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think that hybrid individuals arise again and again. I 
rather think that the majority of the S. media are not 
of to-day. but old specimens, bringing forth a numerous 
offspring by layers as long as they are devoid of seeds, 
and thus existing, like so many other perennial cross- 
bred plants, independent of any repeated interference 
of the parent-species. Hence the remarkable constancy 
of certain organs, which can hardly be said to show 
any intermediate shape, e. g. the peduncle which is al- 
ways thinner and frequently somewhat longer than in 
saginoides as well as in procumbens, the flower which is 
smaller than in saginoides though almost invariably 5- 
merous, the sepals which are a little narrower than in 
both the parents, and the petals, the blade of which is 
remarkably small and roundish. All these marks will 
be met with in the whole stock of this species, most 
likely now scattered in thousands of individuals over 
the higher mountains of Northern. Central, and Western 
Europe and also distributed in Northern Asia and 
Greenland. 
I shall now proceed to give a short description of 
the plant. 
S. media ( procumbens X saginoides): lierba perennis glabra. 
S:ce saginoidi habitu persimilis, sed sæpissime minor, caule graci- 
liore. pedunculis gracillimis subcapillaribus, sæpius post antliesin 
valde elongatis B — 5 cm; flores vulgo pentameri, minores et pauciores 
quam in S. saginoide. haud raro steriles; sepala angustius ovata< 
the two species may be distinguished by the sepals, which are 
much shorter in procumbens. although nearly as long as the cap- 
sule, and broadly rounded, and, as is well known, most frequently 
only 4 in number. Moreover, procumbens is a light green plant, 
like Stellaria media, but saginoides is of a dull green colour, like 
Stellaria graminea. 
It is of course difficult to classify such rare aberrant forms, 
as e. g. a procumbens- form with prevailingly 5-merous flowers, or 
a saginoides- form with shorter capsule, or somewhat spreading se- 
pals. Such forms should most likely be classed as segregates with 
the series »Sagina media». 
