A new species of Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae) from the Nepal Himalaya

Herba perennis, gracilis, caule repente valde furcato. Rami erecti vel suberecti, quadrangulares, e gemmis axillaribus emergentes, straminei, squamosi, simpliccs et infra glabrescentes, corymbose furcati et glandulari-pubescentes, sursum altitudine 10—20 cm attingentes. Folia simplicia, exstipulata, sessilia, ad basin connata, opposita, paribus sursum gradatim minoribus et in bracteas transeuntibus, lamina lineari-lanceolata vel elliptico-lanceolata, acuta vel ad basin paulum angustata, apice acuminata, integra, margine paulum incrassata et incurva, coriacea, utrinque glabra, infra pallida, 5—20(—25) x 2—5(—6) mm; nervi praeter medium nervum eminentem obscuri. Flores albi, 5—6 mm longi, ad nodos singulos in axilla folii unius solitarii, cymas terminales foliosas corymbosas paniculatas efformantes. Bracteae foliosae, sed vulgo foliis minores, 5—10 mm longae, pedicello tereti, gracili, erecto-patente, glandulari-pubescente, 3—10 mm longo; bracteolae nullae. Sepala 5, usque ad basin libera, lanceolato-oblonga, acuminata, integra, marginibus angustis scariosis, utrinque glabra, e basi 3-nervia, nervo medio eminenti ad apicem in mucronem parvum desinente, nervis duobus lateralibus languidis cum nervo medio sub ipso apice convergentibus, 5—6 X 1.5—1.8 mm. Petala 5, libera, subsessilia, oblanceolata, ad apicem in lobos ovatos, subacutos, 0.6—0.8 mm longos breviter bifida, 5.0—5.5 mm longa, sepalis aequalia vel paulo breviora. Stamina fertilia 5, staminodiis 5 alternantia, disco paulum 5-lobo glandulari annulari insidentia; filamenta gracilia, cum petalis alternantia, ad basin paulum dilatata, 4 mm longa; antherae subbrunneae, oblongae, 1 mm longae; staminodia linearia, theca vacua minuta albida 2 mm longa, i.e. staminibus fertilibus dimidio breviora. Ovarium ovoideum, subsessile vel omatum brevi gynophoro, 1—5 ovulatum, apice cupulari, discoideo, circum stylos tumescente; styli terni (raro bini), filiformes, glabri, 2.5—2.8 mm longi; stigma simplex. Capsula ovoidea, calyce multo brevior, seminibus 1—5, usque ad medium circum apicem incrassatum in valvulas 6 ovatas subacutas dehiscens. Semina compressa, rubro-brunnea, fere levia, 1 mm longa. Perennial, slender herb, with creeping, much branched stems. Branches erect or suberect, 4-angled, springing from the axillary, straw-coloured, scaly buds, simple and glabrescent below and corymbosely branched and glandular-pubescent upwards, attaining a height of 10—20 cm. Leaves simple, exstipulate, sessile, connate at base, arranged in opposite, equal pairs, becoming smaller and passing into bracts upwards; lamina linear-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute or slightly narrowed to the base, acuminate at the apex, entire, with slightly thickened, incurved margin, coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, pale beneath, 5—20(—25) X 2—5(—6) mm; nerves obscure except prominent midrib. Flowers white, 5—6 mm long, solitary at each node in the axil of one leaf, forming terminal, leafy, corymbose, panicled cymes. Bracts leaf-like, but usually smaller than leaves, 5—10 mm long, pedicel terete, slender, erecto-patent, glandular-pubescent, 3—10 mm long; bracteoles o. Sepals 5, free to the base, lanceolateoblong, acuminate, entire with narrow scarious margins, quite glabrous inside and outside, 3-nerved from the base, middle prominent nerve terminating into a small mucro at the apex and two faint lateral nerves converging with the midnerve just below the apex, 5—6 X 1.5—1.8 mm. Petals 5, free, subsessile, oblanceolate, shortly 2-fid at the apex into ovate, subacute, 0.6—0.8 mm long lobes, 5.0—5.5 mm long, as long as or slightly shorter than the sepals. Fertile stamens 5, alternating with 5 staminodes, inserted on slightly 5-lobed, glandular, annular disc; filaments slender, alternating with petals, slightly dilated at the base, 4 mm long; anthers brownish, oblong, 1 mm long; staminodes linear, with minute, whitish, empty anther-sacs, 2 mm long. Ovary ovoid, subsessile or with short gynophore, 1—5 ovuled, with cupular, disclike, swollen apex around the styles; styles 3 (rarely 2), filiform, glabrous, 2.5—2.8 mm long; stigma simple. Capsule ovoid, much shorter than the calyx, 1—5-seeded, dehiscing up to the middle around the thickened apex into 6 ovate, subacute valves. Seeds compressed, reddish-brown, nearly smooth, 1 mm long.