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ALSINACEAE 419 
6. SAGINA L. 
Low often matted annual or perennial herbs, with slender stems. Leaves opposite, 
subulate or filiform, without stipules. Flowers on more or less elongated axillary pedi- 
cels. Sepals 4-5, persistent. Petals 4-5, entire or notched, white or greenish, or wanting. 
Stamens usually 5, sometimes 3-10: filaments slender. Ovary l-celled. Styles as many 
as there are sepals. Capsule 4—5-valved, the valves opposite the sepals. Seeds several or 
many. PEARLWORT. 
Sepals and petals mostly 4: petals much shorter than the sepals. 1. S. procumbens. 
Sepals and petals mostly 5: petals as long as the sepals or nearly so. 2. S. decumbens. 
1. Sagina procúmbens L. Annual, slender, glabrous. Stem branched at the base, 
the branches prostrate, 2-12 cm. long, simple or sparingly forked: leaves linear-filiform, 
0.5-1.5 em. long: pedicels filiform, 1-2 cm. long: sepals usually 4, oval, 1.5-2 mm. long, 
obtuse: petals 4, much shorter than the sepals: stamens 4: capsule ovoid, somewhat sur- 
passing the sepals. 
On sandy shores, Greenland to Labrador, Newfoundland, Michigan and North Carolina. Also in 
Europe, Asia, Mexico and South America. Spring and summer. 
2. Sagina decumbens (El.) T. & G. Annual, slender, glabrous or nearly so. 
Stem more or less branched at the base, the branches erect or decumbent, 2-15 cm. long, 
wiry or filiform, simple or forked : leaves linear-filiform, 0.5-1.5 cm. long: pedicels fili- 
form, erect or ascending, 1-2 cm. long: sepals 5, oblong, about 1.5 mm. long, obtuse: 
petals 5, as long as the sepals or nearly so: stamens 10 : capsule elliptic-ovoid, about 3 mm. 
long, nearly 3 longer than the sepals. 
In sandy soil, Massachusetts to Illinois, Missouri, Florida and Texas. Spring. 
7. HOLÓSTEUM L. 
Annual rather tender caulescent herbs, with sparingly leafy stems and relatively long 
peduncles. Leaves opposite: blades spreading or recurved. Flowers perfect, in terminal 
umbel-like cymes. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 5, finely toothed or emarginate. Stamens 
9 or 3, erect or nearly so. Ovary 1-celled : styles 3. Capsule cylindric or ovoid-cylindric, 
surpassing the sepals, opening by 6 apical valves. Seeds flattened. 
1. Holosteum umbellatum L. Plant glabrous, or somewhat glandular-pubescent 
above and sparingly hairy below. Stems simple and erect or branched at the base, the 
branches more or less spreading, 0.8-4 dm. tall: leaves various, the basal with oblong or 
oblanceolate blades, the cauline with oblong to lanceolate entire sessile blades 1-3 cm. 
long: umbel-like cyme 2-9-flowered: pedicels spreading in all directions, 1-3 em. long: petals 
white: capsules ovoid-cylindric, 5-6 mm. long, about twice as long as the sepals. 
d In wane places and cultivated grounds, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Georgia. Spring. JAGGED 
HICKWEED. 
8. ALSINÓPSIS Small. 
Annual or perennial herbs, commonly with tufted stems. Leaves opposite, sometimes 
clustered, without stipules : blades subulate or fleshy, or sometimes flat, but narrow. Flowers 
solitary in the axils or in terminal cymes. Sepals 5, often fleshy. Petals 5, white, entire 
or emarginate. Stamens usually 10: filaments slender. Ovary l-celled : styles normally 3. 
Capsules somewhat longer than broad, opening by as many valves as there are styles. Seeds 
several or numerous. [ Alsine Wahl., not L.] 
Leaves herbaceous or fleshy. 
Sepals not ribbed, scarcely nerved. 
Mature sepals 4-5 mm. long. 
af-blades linear or linear-oblong. 
Leaf-blades mostly less than 2 mm. broad : sepals ovate or oval. 1. A. uniflora. 
Leaf-blades mostly over 3 mm. broad : sepals lanceolate. 2. A. Nuttallii. 
Leaf-blades filiform to subulate. 3. A. Groenlandica. 
Mature sepals 2-3 mm. long. 
Basal and lower stem-leaves mostly less than 1 em. long: upper stem- 
leaves and bracts minute or subulate. "o 
Basal and lower stem-leaves mostly over 1 em. long: upper stem-leaves 
: and bracts linear. v ae corse 
Sepals strongly 3-5-ribbed. se Lome owes 
Leaves rigid, subulate or bristle-like. 
Leaves clustered in the axils. 
Sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5-6 mm. long. 
Sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 mm. long. 
Leaves densely imbricated. 
A. Texana. 
A. stricta. 
A. Caroliniana. 
fom 
