than this, but in all situations the singular appearance of the seed vessels placed on the calyx like a cup on a saucer, will easily distinguish it. It is a native everywhere throughout Europe, on the north-west coast of America and on the banks of the Columbia. 2. S. apetala, (Linn.) apetalous, or small flowered Pearlwort. Engl. Bot. t. 881. Reich Icones v. 200. Locality. On wall tops, and waste barren ground, frequent. A. Fl. May, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts with S. procumbens (Linn.) from which it is well distinguished by its ascending not procumbent stem, paler colour, more slender habit, and by its much longer points to the leaves, which are fringed with a few stiff hairs towards the base. For further information on the British species and varieties of this genus, see Gibson in Phytologist No. 9, April, 1842, P. 177. 3. S. nodosa, (Linn.) Knotted Spurrey. Sand Chickweed. Engl. Bot. t. 694. Spergula (Smith). Curt. Fl. Lond. ii. fasc. 4, t. 34. Locality. In moist sandy, gravelly and turfy pastures, but not P. Fl. July, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. common. South Division. 1. South-east District, "Moist places about Grimsted, Major Smith, and Mr. James Hussey. "Alderbury," Dr. Maton. "Clarendon," Mr. T. W. Gissing, 2. South Middle District, "Westbury," Mrs. Overbury. 3. South-west District, "West Harnham," Mr. James Hussey. North Division. 4. North-west District, "Wet sandy places about Bromham," Miss L. Meredith. 5. North-east District, Banks of canal between Swindon and Purton. Further localities for this species would be desirable, it can scarcely be so rare in Wilts, as the above distribution indicates. ALSINE (WAHL.) ALSINE. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. iii. Name. From Alsos, (Gr.) a grove. 1. A. tenuifolia, (Wahl.) Fine leaved Sandwort. Arenaria, (Smith). Engl. Bot. t. 219. Reich Icones, 4916. Sabulina (R.) Locality. In dry sandy, and chalky places, rare in the county. A. Fl. May, June. Area, Area, ** 3. 4. * South Division. 3. South-west District, "Road side and hill North of Wilton," Rev E. Simms. North Division. 4. North-west District, Sandy corn-fields between Kingsdown and South Wraxhall. This is rather a local than a common plant, stems 4 to 6 inches high, glabrous throughout, remarkably slender, especially the peduncles. MOEHRINGIA, (LINN.) MOEHRINGIA. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. iii. Name. So called after Moehringia a celebrated botanist. 1. M. trinervis, (Clairv.), three-nerved or Plantain leaved Moehringia. Arenaria, (Smith). Engl. Bot. t. 1483. Reich. Icones, t. 216. Locality. In damp woods, groves, and on moist or shady hedgebanks, not uncommon. A. Fl. May June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts. Habit of Stellaria media, (Wither), and distinguished from Arenaria and Alsine, by the appendages to the hilum of its seeds. ARENARIA, (LINN.) SANDWORT. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. iii. Name. From arena, (Lat.) sand, its habitation. 1. A. serpyllifolia (Linn.) Thyme—(serpyllum) leaved Sandwort, but the resemblance is not very apparent. Engl. Bot. t. 293. Reich. Icones, t. 216. Locality. Dry places, walls, and gravelly ground. A. Fl. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Common in all the Districts. A variety with stems much more slender, flowers and fruit of half the size I have occasionally met with, it may be the ẞ tenuior (Koch.)1 1 As compared with geruine serpyllifolia this plant is more graceful in its habit of growth, the stems are more slender and more diffuse, the panicles narrower and more elongated not level with the top, but mostly lengthened out into an irregular raceme. The hairs upon the leaves and calyces, longer, more STELLARIA, (LINN.) STITCHWORT. Name. From stella (Lat.) a star form of flower. 1. S. media, (Withering) Common Chickweed, intermediate Stitchwort. Called by Linnæus, Bauhin, and others, Alsine media as intermediate in size, between Alsine major (Cerastium aquaticum) and minor (Arenaria serpyllifolia) the name no longer applicable now its genus is changed, has been unwisely retained by later authors. Engl. Bot. t. 537. Reich. Icones. 222. Locality. In rich waste, and cultivated ground, abundant. A. Fl. March, November. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts. This very common plant which grows almost in all situations, from damp and almost boggy meads, to the driest gravel walks in gardens, is consequently subject to great variations in its appearance. Those who have only seen it in its usual state as garden Chickweed would hardly know it again in meads, where it sometimes exceeds half a yard in height, and has leaves near two inches long and more than one inch broad, resembling in its habit the Stellaria nemorum or the Cerastium aquaticum, distinguishable however from the latter by the number of pistils, and from the former by the woolly or hairy ridge extending along the stem. This species is a good pot herb, and small birds are very fond of the seeds. 