194 75- CARYOPHYLLACEAE 



i8. Petals none. Sepals keeled, entire. Stamens 3. Leaves linear. Stipules 

 dark red at the base. — Species i. North-west Africa (Algeria). 



Ortegia Loffl. 

 Petals 5 iQ 



19. Petals 2-parted. — Species i. Tropical and South Africa. Drymaria Willd. 

 Petals entire, notched, or 2-toothed 20 



20. Sepals with a tooth on each side. Leaves awl-shaped. Stipules cut up 



into bristles. — Species i. North Africa. . . . Loeflingia L. 

 Sepals entire 21 



21. Sepals keeled. Style short, 3-cleft. — Species 6. Some are used med- 



icinally Polyearoon Loefi. 



Sepals rounded on the back. Style long or rather long. — Species 25. 

 Some are used medicinalh'. {Polycarpia Webb, Polia Lour., including 

 Rohbairea Boiss.) (Plate 45.) Polycarpaea Lam. 



22. (16.) Leaves with scarious stipules. Ovules numerous. [Tribe SPER- 



GULEAE.] 23 



Leaves without stipules. [Tribe ALSINEAE.] ...... 25 



23. Ovary incompletely 3-celled. Ovules basal. Styles 3. Stamens 5. 



Flowers white. Leaves oblong or ovate. — Species 5. North Africa and 



Madagascar. Telephium L. 



Ovary completely i -celled. Ovules central. Flowers in raceme-like 

 cymes. Leaves linear or subulate 24 



24. Styles and fruit-valves 3. — Species 10. North and South Africa, Abyss- 



inia. Some are used medicinally. {Lepigomim Fries, Tissa Adans.) 



Spergularia Pers. 



Styles and fruit -valves 5. — Species 4. North Africa ; also naturalized in 



Central and South Africa. Used as fodder. " Spurry." Spergula L. 



25. Ovule I. Styles 3. Stamens 10. Petals none, but usually 5 thread- 



like scales opposite the sepals. Fruit 3-valved to the middle. Leaves 

 subulate. Flowers in clusters consisting of fertile and sterile flowers. — 



Species i. North Africa Queria L. 



Ovules 3 or more, rarely {Bujjonia) 2 26 



26. Petals 2-parted, 2-cleft, or distinctly notched. Flowers solitary or in 



panicle-like cymes 27 



Petals entire, minutely toothed, obscurely notched, or wanting ... 28 



27. Fruit globose. Styles 2 — 3, rarely 4 — 5, alternating with the sepals. 



— Species 6. Extra-tropical regions and mountains of the tropics. 

 Some are used medicinally. " Stitch wort." . . . Stellaria L. 



Fruit cylindrical. Styles 5, rarely 3 — 4, opposite the sepals. — Species 20. 

 Extra-tropical regions and mountains of the tropics. Some are used 

 medicinally Cerastium L. 



28. Petals minutely toothed. Styles 3. Ovules numerous. Fruit cylindrical. 



Seeds peltate, compressed dorsally. Flowers in umbel-like cymes. — 



Species i. North Africa Holosteum L. 



Petals entire, slightly notched, or wantmg 29 



