240 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



8. ALSINOPSIS Small. 



Densely tufted perennials, mostly less than 5 cm. high; leaves narrow, usually 

 subulate; flowers solitary in the axils or in terminal cymes; sepals 5; petals 5, entire 

 or emarginate; stamens usually 10; styles normally 3; capsules slightly longer than 

 broad, opening by as many valves as there are styles. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Sepals obtuse * 1. A. obtusiloba. 



Sepals acute 2. A. propinqua. 



1. Alsinopsis obtusiloba Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 33: 140. 1906. 

 Arenaria obtusa Torr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. 2: 170. 1827, not All. 1785. 

 Type locality: "On the higher parts of the Rocky Mountains." 

 Range: British America to Utah and New Mexico. 



New Mexico: Santa Fe and Las Vegas mountains; White Mountain Peak. Mead- 

 ows, in the Arctic-Alpine Zone. 



2. Alsinopsis propinqua (Richards.) Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 33: 140. 1906. 

 Arenaria propinqua Richards. Bot. App. Frankl. Journ. 17. 1823. 

 Arenaria verna aequicaulis A. Nels. Bull. Torrey Club 26: 352. 1899. 

 Arenaria aequicaulis A. Nels. in Coulter, New Man. Rocky Mount. 185. 1909. 

 Type locality: Barren grounds from Point Lake to the Arctic Sea. 

 Range: British America to Utah and northern New Mexico. 



New Mexico: Top of Las Vegas Range above Sapello Creek (Cockerell). High 

 mountains, in the Arctic-Alpine Zone. 



50. SILENACEAE. Pink Family. 



Herbaceous annuals or perennials with opposite, exstipulate, mostly sessile leaves; 

 flowers in cymes, sometimes thyrsiform; calyx tubular with a short limb; petals 

 clawed; fruit a capsule, dehiscent by longitudinal valves. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



Calyx strongly 5-angled or 5 ribbed, or both. 



Calyx cylindric, not angled; perennials 1. Saponaria (p. 240). 



Calyx ovoid, angled; annuals 2. Vaccaria (p. 241). 



Calyx ribs usually 10, at least twice as many as the 

 teeth. 

 Styles 5, alternate with the foliaceous calyx teeth. . 5. Agrostemma (p. 242). 

 Styles 3 to 5, opposite the short, not foliaceous, 

 ctllyx teeth. 

 Styles mostly 3; capsules usually septate at the 



base 3. Silene (p. 241). 



Styles 5; capsule i-celled to the base 4. Wahlbergella (p. 242). 



1. SAPONARIA. L. 



Perennial herb with stout, mostly simple, very leafy stems and large corymbose 

 pink flowers; calyx 5-toothed, obscurely nerved; petals 5, long-clawed; ovary 1-celled 

 or partially 2 to 4-celled; styles 2; capsule dehiscent by 4 short apical teeth. 



1. Saponaiia officinalis L. Sp. PI. 408. 1753. Bouncing Bet. 



Type locality: "Habitat in Europa media." 



Range: A native of Europe, often established as a roadside weed in North America. 

 New Mexico: Farmington (Standley 6873). 

 Well established along ditch banks in this locality. 



