66 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 
calyx connected at the base into a tube, as Pink, 
Soapwort, Catchfly, Lychnis, constituting the Pink 
tribe, whilst in the Chickweeds this is not so, the 
sepals being distinct, and whereas in the former 
the capsule is stalked, in the Chickweed group it is 
sessile. 
In many of these plants the stem and leaves are 
glaucous. Usually the stem, which may be leafy or 
a scape, is erect, but may be decumbent at the base, 
and give rise to a number of lateral branchlets. A 
frequent character is the swollen nature of the joints. 
The leaves are flat, ovate, lanceolate, glabrous or 
downy, as in Lychnis, and are entire, opposite, 
simple. The stipules are absent, or are small. 
There are four to five sepals, which, as shown, are 
distinct or united into a tube, and in bud are imbri- 
cate. The petals are similar in number, four to five, 
and may be inserted below the ovary or borne on the 
calyx, and not attached to the ovary. Sometimes 
there are ten stamens—a distinctive feature—or eight 
if there are four petals inserted with them, sometimes 
the same number only, and the filaments are filiform. 
There is one ovary, which is pedicellate or inserted 
in a ring. The fruit is a capsule with numerous 
seeds, and one- or imperfectly two- to five-celled ; 
and there are two to five stigmas, the capsule opening 
by twice as many teeth as there are stigmas, which 
may be valvular. 
The Chickweeds may be used asa salad. Soap- 
wort has a root which contains a soft, gummy, 
