/£T2f
S C L E R A N T H U S perennis.
Perennial Knawel.
D E C A N D R I A Digynia.
G e n . C h a r . Cal. of on e le af. Cor. none. Seeds
two, enc loled in th e c a ly x .
S p e c . C h a r . C a ly x o f the ripe fru it with obtufe incurv
ed teeth. Stems proftrate.
S y n . S cle ranthu s perennis. Linn. Sj>. PI. 5 8 0 . Hudf.
FI. An. 1 7 8 . With. Bot. Arr. 4 3 7 .
K n aw e l incanum flo re majore, perefnne. Raii Syn,
16 0 . t. $ .f I,
T h is is much more rare than the preceding, having hitherto
been obferved only in Norfolk and Suffolk, always on the
drieft barren fandy heaths. We received it from the neighbourhood
of Bury, by favour of W. Mathew, Efq. flowering
in November, for it is later in that refpeft than authors mention.
The root is faid to be perennial, but that we have not been
able to verify. Stems perfeftly proftrate and clofe prefled to
the ground, downy in the upper part, often purplifh, much
branched, efpecially towards their extremities. Leaves glaucous,
“ covered with fhining pellucid tubercles,” according to
Mr. Mathew’s remark, and fometimes downy. Segments of
the calyx with a more membranous border than in S. annuus,
their points much more obtufe and curved inward. The earlier
flowers in the end of fummer are of a very filvery appearance,
and attradf the eye at a diftance. Filaments not all perfect.
Calyx in the flowering ftate cloven rather more than half way
down, but not fo when the germen fwells, externally pubefcent.
When growing old the whole plant becomes of a reddifh brown.
Dillenius s figure in Ray’s Synopfis is too large and upright,
and (hews nothing that could ferve to difcriminate fo difficult
a plant.