Alsineje. CARYOPHYLLACEiE. 175 



§ 2. Styles 3. — Spergularia, Pcrs. 



2. S. rubra : stems decumbent, much branched ; leaves narrowly linear, 

 acute or mucronatc, somewhat fleshy ; stipules ovate, cleft ; sepals lanceo- 

 late, with broadly scarious margins ; petals red or rose-color ; seeds com- 

 pressed, with or without a membranaceous margin. — Sperjjularia rubra, .4. 

 St. Hit. I. c. Arenariu rubra, Linn. ; DC. prodr. 1. p. 401 ; Torr. I ft. 1. 

 p. 456 ; Cham. ^ Scldecht. in Linncea, 1. p. 52 ; Hook. ! l. c. p. 98, A. "Can- 

 adensis, Pers. syn. 1. p. 504. 



a. somewhat pubescent; leaves shorter or little longer than the internodes, 

 slightly fleshy. — A. rubra, var. campestris, Linn.; DC. I. c. 



8. nearly glabrous ; leaves fleshy, usually much larger than the internodes. — 

 A. rubra, var. marina, Linn.; DC. I. c. 



y. ? flowers rather larger ; seeds very commonly membranaceously mar- 

 gined. — Arenaria rubra, var., Cham. ^- Schlecht. I. c. A. media, Linn. A. 

 marginata, DC. ft. Fran. 4. /;. 793, ^ prodr. I. c. 



In sandy fields, not far distant from the sea coast (a.), and in salt marshes 

 (/?) &c., Canada! to Florida!, and N. W. Coast! to California! April- 

 Nov. — Q) Stems 3-10 inches long, difluse. Leaves variable in length, &c. 

 Stamens 2-10, more commonly 3-5. Capsule a little longer than the ca- 

 lyx. Seeds sub-semicordate, reniform or nearly orbicular. — Having ob- 

 served, as was previously noticed by Chamisso, seeds with a very broad 

 margin, and others wholly destitute of a border, taken from the same capsule 

 (in an American specimen, locality not recorded), we cannot but consider 

 A. media, Li7in. also as a variety of the present polymorphous and widely 

 diffused species. 



Order XXIV. CARYOPHYLLACE^. Juss. 



Sepals 4-5, distinct or cohering in a tube, persistent. Petals 4-5 

 (occasionally none), unguiculate and inserted upon the pedicel of the 

 ovary, or without claws and inserted on the outside of a fleshy disk 

 which is sometimes perigynous. Stamens twice as many as the pe- 

 tals (rarely the same number and alternate with them, or fewer) and 

 inserted with them : filaments subulate, sometimes cohering : anthers 

 fixed by the middle, introrse. Ovary of 2-5 united carpels, often sti- 

 pitate : styles 2-5, usually stigmatose the whole length on the inner 

 surface. Capsule 2-5.valved, 1-celled by the obliteration of the dis- 

 sepiments, or imperfectly (rarely completely) 2-5-celled, opening at the 

 apex by twice as many teeth as stigmas, or by loculicidal dehiscence : 

 placenta in the axis. Seeds campulitropous, numerous or rarely few. 

 Emhryo curved around the outside of mealy albumen. — Herbs. Stems 

 with tumid nodes. Leaves opposite, sometimes connate, exstipulate, 

 entire. Inflorescence centrifugal, dichotomous. 



Tribe I. ALSINE^. DC. 



Sepals nearly or quite distinct. Petals not unguiculate, inserted on 

 the outside of the hypogynous or more or less perigynous (sometimes 

 lobed or glandular) disk. Stamens inserted upon the margin of the disk. 



