188 XXlll. CARYOPHYLLACE^. Ahenaria 



lOj sometimes 5 or 4, the alternate ones shorter; styles 5; capsule 

 superior, cylindrical or roundish, 10-toothed; seeds numerous. 



* Petals scarcely longer than the calyx. 



1. C. vuLGATUM. Mouse-ear Chickweed. 



Hairy, pale green, cijjspitose; Ivs. attenuated at the base, ovate, or obo- 

 V a e-obtuse ; Jls. in subcapitate clusters ; scp. when young, longer than the pedi- 

 cels. — (1) Fields and waste grounds. Can. and U. S., flowering all summer. 

 Stems 6 — 13' long, ascending, mostly forked. Leaves 5 — 8" by 3 — 5", mostly 

 very obtuse, lower ones tapering to the base. Flowers in dense, terminal clus- 

 ters, the terminal (central) one solitary, always the oldest. Sepals mostly green, 

 a little shorter than the corolla. Petals white, appearing in 10 segments. 



2. C. viscosuM. (and C. semidecandrum. Linn.) Sticky Qhickweed. 

 Hairy, viscid, spreading; Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, rather acute; Jls. in 



loose cymes; scp. scarious and white on the margin and apex, shorter than the 

 pedicels. — % Fields and waste grounds, U. S. and Can. Plant more deeply 

 green than the last. Stems many, assurgent, dichotomously-cymose. Leaves 

 5 — 9" long, \ — \ as wide, radical ones subspatulate. Flowers white, in diffuse 

 cymes. Petals hardly as long as the sepals, obovate, bifid. Jn. — Aug. 

 /?. semidecandrum. T. & G. Stamens 5. — Mass. to la. ! 

 ** Petali much longer than the calyx. 



3. C. ARVENSE. (C. tenuifolium. Ph.') Field Chickweed. 

 Pubescent, somewhat CEespitose ; Ivs. linear-lanceolate, acute, often longer 



than the internodes; cyme on a long, terminal peduncle, few flowered; fct. 

 more than twice longer than the calyx; ca'p. scarcely exceeding the sepals. — 

 Rocky hills. Steins 4 — 10' high, decumbent at base. Leaves 9 — 15" long, 1 — 

 2" wide. Flowers white, rather large. Capsule usually a little longer than 

 the calyx. May — Aug. 



4. C. OBLONGiroLiuM. Torr. (C. villosum. Muhl.') 



Villose, viscid above; st. erect or declined; Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, most- 

 ly obtuse, and shorter than the internodes ; fis. numerous, in a spreading cyme ; 

 fet. twice as long as. the sepals; cap. about twice as long as the calyx. — Tj. 

 Rocky places. Stems 6 — 10' high, thick. Leaves 9 — 12" by 3 — 5", tapering 

 Irom base to an acute or obtuse apex. Flowers larger than either of the fore- 

 going, white, in two or three-forked cymes. Apr. — Jn. 



5. C. NUTANS. Raf. 



Viscid and pubescent ; st. weak, striate-sulcate, erect ; Ivs. lanceolate, 

 narrow, shorter than the internodes ; Jls. many, diffusely cymose, on long, 

 filiform, nodding pedicels ; ;je^. nearly tAvice as long as the calyx. — Low 

 grounds, Vt. to 111. ! and La. Pale green and very clammy. Stems 8 — 15' high, 

 branched from the base. Leaves 1 — 2' long, ^ as wide. Flowers white. Cap- 

 sules a little cui'ved, nearly thrice longer than the calyx. May. 



3. ARENARIA. 

 Lat. aretia, sand ; in which most species grow. 



Sepals 5, spreading ; petals 5, entire ; stamens 10, rarely fewer ; 

 styles 3 ; capsule 3-valved, 1 -celled, many-seeded. — Fls. terminal. 

 Sty. rarely 2 or 4. 



1. A. saARRosA. Michx. 



Ccespitose ; st. few-flowered ; lower Ivs. squarrose-imbricate, crowded, 

 upper ones tew, all subulate, channeled, smooth ; pet. obovate, three times longer 

 than the obtuse, veinless sepals. — % In sandy barrens, N. Y. Robbins, to Ga. 

 Stems 6 — 10' high, pubescent, much divided at base into simple branches. 

 Leaves about J' long, obtuse, sessile. Flowers white, in small terminal cymes. 

 Sepals green. Capsules obtuse. Apr. — Sept. 



2. A. STRiCTA. Michx. Straight Sandwort. 



Glabrous, diffuse ; st. branched from the base ; Ivs. subulate-linear, erect ; 

 pet. much longer than the calyx; sep. ovate-lanceolate, acute, 3-veined; cymes 



