84 
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
plant, and produces its small bright purple flowers in great abundance during the whole of the summer 
months. 
THE SEA SPURREY. (A. media, Lin.) 
A creeping, annual plant, with small purple flowers, and linear hut fleshy leaves. It is common on the 
sea-coast in almost every part of Great Britain, and it flowers from June to September. 
THE SEA CHICKWEED. (A. peploides, Lin.) 
A dwarf, perennial plant, with broad fleshy leaves and small white flowers, which it produces in June and 
July. It is common on the sandy sea-coast in every part of Great Britain. 
THE THYME-LEAVED SANDWORT. (A. serpyllifolia, Lin.) 
A very pretty, dwarf, annual plant, with delicate little leaves, like those of the wild Thyme, and very 
small white flowers, which appear from May to July. This species is common on walls and pieces of waste 
ground in every part of Great Britain. 
THE FRINGED SANDWORT. (A. ciliata, Lin.) 
This is the handsomest species of the genus, having rather large white flowers. It is, however, very rare, 
having only been found on a mountain in Ireland. It takes its specific name from the leaves being fringed with 
fine hairs. 
There are several other species ; but they are insignificant weeds, with very small flowers ; and the Spring 
Sandwort (A. verna) is the only one at all likely to attract notice. 
OTHER GENERA BELONGING TO THE ORDER CARYQPHYLLE2E. 
The principal of these are the Cyphel ( Cherleria , Lin.), a dw T arf herbaceous plant, with small white flowers, 
growing in tufts on the mountains in Scotland • the Spurrey ( Spergula , Lin,), a troublesome weed in corn-fields; 
the Waterwort ( Elatine , Lin.), a creeping annual plant, growing on the margins of ditches, but so small, both 
in leaves and flowers, as to be rarely observed; Pearl-wort ( Sagina , Lin.), a very small weed found in the 
neglected walks of gardens and between the interstices of the stones in paved courts ; Jagged duckweed 
( Holosteum , Lin.), a rare and rather tender annual, with pink flowers; and Buffonia and Mcenchia, which are 
insignificant annual weeds. 
CHAPTER XV. 
THE FLAX FAMILY. (Linea:, Dec.) 
Character of the Order. —Sepals 3—4—5, with an imbricated 
estivation, continuous with the peduncle, persistent. Petals equal in 
number to the sepals, hypogynous, unguiculate, with a twisted aestiva¬ 
tion. Stamens equal in number to the petals, and alternate with 
them, united at the base in an hypogynous ring, from which proceed 
little teeth opposite to the petals, and indicating abortive stamens ; 
anthers ovate, innate. Ovarium with about as many cells as sepals, 
seldom fewer. Styles equal in number to the cells. Stigmas capitate. 
Description, &c. —The plants contained in this order have all very fugitive flowers ; and generally the seeds 
abound in mucilage, though the stems contain a considerable portion of woody fibre. 
Capsule generally pointed with the indurated base of the styles, many- 
celled; each cell partially divided in two by an imperfect spurious dis¬ 
sepiment, and dehiscing with two valves at the apex. Seeds in each 
cell single, compressed, inverted; albumen usually absent; inner 
lining of the testa tumid. Embryo straight, with the radicle pointing 
towards the hilum; cotyledons flat. Herbaceous plants, or small 
shrubs. Leaves entire, without stipulai. Petals very fugitive. 
( Lindley .) 
