Spergula. XXII. ILLECEBliALiL.L. 185 



nearly sessile; fil. united above the middle; capsules oblong, much longer than 

 the sepals.— Swamps, N. J. to Ky. Stem about 2f high. Leaves 1—3' long, 

 rounded-obtuse. Flowers smaller than in the last, of a dull orange-color 

 Aug. Sept. 



Order XXII. ILLECEBRACE^.— Knotworts. 



Plants herbaceous or suffruticose, branching. 

 Lvs. sessile, entire. Stipules and bracts scaiious. F!s. minute. 

 Cat. — Sepals 5, distinct or cohcient at base, persistent. 

 Cor. — Petals minute, inserted between the sepals, often wanting, 



Sta. equal in number to the sepals (sometimes less or more) inserted into the peri^'nous disk. 

 Ova. superior, l-celled. St)j. 2—5, either partially or wholly combined. 

 'Pr. a utricle, sd. solitary, attached to base of cell; or a many-seeded capsule. 



Genera 24, species 100, found mostly around the Mediterranean. Seven of the genera have been found 

 in N. America. A slight astringency is their only known property. 



Cnrispeclus of t/i£ Genera. 



1 (or sterile filaments none Anychia. 1 



< minute, resembling sterile filaments. Paronychia. 8 



Petals ( conspicuous, white or rose-colored Spergula. 3 



1. ANYCHIA. Michx. 



Gf. ovv^, the fingernail ; a supposed remedy for the maladies of that organ. 



Calyx of 5, ovate-oblong, connivent sepals, callous, subsaccate at the 

 apex ; corolla ; filaments 2 — 5, distinct ; stigma subcapitate ; utri- 

 cle enclosed in the sepals. — ® Small herbs, with dichotomous branches. 

 Lvs. stipulate. 



A. DicHOTOMA. Michx. (Q,ueria Canadensis. Linn.) Forked Chickweed. 



St: at length much branched, erect ; lvs. lanceolate, cauline ones oppo- 

 site, ramial ones alternate ; fls. about as long as the stipules, terminal ones 

 subfasciculate. — Dry woods and hills, Can. and N. Eng. to Ark. Stem 4 — 10' 

 high, round, slender, pubescent above, with dichotomous, filiform branches. 

 Leaves 2 — 8" by J — 2", acute or obtuse, with ovate-acuminate, scarious stipules 

 at base situated at each fork of the stem. Flowers axillary, solitary, or in ter- 

 minal clusters of 3 or more, very small, white. Jn. — Aug. 



p. capillacea. Torr. — Smooth ; branches capillary ; lvs. oblong, obtuse, cunei- 

 form at base. la. ! 111. ! 



2. PARONYCHIA. Tourn. 



Etymology similar to the foregoing. 



Sepals unite^ at base, acuminate cuspidate at apex, the lining 

 membrane colored and cucullate or saccate at summit ; petals (sterile 

 fil. ?) very narrow and scale-like ; stamens 5 ; styles more or less 

 united ; stigmas 2 ; utricle 1 -seeded included in the calyx. 



1. P. Jamesii. Torr. & Gray. 



Caespitose, much branched ; lvs. linear-subulate, scabrous ; fls. few, in 

 small, dense, dichotomous cymes, the central ones sessile ; pet. (or setee) alter- 

 nate with the fertile filaments; sep. linear, with a minute cusp. — Prairies, 

 Mason Co., 111. Mead. R. Mts. Javies. Nutt. Stems about Jf long. Flowers 

 small. 



2. P. DICHOTOMA. Nutt. (Achyranthcs. Linn.) 



Csespitose, densely branching ; lvs. acerose-mucronate, glabrous, 2-gTooved 

 each side ; cyjjws compound, diffuse, without central fls. ; setce much shorter 

 than the stamens. — Rocks, Harper's Ferry. Stems 6 — 12' high. Leaves 1' by 

 J", crowded. Style bifid i its length. Jl.— Nov. 



3. SPERGIJLA. 



Lat. spergo, to scatter ; from the dispersion of the seeda. 



Sepals 5, nearly distinct; petals 5, entire ; stamens 5 — 10; styles 

 3 — 5 ; capsuks superior, ovate, 3 — 5-valved, many-seeded. — ® Herbs 

 toithjiowers in loose cymes. Lvs. stipulate. 



