CHICKWEED FAMILY 159 



1. Agrostemma Githago L. Corn Cockle. Fig. 1719. 



Agrostemma Githago L. Sp. PI. 43S. 1753. 



Stems erect, 3-10 dm. high, simple or with a few erect branches, densely pubescent through- 

 out with appressed whitish hairs. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acute to long-acuminate, 5-10 cm. 

 long; flowers solitary and terminal on the stout elongated peduncles; calyx-tube ovoid, 10-15 

 mm. long, the lobes 2-3 times as long; petals purple, varying to white or red, a little shorter 

 than the calyx-lobes. 



Grainfields and waste places, adventive from Europe, and fairly well established in Oregon, less so in 

 Washington and California. May-July. 



13. SILENE L. Sp. PI. 416. 1753. 



Annual or perennial herbs with clustered or solitary stems, opposite exstipulate leaves, 

 and white, pink, or red usually cymose flowers. Calyx cylindric, ovoid or campanulate, 

 5-toothed or -cleft, 10-to-many-nerved. Petals 5, clawed, the blades often cleft or toothed, 

 usually with a scale-like appendage at the base, the claws sometimes with auricles. Stamens 

 10. Styles 3, rarely 4 or 5 ; ovary 1-celled or incompletely 2-4-celled. Fruit a capsule, 

 dehiscent by 6 or rarely 3 apical teeth. Seeds numerous, often papillate or tubercled. 

 [Name Greek, meaning saliva, in allusion to the viscid herbage of many species.] 



A genus of wide geographic distribution, comprising about 250 species. Type species, Silene anglica L. 



Calyx with 15 or more nerves. 



Nerves of the calyx 18-23, prominent; annual. 1. S. multinervia. 



Nerves of the calyx 15-20, obscure; perennial. 2. S. lati folia. 



Calyx with 10 nerves. 



Annuals. 



Flowers cymose or paniculate. 



Plants glabrous except for a glutinous band near middle of upper internodes. 



3. S. antirrhina. 



Plants glandular-pubescent throughout. 4. 5". noctiflora. 



Flowers in a simple one-sided raceme. 5. 5". gallica. 



Perennials. 



Plants acaulescent and densely matted, moss-like. 6. 5". acaulis. 



Plants caulescent. 



Flowers large; petals 2.5 cm. or more long, or if shorter calyx at least 2 cm. long. 

 Corolla well exserted. 

 Petals bright red. 



Plants 6-15 dm. high; capsule oblong, exserted. 7. 5". laciniata. 



Plants 1.5-3 dm. high; capsule ovoid, included. 8. 5. californica. 



Petals white or pink. 9. 5". Hookeri. 



Corolla little exceeding calyx, white. 10. S. Parishii. 



Flowers smaller; petals seldom over 2 cm. long and calyx under 2 cm. (except occidentalis). 



Flowers solitary in the forks of leafy branches or terminal. 



Calyx broadly campanulate, 10-12 mm. long. 11. S. campanulata. 



Calyx cylindric, 5-7 mm. long. 



Leaves obovate to oblanceolate, up to 8 cm. long, puberulent but not glandular; petals 



white. 12. 5". Menziesii. 



Leaves ovate or lanceolate, 2 cm. or less in length, glandular-puberulent; petals purple. 



13. S. Seelyi. 

 Flowers in terminal panicles, rarely solitary. 



Flowers nodding in anthesis; stamens and style long-exserted. 



Petals 4-cleft. 



Petals 2-cleft. 



Flowers erect or nearly so; stamens little exserted or included. 



Calyx deeply cleft, the teeth lanceolate, nearly equaling the tube. 



Petals 2-lobed with a broad sinus; appendages present. 



Petals shallowly 4-lobed; appendages absent. 



Calyx merely toothed, the teeth 2—4 mm. long. 



Petals 4-cleft, in bernardina 2-cleft with the lobes again cleft to the middle. 



Auricles on claws absent. 18. S. occidentalis. 



Auricles present. 



Leaves narrowly linear to narrowly oblanceolate; those of the stem 

 remote and reduced. 



Claws of petals woolly. 19. 5". bernardina. 



Claws of petals glabrous. 



Appendages of petals 2-cleft into linear entire segments. 



20. S. oregana. 



Appendages fimbriate or toothed. 21. 5". montana. 



Leaves ovate to lanceolate, those of the stem well developed; coastal 

 species. 



Plants densely short-tomentose; leaves ovate; calyx-teeth rounded. 



22. 5". grandis. 

 Plants puberulent; leaves lanceolate; calyx-teeth acute. 



23. 5". pacifica. 