2. S. Holostea, (Linn.) Holostea or Greater Stitch wort. Holosteon is the Greek name of some plant derived from (holos) entire, and (osteon) bone, but why applied to our plant except by antiphrasis, is not so clear. Engl. Bot. t. 511. Reich. Icones, t. 223. Locality. Woods, hedges, and bushy places, very common. P. Fl. April, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Throughout all the Districts, where its brilliant white starry blossoms render it very conspicuous in the spring. Calyx sometimes proliferous, as observed by H. F. Talbot, Esq. of Lacock Abbey. spreading, and more conspicuous, the sepals sharper, thinner in texture, and more strongly nerved, the capsules smaller in size, less ventricose in shape, and pliant under pressure. It is probably the "Arenaria leptoclados," of Gussone. 3 S. glauca, (Wither) glaucous, or Marsh Stitchwort. Engl. Bot. t. 825. Reich Icones, 223. S. palustris, (Retz.) Locality. In moist meadows, bogs, and the margins of ditches and ponds, where the soil is peaty or gravelly. Rare. P. H. May, July. Area,*** 4. * North Division. 4. North-west District, In a bog between the Horse and Jockey, and South Wraxhall: the only locality at present recorded for this species in Wilts, whence my herbarium has been supplied. Distinguished from S. Holostea, (Linn.), by its perfect smoothness, shorter leaves, and three ribbed calyx; from S. graminea, (Linn.), by its glaucous hue, and larger petals; from both by its erect, more dispersed, often axillary and solitary, much less panicled flowerstalks. It is often overlooked by the young botanist, and may be regarded as a local, rather than a common plant. S. graminea, (Linn.) grass-leaved Lesser Stitchwort. Engl. Bot. t. 803. Reich Icones, f. 4911. Locality. In heathy pastures, or bushy places, on a gravelly or sandy soil, frequent. P. Fl. May, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Distributed throughout all the Districts. Smaller than the last, and of a grass green, not glaucous. The weak and brittle, smooth, leafy stems, support themselves on the surrounding bushes, and the delicate wide spreading panicles, with their little white starry blossoms, seem suspended in the air. S. uliginosa, (Murr.) boggy Stitchwort, delighting in locis uliginosis: (in marshy places.) Engl. Bot. t. 1074. Reich. Icones, f. 3669. Larbrea aquatica. (St. Hilaire.) Locality. In rivulets, ditches, springs, and watery spots. A. Fl. May, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Generally distributed, and not unfrequent in our ditches and rivulets. Plant perfectly smooth, with the habit of S. media, (Wither.) Flowers smaller than in any other native species, with the calyx entire at the base and slightly urceolate. MOENCHIA, (EHRH.) MOENCHIA. Linn. Cl. iv. Ord. iii. Named by Ehrhart in honour of Dr. Conrad Moench, Professor VOL. VII.NO. XX. T of Botany and Chemistry at Marburgh, and author of Enumeratio plantarum indigenarum Hassiæ. 1. M. erecta (Smith) erect, upright, Moenchia. Least Stichwort. Engl. Bot. t. 609. Reich Icones, v. 227. Moenchia glauca. Pers. Syn. Pl. v. i. p. 153. Locality. In pastures, on a gravelly soil, on heathy ground, and old walls. Very rare in the county. A. Fl. May, June. Area, * 5. North Division. 5. North-east District, "Great Bedwyn," Mr. William Bartlett. A small plant very likely to be overlooked, and apparently confined to the above District, but it is probable its distribution will be better ascertained as the plants of the county are more diligently sought after by the collecting botanist. MALACHIUM, (FRIES) MOUSE-EAR CHICKWEED. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. iv. Named from malakos (Gr.) soft or feeble, from the nature of the plant. 1. M. aquaticum, (Fr.) Aquatic or Water Mouse-ear Chickweed. Cerastium (Smith). Engl. Bot. t. 538. Reich. Icones, vi. 237. Locality. Sides of rivers and ditches, and in wet places, not unfrequent. P. Fl. July, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. South Division. 1. South-east District, "About Salisbury," Mr. James Hussey. "Ditch banks at Bemerton," Major Smith. "Bulford," Dr. Southby. 2. South Middle District, Watery places at Devizes, Trowbridge, and Westbury. 3. South-west District, "Bishopstrow," Miss Griffith. Longleat and Boyton. "Donhead," Mr. James Hussey. North Division. 4. North-west District, Banks of the Avon near Staverton, Bradford, and Melksham. and Mr. C. E. Broome. ford and Malmsbury. 66 'Chippenham," Dr. Alexander Prior, "Bromham," Miss Meredith. Slaughter |