IO HERNIA RI A 
Genus 2. Herniaria 
Herniaria [Tournefort Inst. 507, t. 288 (1700)] L. Sp. PI. 218 (1753) et Gen. PI. ed. 5, 103 (1754); Pax 
in Engler und Prantl Pflanzenfam. iii, pt. I b, 89 et 91 (1889). 
Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves opposite at least below, unequal, entire, stipulate, stipules 
membranous. Sepals green, 5, often united at the base, equal or unequal, obtuse, muticate. Staminodes 
or petals setaceous. Stamens 5 — 2. Style short or absent. Stigmas .2. Fruit an achene, mono- 
spermic. Seed subglobose or reniform, erect ; testa shining ; embryo curved or annular. 
About 20 species ; Europe (except northern) ; western Asia ; Africa. Mediterranean chiefly. 
British species of Herniaria 
1. H. ciliata (see below). Perennial. Stem suffruticose below. Stipules rather more con- 
spicuous and larger than in H. glabra. Laminae ciliate at least when young. 
2. H. glabra (p. 11). Annual. Stem wholly herbaceous. Laminae more narrowly elliptical, 
more attenuate below, not or scarcely ciliate. 
I. HERNIARIA CILIATA. Rupture -wort. Plate 8 
Herniaria Ray Syn. ed. 3, 160 (1724), fide Babington toe. cit. {propter locum ) excl. syn. 
Herniaria ciliata Babington in Trans. Linn. Soc. xvii, 453 (1837)! in Eng. Bot. Suppl. no. 2857(1841); 
Syme Eng. Bot. vii, 179 (1867); Pugsley in Journ. Bot. Iii, 330 et 332 (1914); H. maritima var. ciliata Daveau 
in Bot. Soc. Brot. x, 95 (1892); Rouy Ft. France xii, 8 (1910). 
leones : — Babington in Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2857, as H. ciliata. In leaf-shape, this approaches the var. 
subciliata. 
Exsiccata : — Dickson, 58, as H. glabra ; Smith herb, (partim), as H. glabra. 
Perennial. Root eventually up to about 5 mm. in diameter. Branches prostrate, suffruticose 
below, diffuse, eventually more or less rooting, up to about i'5dm. long. Stipules conspicuous, soon 
becoming scarious, obtuse, rather larger than in H. glabra. Laminae broadly or rather narrowly 
elliptical, not or rarely attenuate below, ciliate at least when young, obtuse. Flowers rather larger 
than in H. glabra , usually less crowded, sessile or nearly so ; late April to September. Sepals 
oblong or oblong-oval, margins glabrous or 
ciliate, obtuse or with a deciduous bristle at the 
tip. Petals or staminodes 5, distinct. Anthers 
usually tipped with red. Seeds lenticular, black, 
about twice as large as in H. glabra. 
This species is regarded by some authorities as a 
variety of H. maritima which, in the restricted sense, is 
only known to occur in Spain and Portugal. We agree 
with Mr Pugsley {loc. cit.) that H. ciliata and H. maritima 
are best kept as separate species. 
(a) H. ciliata var. babingtoni var. nov. ; H. 
ciliata Babington Prim. Ft. Sam. 39 (1837) in 
sensu stricto ! 
Laminae broader than in var. subciliata. 
Flowers not so densely aggregated as in var. 
subciliata. 
Channel Isles, Cornwall. 
Western Europe, from Germany southwards. 
( b ) H. ciliata var. subciliata comb. nov. ; H. 
glabra var. subciliata Babington Prim. Ft. Sam. 39 
Map 4. Distribution of Herniaria in England. H. ciliata occurs in the . „ . , TT ... . . , , . r . , , 
*C 7 , 1T1 , „ „ „ . , . ^ ~ , (1839)!; H. ciliata var. angustifolia Pugsley loc. cit. 
Channel Isles and Cornwall, H. glabra var. vera in eastern England, ' J;7/ ’ ° J ® } 
and H. glabra var. hirsuta has occurred in Hampshire, Middlesex, Camb. Brit. Ft. iii. Plate 8 . ( a ) Portion of 
and the Isle of Wight plant. ( b ) Leaves (two enlarged), (c) Portion of 
stem (enlarged), (e) Flower (enlarged). (/) Ovary (enlarged). Hort., origin Jersey (C. E. M.). 
Stem often with irregularly placed adventitious roots. Laminae narrowly elliptical, margin 
more or less ciliate at least when young, subacute. Flowers usually more crowded together than 
in var. babingtoni , appearing in late April. Sepals ciliate. 
