5S 



ALSINACEAE. 



Vol.. U. 



2. Moehringia macrophylla (Hook.) Torr. 



Large-leaved Moehringia or Sandwort. 



Fig. 1792. 



Areuaria niacrof^hvllti Hook. Fl. Hor. Am. i ; icj. pi. 57. 

 1830. 



Moehringia maciophylla Torr. Bot. Wilkes' Exp. 246. 

 1874. 



Stems decumbent, puberulent, usually branclied, 6'- 

 15' long. Leaves lanceolate, acute or acuminate (rarely 

 obtusish) at the apex, narrowed at the base, i'-3' long, 

 2"-$" wide ; cymes terminal or becoming axillary by 

 the elongation of the stem, i-s-flowered; flowers about 

 3" broad ; sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, long- 

 acuminate, longer than the small petals; capsule rather 

 shorter than tlie calyx, 3-valved, the valves 2-cleft. 



,)i|| On shores and banks. Labrador to Connecticut, Lake 

 'Is Superior, Idaho and British Columbia, south to Califor- 

 nia. May-Aug. 



7. HONKENYA Ehrh. Beitr. 2: 180. 1788. 

 [A.MMODEXi.\ J. G. Gmel. Fl. Sib. 4: 160. Hyponym. 1769.] 



Perennial fleshy maritime herbs, with ovate obovate oblong or oblanceolate leaves, and 

 rather small flowers, solitary in the axils and in the forks of the stem or branches. Sepals 5 

 (rarely 4). Petals the same number, entire. Stamens 8 or 10. Disk prominent, 8-io-lobed, 

 glandular. Styles 3-5. Capsule subglobose, fleshy, 3-5-valved when mature, the valve 

 entire. Seeds numerous, obovate, not strophiolate. [In honor of Gerhart August Honckeny, 

 German botanist, 1724-1805.] 



Two species, the following of sea beaches throughout the north temperate zone, the other of the 

 coasts of northwestern America and northeastern Asia. Type species: Honkenya fcploides 

 (L.) Ehrh. 



I. Honkenya peploides (L.) Ehrh. 



Sea-beach Sandwort. Fig. 1793. 



IL 



Arenaria peploides L. Sp. PI. 423. 1753. 

 Honkenya peploides Ehrh. Beitr. 2: 181. 1788. 

 Ainmodcnia peploides Rupr. Beitr. Pfl. Russ. Reich. 2 : 

 25. 1845. 



Perennial from long rootstocks, glabrous, fleshy 

 throughout, stems stout, tufted, simple or branched, 

 erect, diffuse or ascending, 3-10' long. Leaves 

 sessile, clasping, ovate or oval, acute or mucronate, 

 5"-io" long; flowers axillary and terminal, 3"-4" 

 broad; peduncles stout, 2"-8" long; ovary 3-celled 

 (rarely 4-5-celled) ; sepals ovate, obtusish, about 

 equalling the petals, shorter than the depressed- 

 globose mostly 3-valved pod ; seeds smooth, short- 

 beaked at the hilum, not strophiolate. 



On sands of the seashore, Virginia to New Jersey and 

 arctic .America. Also in the shores of northern Europe 

 and .Asia. Called also sea-chickweed and sea-purslane 

 or -pimpernel. June-July. 



8. 



SPERGULA L. Sp. PL 440. 1753. 



Annual branched herbs, with subulate stipulate leaves, much fascicled in the axils, and 

 terminal cymes of white flowers. Sepals and petals 5. Stamens 10 or 5. Styles S. alternate 

 with the sepals. Capsule s-valved, the valves opposite the sepals. Seeds compressed, acute- 

 margined or winged. [Latin (from spergo), to scatter.] 



Two or three species, natives of the Old World. The following typical species is widely dis- 

 tributed as a weed. 



