/ S i [ 1745 ]
ARENARIA ciliata.
FrinOged Sandwort.
DECANDRIA Trigynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. 5 -leaved, spreading. Petals 5,
undivided. Capside superior, of 1 cell, with many
seeds.
Spec, Char, Stems numerous, much-branched, downy.
Flowers terminal,solitary. Leaves spatulate, roughish,
fringed at the base. Calyx-leaves with five or seven
ribs.
Syn. Arenaria ciliata. Linn. Sp. P L 6 0 8 . W u f in
Ja c q . Coll. v. 1. 2 4 5 . t. 16, ƒ 2, F I. Dan. t. 3 4 6 .
Alsine serpilli folio, multicaulis et multiflora. «Sera,
Heron. v. 1. 4 2 0 , t. 5 . .ƒ 2.
A. n. 876. H all. Hist. v. 1, 3 8 6 . t. 17. ƒ 3 ,
T h is new addition to our Flora was discovered in September
1806 by Mr. J. T. Mackay, on the calcareous cliffs of a high
mountain adjoining to Ben Bulben, in the county of Sligo,
Ireland. Though found in Iceland, and very abundantly in
Switzerland, France, &c., it had never before been seen in
the British isles. It is perennial, flowering in autumn.
Root much branched, bearing numerous stems, which are
prostrate and repeatedly branched in their lower part, leafy,
round, their extremities ascending and most downy. Leaves
in pairs crossing each other, recurved, spatulate, obtuse, entire,
somewhat fleshy, single-ribbed, more or less rough or hairy,
fringed, more particularly towards the base. Flowers erect,
on longish, solitary, terminal, simple stalks, clothed with
fine white recurved down. Calyx-leaves ovate, acute, concave,
hairy, green, with 5 or 7 more or less obscure ribs, and a white
membranous edge. Petals obovate, longer than the calyx, of
a brilliant white. Stamens 10, all about as long as the corolla.
Capsule short, ovate.
In a less luxuriant state this is the A.multicaulis,of Linnaeus,
Haller’s figure, though far less characteristic than usual with
him, -and even very faulty in the leaves, represents the plant
in this state. The figure in Ft. Danica is more like our Irish
specimens, but deficient in every peculiar character.