 
vulgatum, wfafim, and mol others of the fame genus ; the feed-veffels are much longer, and more tapering, 
for the moft part twice the length of the calyx, but not always fo ; the charaEter moll to be depended on confifts 
in the form length and divifion of the petals; its fupenor hainnefs is alfo a good pram facie charader; the 
hairs on the branches, it is to be obferved, are equally vifcous as in the femidecanirum ; the feeds m the pumilum 
are larger, of a darker brown colour, and rougher. 
Mr. Dicicson found this fpecies, which may perhaps be more common than ,\ye are aware, on dry banks 
near Croydon. 
It begins to flower as early as February and March, rather fooner than the femidccandrum, and ripens its 
feeds in May. 
Slugs and fnails are fo extremely fond of the plant, that it is with great difficulty kept where they abound. 
Partes FruBificationis. 
Fig. 1. Calycis foliolum au&. 
2. Petalum. 
3. Stamina cum piflillo. 
4. Piftillum. 
5. Capfula magnit. nat. 
6. Semen magnit. nat. 
Semen au£t. 
Parts of the FruBif cation. 
Fig. 1. One of the leaves of the Calyx magnified. 
2. A Petal. 
3. Tb.e Stamina with the Piftillum. 
4. The Pifiillum. 
5. A Capfule of its natural fize. 
6 . A Seed of its natural fize, 
7. The fame magnified. 
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