CHICKWEED FAMILY 143 



stems sparingly branched above, 1-3 dm. high. Basal leaves subulate-linear to linear-oblong, 

 15-35 mm. long, narrowed at the base, rather crowded, those of the flowering stems distant and 

 somewhat reduced ; flowers loosely cymose, rather few ; pedicels slender, elongated, erect ; sepals 

 5-7 mm. long, lanceolate, acute ; petals obcordate, much exceeding the calyx ; capsule only slightly 

 longer than the sepals. 



Dry open prairies and hillsides, Boreal and Transition Zones; Alaska south to central California and across 

 the continent; also in Eurasia. A polymorphic species of wide geographical distribution. Type locality: Europe. 

 May-Aug. 



4. Cerastium brachypodum (Engelm.) Robinson. Short-stalked Chickweed. 



Fig. 1673. 



Cerastium nutans brachypodum Engelm. ex A. Gray, Man. ed. 5. 94. 1867. 

 Cerastium brachypodum Robinson ex Britt. Mem. Torrey Club 5: ISO. 1894. 



Annual, viscid-pubescent or puberulent throughout, the stems tufted, erect or ascending, 



8-25 cm. high. Lower leaves oblanceolate to spatulate, obtuse or acutish, 6-25 mm. long, narrowed 



at base to a short petiole, the upper leaves linear to linear-oblong, sessile ; cymes terminal, few 



to several-flowered; pedicels often deflexed in fruit, a little exceeding to about twice as long as 



the calyx ; sepals broadly lanceolate, obtuse or acutish, about 4 mm. long ; petals 5-6 mm. long ; 



capsule 10 mm. long. 



Moist places, especially about springs; eastern Oregon and Nevada, eastward to the Atlantic States. Type 

 locality: St. Louis, Missouri. April-Aug. 



5. Cerastium nutans Raf. Nodding Chickweed, Powder-horn. Fig. 1674. 



Cerastium longepedunculatum Muhl. Cat. 46. nom. nudum. 1813. 

 Cerastium nutans Raf. Prec. Decouv. 36. 1814. 



Annual, finely viscid-pubescent to glabrous, bright green, the stems weak, ascending or 

 reclining, diffusely branched, 15-30 cm. long. Lower leaves spatulate, obtuse, 15-25 mm. long, 

 narrowed to a short petiole, the upper lanceolate, shorter, sessile, glandular; cymes loosely few- 

 flowered; pedicels slender, often 1 5—20 mm. long, usually erect with the tip nodding; sepals 

 lanceolate, acutish, 4-5 mm. long; petals nearly twice as long as the calyx; capsule 10-15 mm. 

 long. 



Moist shaded places, Boreal and Transition Zones; along the Columbia River, western Oregon (Rooster 

 Rock), Idaho, Utah, and Arizona, east across the continent to Nova Scotia and South Carolina. Type locality: 

 not ascertained. April-June. 



3. HOLOSTEUM L. Sp. PI. 88. 1753. 



Low annual herbs, often viscid-pubescent above. Flowers cymose-umbellate on long 

 terminal peduncles. Sepals and petals 5, the latter emarginate or erose. Stamens 3-5, 

 hypogynous. Styles 3. Ovary 1-celled, many-ovuled. Capsule ovoid-cylindric, dehiscent 

 by 6 short valves or teeth. Seeds many, compressed, rough. [Name Greek, signifying 

 all bone, an antiphrase, the plants being tender.] 



A genus of 3 species, natives of Europe and temperate Asia. Type species, Holosteum umbellatum L. 



1. Holosteum umbellatum L. Jagged Chickweed. Fig. 1675. 



Holosteum umbellatum L. Sp. PI. 88. 17S3. 



Plants tufted, 8-25 cm. high, the branches mostly simple, glandular-pubescent above, sparingly 

 tomentose below. Leaves oblong or the basal oblanceolate, sessile, 1-2 cm. long ; umbels 

 3-8- fl owe red ; pedicels very slender, 15-25 mm. long, reflexed in fruit; sepals obtuse, 4 mm. long, 

 scarious-margined ; petals erose, slightly longer than the sepals ; capsule ovoid, about 8 mm. 

 long, its teeth recurved. 



Sparingly introduced in eastern Oregon, Washington, and also in the Atlantic States. Native of Europe and 

 northern Asia. April-May. 



4. SAGINA L. Sp. PI. 128. 1753. 



Low tufted annual or perennial herbs, with subulate leaves and small whitish flowers 

 on slender axillary pedicels. Sepals 4 or 5. Petals of the same number or wanting, entire 

 or emarginate. Stamens of the same number as sepals or twice as many, or sometimes 

 fewer. Styles as many as sepals and alternate with them. Capsule at length dehiscent to 

 the base, the valves as many as sepals and opposite them. Seeds many, smooth or some- 

 times resinous-dotted. [Ancient name of the spurry.] 



A genus of about 10 species, natives of the northern hemisphere. Type species, Sagina procumbens L. 



Sepals 4; annuals. 



Petals none; plants glandular-pubescent; lower leaves long-ciliate. 1. S. apctala barbata. 



Petals present; plants glabrous; leaves not ciliate. 2. S. procumbens. 



Sepals and petals 5. 



Stems filiform, not at all fleshy. 



Annual, without sterile rosettes at base, loosely branched. 3. S. occidentalis. 



Perennial, with sterile rosettes at base, often tufted. 4. 5". saginoidcs hesperia. 



Stems stout, somewhat fleshy; perennial with basal rosettes. S. S. crassicaulis. 



