CARYOPHTLLACEiE. (PINK FAMILY.) 47 



1. S. Americana, Torr. & Gray. Stems prostrate, diffuse, pubescent in 

 lines; leaves lanceolate, narrowed at the base; the radical ones larger and 

 crowded; flowers obovate, solitary in the forks of the stem, and clustered at the 

 end of the branches ; sepals rounded and incurved at the apex, tiie tube bristly 

 with hooked hairs ; petals minute. ( Herniaria Americana, Null. Paronycliia 

 urceolata, Shutll ) — Sandy banks of rivers, Florida to South Carolina, and 

 westward. June- Oct. (1) or (f) — Stems I*' -3° long. Leaves sometimes 

 falcate and incrusted with brownish particles. Stipules small. 



2. S. diflFusa, n. sp. Pubescent; stems prostrate, diffuscly-branclied; leaves 

 lanceolate, obtuse, narrowed at the base; flowers small, in compact, rectangular 

 cymes, terminating all the branches ; sepals linear, slightly concave and mucro- 

 nate at the apex, the tube bristly with hooked hairs; petals bristle-like. — Dry 

 sandy pine barrens, Florida. June -Oct. Q) — Stems 1° long. Stipules con- 

 spicuous, on young plants half as long as the leaves, at length 2-parted. Cymes 

 very numerous. 



3. S. erecta, n. sp. Stems smootli, clustered, erect, rigid, mostly simple ; 

 leaves erect, linear, acute, inibcscent on the margins, tliosc of the barren stems 

 imbricated ; cyme compound, rectangular, fiistigiate, compact ; sepals lanceolate, 

 smooth, acutish, or obscurely mucronatc at the apex, tlie tultc smooth and fur- 

 rowed ; petals bristle-like, half as long as the stamens. — Sands along tiic west 

 coast of Florida. Junc-Xov. y. — Koot woody. Stems 6'- 12' high. Stip- 

 ules half as long as the leaves. 



4. S. Rugelii. Annual; stem erect, successively forking, clothed with a 

 short and rather dense pubescence, as also the leaves and bracts ; leaves oblance- 



'olate, abruptly jjointed, shorter than tlie intemodcs, the upper ones linear; stip- 

 ules ^-^ as long as the leaves, soon 2-4-parted; cymes numerous, terminal, 

 rather loosely flowered ; caly.x-tube short, pubescent, the linear-lanceolate divis- 

 ions conspicuously mucronatc, white ; petals bristle-like ; style included. (Pa- 

 ronychia Rugelii, Sliuttl.) — East Florida. — Stems 1° high, at length diffuse "? 



4. STIPULICIDA, Mich.x. 



Sepals .5, emarginate, white-margined. Petals 5, .spatulatc, 2-toothed near 

 the base, longer than the sepals, witlicring-persistent. Stamens .3, opposite the 

 inner sepals. Style very short, 3-partcd. Capsule 1-cclled, 3-valved, many- 

 seeded. — A small perennial, with an erect forking stem. Stem-leaves minute, 

 subulate, with adnate pectinate stipules. Radical leaves spatulate, clustered, 

 growing from a tuft of bristly stipules. Flowers white, in terminal clusters. 



1. S. setacea, Michx. — Low sandy pine barrens, Florida to North Caro- 

 lina. April -June. — Stem 3' - G' high, the branches spreading and curving. 



5. SPERGULARIA, Pers. 



Sepals .5. Petals .5, oval, entire. Stamens 2-10. Styles 3-5. Capsule 

 3 - 5-valvcd ; the valves when .5, alternate with the sepals. — A low maritime 

 htrb, with opposite fleshy leaves, and conspicuous scarious stij)ules. Flowers 

 axillary, solitary, rose-colored. 



