Spergula. XXIL ILLECEBRACEiE. 185 



nearly sessile ; jil. 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^.— Kxotworts. 



Plants herbaceous or sufFruticose, branching. 



Lvs. sessile, entire. Stipules and bracts scarious. Fls. minute. 



Cat.— Sepeils 5, distinct or coherent at base, persistent. 



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



Sta. equal in number to the sepals (sometimes less or more) inserted mto the perigynous disk. 



Ova. superior, l-celled. Sty. 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 100, found mostly around the INIediterranean. Seven of the genera have been found 

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



Conspectus of the Genera. 



1 f or sterile filaments none Anychia. 1 



< minute, resembling sterile filaments. Paronychia. 2 



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, connivent sepals, callous, subsaccate at the 

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

 cle enclosed in the sepals. — ® S7nall herbs, icith dichotomous branches. 

 Lvs. stipulate. 



A. DicHOTOMA. Michx. (Clueria Canadensis. Linn.) Forked CMckweed. 



St. at length much branched, erect ; lvs. 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 | — 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. 



/?. 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. 



\. P, Jamesii. Torr. & Gray. 



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

 small, den.se, dichotomous cymes, the central ones .sessile ; pet. (or .setas) alter- 

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

 Ma.son Co., 111. Mead. R, Mrs, James. Null. Stems about if long. Flowers 

 small, 



2, P. DICHOTOMA. Nutt, (Achyranthcs. Lhin.') 



Coespito.se, den.sely brandling ; lvs. accrose-mucronate, glabrous, 2-grooved 

 each side; cymes compound, ditfuse, without central fls.; seta 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. SPERGOLA, 



Lnt. 'fprrg'o, to scatter; from the dispersion of the seed.s. 



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

 o — 5 ; capsules superior, ovato, 3 — 5-valved, many-seeded. — 1) Ilfrbs 

 with fioirers in loose cymes. Lis. stipulate. 



