AREN ARIA RUBELLA. SMALL ARCTIC SANDWORT.
ARENARIA rubella ; foliis subulatis muticis trinerviis, pedunculis unifloris pubescentibus, calycibus
acutissimis trinerviis, petala elliptico-lanceolata (nonnunquam dencientia) capsulamque
quadrivalvem pauiuluin superantibus.
ARENARIA rubella. Hooker in Parry's Second Voyage, App. ined.
ARENARIA quadrivalvis. Brawn in Parry's First Voyage, App. p. cclxxi.
ALSINE rubella. Wahl. Ft. Lapp. p. 128. t. 6.
Class and Order. DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA.
[N a t u r a l O r d e r . C A R Y O P H Y L L E /E , Pass., Decani., Br., Hook.]
G e n . Ciia b . Calyx pentaphyllus. Petala quinque integia. Capsula unilocularis, polyspenna.
G e n . Ch a r . Co/i/A'o f five leaflets. Peru* five, entire. Capsule one-celled, many-seeded.
Radix parva, subfibrosa, perennis.
Caulis e basi ramosus, ramis numerosis densissime
c®spitosis; basi reliquiis foliorum vetustorum
tectus, superne foliosus.
Folia plerumque viridia, raro purpureo tincta, opposita,
lineari-subulata, du as tres lineas longa, crassius-
cula, obtusa, mutica, supra plana, dbrso convex -
iuscula, trinervia, basi dilatata membranacea,
connata.
P edüNCüLI terminales, magis minusve elongati, solitarii,
uniflori, glanduloso-pubescentes..
Calyx pentaphyllus, foliolis lanceolatis, acutissimis,
viridibus (vel in speciminibus exoticis seepe purpureis),
trinerviis, margine membranaceis, scario-
sis, ad basin extus paululum pubescentibus.
P etala elliptico-lanceolata, acutiuscula, alba, calyce
paululum breviora, nonnunquam deficientia.
Stamina decern, corolla breviora. Filamenta annulo
perbrevi ad basin germinis inserta. Anther®
didym®, loculis subglobosis, pallide flav®.
Germen ovatum, obtusum, obscure quadrilobum.
Styli quatuor, filiformes, albi, subpubescentes
Capsula calyce persistente paululum brevior, quadri-
yalvis (passim bi- ad quinque-valvis.—Br.).
Receptaculum seminum columnare, albi centrale,
seminibus fuscis reniformibus tectum.
Root small, rather fibrous, perennial s.
Stem branched from the base, the branches numerous,
thickly tufted ; clothed a t the base with the remains
of old leaves, leafy above.
Leaves generally green, rarely tinged with purple, opposite,
linear-subulate, two or three lines long,
thickish, blunt, awnless, plane above, rather
convex behind, three-nerved, swollen at the base,
membranaceous* connate.
P eduncles terminal, more or less elongated, solitary,
single-flowered, downy with glands.
Calyx of five leaflets, the leaflets lanceolate, very acute,
green (in foreign specimens frequently red), three-
nerved, at the margin membranaceous, scariose,
slightly downy externally at the base.
P etals between elliptic and lanceolate, rather acute,
white, somewhat shorter than the calyx, sometimes
deficient.
Stamens ten, shorter than the corolla. Filaments inserted
upon a very short annulus at the base of
the germen. Anthers didymous, with two almost
globose cells, pale yellow.
Germen ovate, obtuse, indistinctly four-lobed. Styles
- ’'four, filiform, white, somewhat downy.
Capsule with the calyx persisting, a little shorter than
it, with four valves (occasionally with two to'five
valves.—Br.). Receptacle of the seeds columnar, central, covered
with brown reniform seeds.
Fig. 1. Plant, natural size. Fig. 2. Portion of the same, magnified: Fig. 3. Flower in which the petals are wanting
the calyx forced open to-show the parts of fructification. Fig. 4. Flower (from a specimen of Captain
Parry’s) furnished with a corolla. Fig. 5. Pistil. Fig. 6. Germen. Fig. 7. Front view of a stamen. Fig. 8.
Back view of the same. Fig. 9. Capsule included in the calyx. Fig. 10. Capsule removed from the calyx.
• Fig.: 11. Capsule cut open to show the insertion of the seeds:—all but Fig. 1. more or less magnified.
We have the gratification of here giving the figure and description of apian t that is not only altogether new
to the British dominions, but in oth,er countries is only known to inhabit very high northern regions, where it
has only been found within these few years. r • TT
The first knowledge we have of this plant is from Wahlenberg, who published it in his Flora Lappomca. He
detected it growing in very exposed stony places, upon the Alps of the northern parts of Nordland, a t an elevation
of 3000 feet above the level of the sea. It was next brought to England by Captain Parry, both from his first
and second Arctic expedition; and if we may judge from the number of specimens existing in the collections of
the different officers, it is far from an uncommon inhabitant of those latitudes. In the summer of the present year
(1824) during one of the botanizing excursions which I am annually in the habit of making with the students ot my
class, accompanied also by some friends, of similar pursuits, it was found growing in no less than three different
places on the Breadalbane range of mountains. On the same day it was first seen upon Craig Alleach by Dr.
Greville, and upon Maclgreadha by Mr. Earle; and on the following day upon Ben Lawers by Mr. Murray. In
all these situations the elevation was very considerable, from 3000 to 3500 feet; but it grew sparingly and m
places quite exposed, and generally in the crevices of the schistose rocks which form the summits of these respective
hills. The season (which was the latter end of June) was too early for the blossoms to be in full perfection,
or for the flower-stalks to be so much lengthened out as they would have been at a later season; and, what I considered
rather a remarkable circumstance, the flowers, (at least all that I examined) were quite destitute of corolla.
That part therefore, as well as the capsule and seeds, I have figured from Captain Parry s specimens, which, as
well as those which I possess from Lapland, differ in no essential particular from British ones.