/x-r [ 803 ]
S T E L L ARIA graminea.
LeJJer Stitchwort.
DECANDRIA Trigym a.
Gen. Char. Cal. 5-leaved, fpreading. Petals 5*
deeply cloven. Cap/, fuperior, of 1 cell, with
6 teeth at the orifice. Seeds numerous.
Spec. Char. Leaves linear-lanceolate, entire. Panicle
terminal, fpreading. Calyx three-nerved, about
equal to the petals.
Syn. 'Stellaria graminea. Linn. Sp. PI. 604. Sm. FI.
Brit. 4 7 5 . Hudf. 190. With. 4 19 . Hull. 97.
Relh. 170. Sibth. 140. Abbot. 96.
Caryophyllus holofteus arvenfis glaber, flore mincre.
Hail Syn. 346 .
T h e white Harry blofifoms of this delicate plant prettily
befpangle furze-bullies, heath, and low broom, on a gravelly
or fandy foil; and its herbage being concealed by the bulhes
or grafs, and the Italks of the panicle very {lender, the flowers
feem fufpended in the air. They are principally obfervable in
June and July.
The root is perennial and creeping. The whole habit of
the plant much like that of S. holojlea, figured in our 8th vol.
t. 51I, but its fize is fmaller, and the colour a grafs green,
not glaucous. The Item and flower-ftalks are perfectly fmooth.
Leaves entire, and fcarcelv even rough at the margin. Panicle
divaricated. Calyx-leaves pale, with three acute green ribs,
which, as Dr. Stokes obferves, are not to be found in S. holo-
Jiea. Petals about as long as the calyx or longer, very deeply
divided. Antherse of a pale reddilh hue, pointed out by Ray
as a rare circumftance, and chara&eriftic of this fpecies. It
is however alfo obfervable in S. glauca, FI. Brit, which Ray
originally confidered as a variety of this, though he afterwards
feparated them.
<ro3.