88 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



each five hairy sepals, as long as the deeply-cleft petals, with narrow, 

 membranous margins. 



These three species of Stellaria, and, in fact, all the species of 

 the genus, are distinguished by their divided petals and the presence 

 of three styles ; but there is another group of flowers in the same 

 order known as the Mouse-ear Chickweeds {Cerastium), also with 

 divided petals, but having either four or five styles. 



The Ceickweed. 



Tliree of the species of this group may be included among the 

 spring flowers of waysides. One of these is the Broad-leaved 

 or Clustered Mouse-ear Chickweed {Cerastium glomeratum), which 

 flowers from April to the end of the summer. It has an erect, 

 sticky, hairy stem ; and pale green ovate leaves. The little white 

 flowers are tufted, on short stalks, with sepals and petals of equal 

 length. A second — the Narrow-leaved Mouse-ear Chickweed (C. 

 triviale) — has a similar but spreading stem ; and the leaves are 

 narrow, and of a deep green colour. In this one, too, the sepals 

 and petals are equal ; but the former are hairy, and the flower- 

 stalks are longer. The other is the Field Mouse-ear Chickweed 



