SAGINA MARITIMA, ANNUAL SEASIDE PEARL-
WORT.
SAGINA maritima; annua, glabra, caulibus efectis vel basi solummodo proCumbentibus, foliis carnosis
obtusis, floribus apetalis* calyce capsula paulo lorigiore.
SAGINA maritima. Don's Herb. B r it.fa s c . 7. n. 155. Smith Engl. Bot. A 2195. Hooker Fl. Scott
P . I. p. 60.
Glass An d Order. T E T RA N D R IA TETRAGYNIA;
[N atural Order. CARYOPHYLLE^E, Juss., Decand.]
Gen. Char. Calyx tetraphyllusi Petala quatuor (calyce breviora, vel nulla). Capsula monolocblaris, quadrivalvis.
Ge n . Char. Calyx of four leaves. Petals four (shorter than the calyx, or none). Capsule of one cell, four-valvfed.
Radix annua, parva, fibrosa, ramosa, fusca.
Caules plures ex eadem radice, filiformes, basi procutn-
bentes, rubicundi, dein plerumqüe erecti, virides,
vix ramosij glaberrimi, teretes.
Folia parva, opposita, lincaria, carnosa, semiteretia, ob-
tusa, glaberrima, obscure viridia, basi connata,
margine membranacea, alba.
Flores solitarii, terminales axillaresque, pëdunculati.
Pedunculi graciles, glabri, primum breves, de-
mum, post fiorescentiam præcipue, elongati.
Calyx tetraphyllus, foliolis ovatis, concavis, viridibus,
enervibus, persistentibus, tandem fuscescentibus.
Corolla nulla.
Stamina quatuor. Filarnenta alba, basi paululum di-
latata, germine longiora.
Antheræ rotundatæ, flavæ.
PiSTiLLUM: Germen ovatum, viride. Stylus nullils.
Stigmata quatuor, primum erecta, demum paten-
tia, plumosa, alba.
Pericarpium : Capsula ovata, membranacea, fusca,
segmentis calycis subæque longa, quadrivalvis,
unilocularis. Receptaculum seminum centrale,
column a re, liberum.
Semina numerosa, subrenifdrmia, compressa, fusca, minute
tuberculata. Podosperma longiuscula.
Albumen carnosum.
Embryo cylindracea, curvata. Cotyledones longinscu-
læ. Radicula ad hilum versa.
I RoOt annual, small, fibrous* branched, brown.
Stems many from the same root, filiform, procumbeilt,
and reddish atthe base, then generally erect, green,
scarcely branched, quite glabrous, rounded.
Leaves small, opposite, linear, fleshy, semicylindrical,
obtuse, quite glabrous, dull green, connate at the
base, with a white' margin, and membranaceous.
Flowers solitary, terminal and axillary, pedunculated.
Peduncles slender, glabrous, at first short, afterwards,
especially after flowering, elongated.
Calyx of four leaves, with the leaflets ovate, concave,
green, nerveless, persistent, at length brownish.
Corolla none.
Stamens four. Filaments white, a little spreading at the
base, longer than the germen.
Anthers rounded, yellow.
Pistil : Germen ovate, green. Style none. Stigmas
four, at first erect, then patent, feathery, white.
Pericarp : Capsule ovate, membranaceous, brown,
about as long as the segments of the calyx, of four
valves, one-celled. Receptacle of the seeds central,
columnar, free.
Seeds numerous, subreniform, compressed, brown,
minutely tuberculated. Seedstalks rather long.
Albumen fleshy.
Embryo cylindrical, curved. Cotyledons rather long.
Radicle turned towards the hilum.
Fig. 1, 1. Plants, nat. size. Fig. 2, 2. Portions o f plants. Fig. 3. Pistil with the styles unexpanded, and stamens.
Fig. 4. The same with the styles expanded. Fig. 5. Stamens. Fig. 6. Capsule included in the calyx.
Fig. 7. Capsule from which the cal. is removed. Fig. 8. Capsule expanded, having discharged its seeds, and
showing the central receptacle, on which the numerous seedstalks remain. Fig. 9• Seeds. Fig. 10. Seed dissected
to show the albumen and embryo.— all magnified.
The discovery of this very distinct species of Sagina is due to the late indefatigable Mr. G. Don, of Forfar,
who found it not only on the coasts of Angus-shire, Aberdeen, Queensferry, near Edinburgh, and the Isle of Skye,
but also far inland upon Ben Nevis. Mr. Brown also met with it a t Ballycastle, Ireland, near the Giants’ Causeway.
The specimens here figured, I gathered in A ugust 1819, growing in the salt marshes a t Southwold, Suffolk, where
it is remarkably abundant. I t is distinguished from the S. procumbens, along with which it is frequently found
mixed, by its annual roots, and nearly erect reddish stems: from S. apetala by its entirely glabrous stems; and
from both by its total want of petals, awnless and obtuse leaves, and much shorter capsule.