Speroula. XXII. ILLECEBRACEiE. 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 auff/uticose, branching. 



Lva. sessile, entire. Stipules uml bracts scurioua. F/s. minute. 



Cal.—ScpiiU 5, distinct or coherent at l)ase, persi.stent. 



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



Sla. equal in number to the sepals (sometimes less or more) inserted into the pengynous disk. 



Ova. superior, Icelled. IStij- 2—5, either partially or wholly combined. 



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



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

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

 Conspectus of tJie Genera. 



1 ( or sterile filaments none •d"2'<^'\j i 



< minute, resembling sterile filaments Paroni/cnio, a 



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



1. ANYCHIA. Michx. 

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



Calyx of 5, ovate-oblong, eonnivent 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. (dueria Canadensis. Linn.) Forked Chichoeed. 



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

 site, ramial ones alternate • Jls. 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 A — 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. 



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

 form at base. la. ! 111. ! 



2. PARONYCHIA. Tourn. 



Etymology similar to the foregoing. 



Sepals united at base, acuminate cuspidate at apex, the lining 

 membrane colored and cucuUate 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. 



Cffispitose, much branched; lvs. linear-subulate, scabrous ; /.>;. few, in 

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

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

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

 small. 



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



Caespito-se, densely branching ; lvs. acerose-mucronate, glabrous, 2-grooved. 

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

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

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



3. SPERGTJLA. 



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



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

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

 with flowers in loose cymes. Lvs. stipulate. 



