GARYd'H^LLACE^. (riNK FAMILY.) 53 



base or the central column of the 1-celled (rarely 3-5-celled) pod, with a 

 slender embryo coiled or curved around the outside of mealy albumen. — 

 Bland herbs ; the stems usually swollen at the joints ; uppermost leaves 

 rarely alternate. Leaves often united at the base. Calyx imbricated or 

 valvate, persistent. Styles stigmatic along the inside. Seeds amphitro- 

 pous or campy lotropous. — There are several suborders, of which the first 

 three are the principal. 



Synopsis. 



Suborder I. SILENEiE. The Proper Pink Family. 



Sepals united into a tubular calyx. Petals and stamens borne on the 

 6talk of the many-seeded pod, the former with long claws included in the 

 calyx-tube, mostly convolute in aestivation. Seeds numerous. — Stipules 

 none. Flowers mostly showy. 



» Calyx with scaly bractlets at the base. Seeds flattened : embryo nearly straight. 

 1 DTANTIIUS. Calyx terete, mostly cylindrical. Styles 2. 



* * Calyx naked. Seeds globular or kidney-shaped : embryo curved or coiled. 



2. SAPONAHIA. Calyx terete. Styles 2. 



3. VACCARIA. Calyx 5-angled and in fruit 6-winged. Styles 2. 



4. SILENE. Calyx 5-tootbed. Styles 3, rarely 4. 



6. AGROSTEMMA. Calyx with 5 narrow leafy lobes. Styles 5. 



Suborder II. ALSINEiE. The Ciiickweed Family. 



Sepals distinct or nearly so. . Petals without claws (sometimes none), 

 mostly imbricated in aestivation, and with the stamens inserted at the base 

 of the sessile ovary, or into a little disk which often coheres with the 

 base of the calyx. Pod splitting into valves, few - many-seeded. Stamens 

 opposite the sepals, when not more numerous than they. — Low herbs. 

 Stipules none. 



» Styles opposite the sepals, or, when fewer, opposite those which are exterior in the bud. 

 t- Valves of the pod as many as the styles (usually 3), and entire. 

 6 IIONKENYA. Seeds few, at the base of the pod. Stamens borne on a thick and glandu- 

 lar 10-lobed disk. 



7. ALSINE. Seeds many, attached to a central column, naked. 



<- -i- Valves or teeth into which the pod splits twice as many as there are styles. 



•h- Pod splitting to the middle or farther into valves. 



6. ARENARIA. Tetals 5, entire. Styles 3. Pods at first 3-valved, the valves soon 2-cleft, 



making 6. Seeds rough, naked. 

 9. M(EI1RINGIA. Petals 4 - 5, entire. Styles 2-4. Pods 4 - 8-valved. Seeds smooth and 

 shining, appendagol at the hilum. 



10. STELLARIA. Petals 4 - 6, mostly 2-cleft, sometimes minute or none. Styles (2 -5) most- 



ly 3. Pods splitting into twice as many valves. Seeds not appendaged 



< ^ *-► Pod opening only at the top by teeth. 



11. HOLOSTEUM. Petals 5, denticulate at the end. Stamens and styles mostly 3. 



12. CERASTIUM. Petals 4-5, usually 2-cleft. Styles as many as the petals. 



* * Styles alternate with the sepals : stamens as many as they, sometimes twice as many. 

 13- SAGINA. Petals 4-5, undivided, or none. Styles 4 5. Pod 4 -5-valved 



5* 



