In open woods, prairies and wet meadows and on slopes in Okla. (Waterfall), 

 mainly in cen. Tex. but extending s. and w., through N. M. (Grant, Lincoln, 

 Otero, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro and Taos cos.) to Ariz. (Apache, 

 Cochise, Coconino, Greenlee and Navajo cos.), Feb.-Apr.; from Ga., n. to Va., 

 Tenn., 111., N. D., Alta. and Wash., w. to Ariz, and Mex. 



This species is similar to C. nutans but it is a smaller plant and it does not 

 have its pedicels abruptly curved or hooked just below the flowers as in that 

 species. 



5. Cerastium nutans Raf. 



Weak annual, the simple or loosely rather flaccid viscid-pilose stem to 6 dm. 

 high, the median internodes to 1 dm. long: leaves oblong-lanceolate to narrowly 

 obovate, acute or acutish, thin, the median leaves to 8 cm. long and 15 mm. 

 wide; bracts similar to leaves but smaller, herbaceous; inflorescence loose, simple 

 to dichotomous, 1- to many-flowered; pedicels filiform, ascending or spreading- 

 ascending, with hooked tips, in fruit to 55 mm. long; sepals 2-5.5 mm. long, 

 oblong-lanceolate, thin, blunt, pilose; petals narrowly obovate, wanting in cleis- 

 togamous flowers, with glabrous claws, cleft nearly to middle, exceeding calyx; 

 capsule curved, to 13 mm. long; seeds about 0.5 mm. in diameter, reddish-brown, 

 bluntly papillate. 



In alluvial soils, on wet stream banks and rich wooded slopes, and on cal- 

 careous rocks, uncommon in Okla. and Tex., w. through N. M. (Catron, Grant, 

 Lincoln, Otero, Sierra and Socorro cos.) to Ariz. (Apache and Gila cos. to 

 Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pima cos.), Mar.-Oct.; from s. w. Que. and N. E. to 

 B. C. s. to Fla. and w. to Ariz. 



The var. obtectiim Kearn. & Peeb. (C. sericeum Wats.) has stems and leaves, 

 at least near the base of the plant, sericeous with long nonglandular hairs. 



4. Stellaria L. Chickweed. Starwort 



Low often diff"usely branched annuals or perennials with solitary or cymose 

 flowers; sepals usually 5; petals white, of the same number as the sepals or rarely 

 none, 2-cleft or -parted; stamens 10 or less, hypogynous; ovary 1 -celled, many- 

 ovuled; styles 3 or rarely 4 or 5, usually opposite the sepals; capsule ovoid to 

 globose or oblong, 1 -celled, dehiscent by twice as many valves as there are styles; 

 seeds several to many, smooth or roughened. 



About 120 species that are widely distributed. 



L Petals none or rudimentary; sepals 2-3 mm. long; flowers numerous in ter- 

 minal umbelliform inflorescences, with filiform pedicels spreading 

 or deflexed 1. S. umbellata. 



\. Petals about equaling or exceeding the sepals that are 3-4 mm. long; flowers 

 solitary or in very few-flowered cymes, with slender erect or 

 spreading pedicels (2) 



2(1). Leaves ascending, somewhat shiny, broadest near the base, the margins 

 smooth 2. S. longipes. 



2. Leaves spreading, not shiny, broadest near the middle, the margins very finely 

 tuberculate-scaberulous under high magnification.. ..3. 5. longifolia. 



1. Stellaria umbellata Turcz. Fig. 437. 



Perennial or (?) annual with very slender rootstocks, glabrous throughout or 

 sometimes the leaves ciliate at base; stems slender, weak, branched, scarcely ridged, 

 1-2 (-3) dm. tall; leaves oblong to linear-lanceolate, thin, usually 1-2 cm. long, 

 2-5 mm. wide, the margins smooth but often crisped; flowers numerous in ter- 

 minal and axillary scarious-bracteate umbelliform cymes, with filiform pedicels to 

 3 cm. long; sepals lanceolate, acute, scarious-margined, 1.5-3 mm. long; petals 

 rudimentary or lacking; capsule ovoid-oblong, somewhat longer than the calyx; 



893 



