ALSINACEAE 417 



b. Leaves whorled. 



Styles 5 : stamens 5-10 : capsules 5-valved. 4. Spergula. 



Styles 3 : stamens 3-5 : capsules 3-valved. 5. Polycarfon. 



B. Stipules wanting. 



Petals entire, toothed or slightly notched. 



Styles as many as the sepals. 6. Sagina. 



Styles fewer than the sepals. 



Petals toothed : flowers in umbel-like cymes. 7. Holosteum. 



Petals entire or emarginate : flowers in dichotomous or capitate cymes, or 

 solitary. 

 Capsules opening by as many valves as there are styles. 8. Alsinopsis. 



Capsules opening by twice as many valves as there are styles. y. Arenaria. 



Petals 2-cleft or 2-parted. 



Capsules relatively short, ovoid or oblong. 10. Alsine. 



Capsules relatively long, cylindric. 11. Cerastium. 



1. LOEFLINGIA L. 



Low annual herbs, with glandular foliage. Stems diffusely branched. Leaves oppo- 

 site, subulate or bristle-like, with stipules. Flowers solitary or clustered in the axils, in- 

 conspicuous. Sepals 5, rigid, sometimes awn-tipped, keeled, the outer ones often w^tli a 

 tooth on each side. Petals 3-5, minute, or wanting. Stamens 3-5, perigynous : filaments 

 longer than the anthers. Ovary 1-celled, triangular : styles partially united. Capsule 

 shorter than the calyx, 3-valved. Seeds laterally attached, eacli with a slightly curved 

 embryo and accumbent cotyledons. 



1. Loefllngia Texana Hook. Annual, glandular-pilose. Stem usually branched at 

 the base, the branches ascending or decumbent, 0.5-1.5 dm. long, forking, with en- 

 larged nodes : leaves fii'm, siibulate, 4-8 nun. long, very sharp at the apex, spreading : 

 flowers sessile, inconspicuous : sepals subulate-lanceolate, somewhat shorter than the leaves, 

 long-attenuate, the 3 outer with a bristle-like tooth on either side, each terminating in a 

 short bristle-like apex : j^etals much smaller than the sepals or wanting : capsules oblong, 

 8 mm. long, 3-angled : seeds 0.3 mm. long. 



In sandy soil, Nebraska to Texas. Spring. 



2. STIPULICIDA Michx. 



Slender perennial herbs, with scape-like stems. Leaves various : basal with normal 



blades : cauline reduced to scales : stipules pectinate or fringed. Flowers in terminal 



clusters. Sepals 5, scarious-margined, obtuse and often emarginate. Petals 5, broadened 



upward, persistent, often 2-toothed near the base. Stamens 3, opposite the inner sepals. 



Ovary 1-celled : styles 3. Capsule about as broad as long, 3-valved. Seeds numerous. 



Stems or branches filiform : flowers solitary or 2-3 in a cluster : petals constricted at the middle. 



1. S.JHiforDiis. 

 Stems or branches wire-like : flowers 3-6 in a cluster : petals spatulate. 2. S. seiacea. 



1. Stipulicida fllifdnnis Nash. Stems branched at the base, the branches ascending 

 or spreading, 1-2 dm. long, almost filiform, diffusely forked above: leaves basal, decid- 

 uous ; blades suborbicular, acute, about 4 mm. broad, shorter than the petioles : flowers 

 solitary or 2-3 together, sessile or nearly so : sepals narrowly obovate, notched at the apex, 

 about 1 mm. long, hyaline-margined : petals linear-oblong, slightly longer than the sepals, 

 constricted at the middle, notched at the apex, ciliate-toothed near the base : capsules sub- 

 globose, shorter than the sepals, obscurely 3-angled. 



In sandy soil, peninsular Florida to Mississippi. Spring to fall. 



2. Stipulicida setacea Michx. Stems branched at the base, the branches wire-like, 

 erect or ascending, 4-15 cm. tall, forking : leaves mainly basal ; blades spatulate, elliptic 

 or orbicular, 1-2 cm. long, obtuse or apiculate ; petioles longer than the blades : stipules 

 forming a bristly mass : bracts subulate, 1-4 mm. long : pedicels very short or the lower 

 flowers sessile : sepals oblong-obovate, 2 mm. long, hyaline-margined : petals spatulate, 

 slightly longer than the sepals : capsules subglobose, a little over 1 mm. in diameter. 



In pine lands, North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi. Spring. 



3. TISSA Adans. 

 Low annual, biennial or perennial herbs, with rather succulent tissues and diffiisely 

 branched stems. Leaves opposite, with small ones often clustered in the axils : blades 

 narrow, with scarious stipules. Flowers in terminal racemose cymes. Sepals 5, persistent. 



27 



