CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 99 



Lowest leaves ovate, petiolate. 



Stems pubescent with a line of hairs; leaves ovate. A. media. 



Stems glabrous, except at base; leaves shiny, the upper 



linear-lanceolate. A. nitens. 



Leaves all sessile. 



Bracts of the inflorescence leafy. 



Leaves lanceolate. A . borealis. 



Leaves ovate. 



Capsule longer than the calyx. A. crispa. 



Capsule not longer than the calyx. A. viridula. 



Bracts of the inflorescence small, scarious. 



Pedicels erect; cyme few-flowered. A. longipes. 



Pedicels spreading; cyme loosely many-flowered. 



Leaves linear, acute at each end; seeds smooth. A. longifolia . 



Leaves lanceolate, broadest near the base; seeds rough. A. graminea . 



Alsine media L. Annual, weak and spreading; stems weak, 10-30 cm. 

 long, glabrous except a line of hairs; lower leaves ovate, petioled, the upper 

 narrower and sessile, all acute, 10-40 mm. long; flowers solitary in the axils 

 or somewhat cymose, on slender pedicels; calyx glandular-pubescent, nearly 

 as long as the capsule; petals deeply 2-parted, shorter than the sepals; stamens 

 3, 5, or 10. Introduced and becoming common. 



Alsine nitens (Nutt.) Greene. Annual, somewhat tufted; stems erect, 

 slender, shining, 8-15 cm. tall, branched above, pubescent only at base; 

 lowest pair of leaves ovate, acute, petioled, 4 mm. long, the others linear- 

 lanceolate and sessile, 5-10 mm. long; cymes loose, few-flowered, the bracts 

 scarious; pedicels thread-like, 1-5 cm. long; sepals 3-nerved, very acute, 

 scarious-margined, 4 mm. long; petals deeply 2 -cleft, half as long as the sepals 

 or wanting. Stony hillsides, abundant. 



Alsine borealis (Bigel.) Britt. Perennial, glabrous throughout, the weak 

 stems ascending, branched, 15-60 cm. long; leaves broadly lanceolate, the 

 midnerve prominent, 15-35 mm. long; pedicels slender, sometimes deflexed, 

 15-30 mm. long; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute, scarious-margined; petals 

 wanting or if present shorter than the sepals; styles mostly 4; capsule ovoid, 

 about twice as long as the sepals; seeds smooth. In wet places in the moun- 

 tains. 



Alsine crispa (Cham. & Schlecht.) Holzinger. Perennial, glabrous; stems 

 weak, decumbent or prostrate, 10-30 cm. long, simple or with but few branches; 

 leaves thin, ovate, acuminate, 8-12 mm. long, entire or crisped on the margin, 

 very short-petioled; pedicels slender, 6-20 mm. long; sepals lanceolate, 3- 

 nerved, very acute, with a narrow scarious margin; petals deeply cleft but 

 usually wanting; capsule acutish, exceeding the sepals. In rich woods near 

 Farmington and in the Craig Mountains. 



Alsine viridula Piper. Perennial, forming dense, prostrate, circular mats, 

 10-20 cm. broad; herbage entirely glabrous except a few ciliate hairs at the 

 bases of the leaves; stems 5-10 cm. long, green, scarcely shining, branched; 

 leaves ovate, plane, short-acuminate, dull, rather thin but the veins obscure, 

 5-15 mm. long, nearly as long as the internodes, each abruptly narrowed into 

 a short petiole which bears a few long hairs; flowers solitary in the axils, the 

 pedicels mostly shorter than the leaves; sepals oblong-ovate, acutish, green 

 with a narrow white scarious margin, thin, 3-nerved, 2-2.5 mm. long; petals 

 none; pods green, ovoid, not longer than the calyx; seeds dark brown, 0.5 mm. 

 long. 



Springy places in canyons, ridges south from Wiessner's Peak, Idaho, 

 altitude 1700 m., Leiberg; along rivulets in woods, altitude 1400 m., Blue 

 Mountains, Columbia County, Washington, Piper. 



