SAGI'NA *.

Linnean Class and Order. TETRA'NDRIA† TETRAGYNIA. Natural Order. CARYOPHYLLE‡, Linn.-Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 299-Sm. Gram. of Bot. p. 159.-Lindl. Syn. p. 43.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 156.-Rich. by Macgill. p. 507.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 501.-Don's Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 379.ROSALES; subord. RHEADOSE; sect. DIANTHINE; type, DIANTHACEÆ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. ii. pp. 614, 784, 805, & ¿07.

GEN. CHAR. Calyx (fig. 1. & fig. 2, a.) inferior, of 4 egg-shaped, concave, equal, widely-spreading, blumtish, permanent sepals (fig. 2, a). Corolla of 4 egg-shaped, blunt, entire, spreading petals (fig. 2, b.), shorter than the calyx, and alternate with its sepals; sometimes wanting. Filaments (see fig. 2.) 4, thread-shaped, ascending, shorter than the sepals, and opposite to them. Anthers of 2 roundish lobes. Germen (fig. 3.) superior, egg-shaped. Styles (see fig. 3.) 4, terminal, short, rather spreading. Stigmas blunt, downy. Capsules (fig. 4.) egg-shaped, of 1 cell, and 4 egg-shaped, separate, equal valves. Seeds (fig. 5.) numerous, minute, rough, attached, each on its own stalk, to a central cylindrical receptacle (see fig. 6).

Distinguished from other genera, in the same class and order, by the calyx of 4 sepals; the 4-petaled corolla, shorter than the calyx; and the 1-celled, 4-valved capsule.

Three species British.

SAGI'NA PROCUMBENS. Procumbent Pearl-wort §. Sealwort. Chickweed Breakstone.

SPEC. CHAR. Plant smooth; branches procumbent. Leaves strap-shaped, minutely pointed (see fig. 7). Petals about half the length of the calyx.

Engl. Bot. t. 880.-Curt. Fl. Lond. t. 158.-Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 185.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 73.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. i. p. 199. Engl. Fl. v. i. p. 238.-With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 261.-Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 651,-Lind. Syn. p. 49.-Hook. Brit Fl. p. 77.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 125.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 66.— Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p.39.-Davies' Welsh Bot. p. 19.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. i. p. 103.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 70.-Hook. Fl, Scot. p. 59.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 42.-FI. Devon. pp. 31 & 182.-Johnst. Fl. Berw. v. i. p. 42,-Winch's Fl. of Northumb. and Durham, p. 11.-Walk. Fl. of Oxf. p. 45.-Don's Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 419.-Bab. Fl. Bath. p. 7.-Mack. Catal. of Plants of Irel. p 20.Irish Fl. p. 34.-Alsinella muscoso flore repens, Ray's Syn. p. 345.

LOCALITIES.-On sandy ground, or the walks, grass plots, and beds of neg lected gardens, as well as on shady walls and gravelly banks, everywhere. Perennial. Flowers from May to September.

Fig. 1. Calyx.-Fig. 2. A Flower, showing the calyx, a; the corolla, b; and the Stamens, Germen, and Pistils.-Fig. 3. Germen and Pistils.-Fig. 4. Capsule.Fig. 5. Seeds.-Fig. 6. Receptacle. -Fig. 7. A joint of the Stem, with 2 of the Leaves. Fig. 8. A small portion of a Plant of the full-flowered variety.—All, except fig. 8, more or less magnified.

*From sagina, nutriment, it being supposed fattening to sheep; though, perhaps, originally designating some nutritious kind of grain. Dr. WITHERING. + See Asperula odorata, f. 46, n. †. See Buffonia annua, f. 152, a.

§ Probably from its delicate small white petals looking like pearls.

Root fibrous. Stems numerous, from 2 to 6 or 8 inches long, spreading on the ground in every direction, round, smooth, jointed, leafy, branched and proliferous, taking root at the joints as it creeps along; in dry situations it is more upright. Leaves from a quarter of an inch to half an inch long, opposite, combined by their membranous bases (see fig. 7), somewhat fleshy, 3-nerved, trap-shaped, blunt, with a very minute bristly point, usually quite smooth, but occasionally the margins, especially of the lower leaves, are fringed with very minute, short, distant, bristly hairs. Peduncles (flowerstalks) solitary, axillary, slender, smooth, longer than the leaves, single-flowered. Flowers very small, drooping before they expand. Calyx spreading, with egg-shaped, concave, blunt sepals. Petals white, very small, entire, spreading, scarcely half the length of the sepals; sometimes entirely wanting. Capsule egg-shaped, longer than the calyx, thin, 1-celled, 4-valved, the valves, when open, have so much the appearance of petals, that it is possible to mistake them. Seeds very minute.

It sometimes occurs with 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 5 stamens.

VILLARS says, that he has often seen this plant without any petals, with a 5-sepaled calyx, 10 stamens, and 5 pistils, thus approaching to spergula. The calyx and other parts of the flower appear in this case to increase at the expense of the corolla; the latter, however, is often wanting without an augmentation of the other parts.

Mr. W. CURTIS remarks, that few plants assume a greater variety of appearance than this, but that 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 every where throughout Europe; on the Northwest coast of America, and on the banks of the Columbia.

Being fond of a sandy and gravelly soil, it is a troublesome little weed in garden-walks and paved courts, where it flowers and seeds during the whole Summer.

There is a curious and very pretty variety of this species of sagina sometimes cultivated in gardens, but, I believe, it is rather rare; it has a very full flower, and resembles a double white rose in miniature. In a flower of a plant of this variety, which is now (Aug. 22, 1836) in flower in the Oxford Botanic Garden, I counted no less than 44 perfectly-formed petals, all of which, in a fully expanded state, occupied a circle of only one-tenth part of an inch in diameter. This delicate little Fairy-flower was first found by the late Rev. H. DAVIES, author of "Welsh Botanology," on a green near Beaumaris, in the Isle of Anglesey, in July, 1817. A small specimen of this variety is represented at fig. 8 of the annexed plate.

No one can contemplate the beauty and delicacy of this extraordinary little flower, without being captivated by the wisdom manifested by that beneficent Creator, who

"has displayed

In it such power and kill with beauty's charms array'd."