ALSTNACEAE 419 



6. SAGINA L. 



Low often matted annual or perennial lierbs, witli 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 1-celled. Styles as many 

 as there are sepals. Capsule 4-5-valvcd, tlie 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'. demmbens. 



1. Sagina procumbens 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 cm. 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 tlie sepals. 



On sandy shores, (ireenlaml to Labrador, Newfoundland. Michigan and North Carolina. Also in 

 P^urope, Asia," Mexico and South America. Spring and summer. 



2. Sagina decumbens (Ell.) T. & G. Annual, slender, glabrous or nearly so. 

 Stem more or less Ijranched 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 J longer than the sepals. 



In sandy soil, Massachusetts to Illinois, Missouri, Florida and Texas. Spring. 



7. HOLOSTEUM 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 

 5 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. Holosteiim umbellatum L. Plant glabrous, or somewhat glandular-pubescent 

 above and sparingly liairy 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 cm. long: petals 

 white : capsules ovoid-cylindric, 5-6 mm. long, about twice as long as the sepals. 



In waste places and cultivated grounds, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Georgia. Spring. Jagged 

 Chickweed. 



8. ALSINOPSIS 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 1-celled : styles normally 3. 



Capsules somewhat longer tlian broad, opening by as many valves as there are styles. Seeds 



several or numerous, [^/s/ne Wahl., not L.] 



Leaves herbaceous or fleshy. 

 .Sepals not ribbed, scarcely nerved. 

 Mature sepals 4-5 mm. long. 



Leaf-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. ^4. 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. 4. A. brevifolia. 

 Basal and lower stem-leaves mostly over 1 cm. long : upper stem-leaves 



and bracts linear. 5. A. (jlahra. 



Sepals strongly 3-.5-ribbed. %. A.patula. 



Leaves rigid, subulate or bristle-lilie. 

 Leaves clustered in the axils. 



Sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5-6 mm. long. 7. A. Texana. ■ 



Sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3.5-1.5 mm. long. 8. .4. stricta. 



Leaves densely imbricated. 9. A. Caroliniana. 



