424 CAKYOPfiYLLACEAE 



1-6 cm. long, obtuse or acute, sessile : flowers in open cymes : pedicels finally bent or 

 hooked at tbe apex, often conspicuously elongated : sepals oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 4-5 

 mm. long, acute : petals linear-oblong, notched at the apex, slightly longer than the 

 sepals, very delicate : capsules slender, 9-13 mm. long, nodding, curved upward: seeds 

 0.8 mm. broad. [Gcroitiitm nutans Raf. ] 



In woods, Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Florida and Mexico. Spring. POWDER-HORN. 



6. Cerastium brachypodum (Engelm.) Robinson. Annual, slender, pale green. 

 Stem simple or branchedat the base, the branches erect or ascending, 0.5-1.5 dm. tall, simple 

 or forked above : leaf-blades thickish, the lower ones oblanceolate or spatulate, the stem- 

 leaves oblanceolate, oblong or linear-oblong, 1-3 cm. long, acute or obtuse : flowers in open 

 or sometimes congested cymes : sepals lanceolate, 3-4 cm. long, acute or acuminate: petals 

 longer than the sepals : capsules 5-8 mm. long, about as long as the pedicels or slightly 

 shorter : seeds 0.5 mm. in diameter. 



In dry soil, Illinois to South Dakota, Georgia, Texas, Arizona and Mexico. Spring and summer. 

 The state with congested cymes and very slender capsules is, C. brachypodum compdctum Robinson ; it 

 occurs from Nebraska to Texas. 



7. Cerastium arv6nse L. Perennial, slender, softly pubescent. Stem usually much 

 branched at the base, often matted, the branches erect or ascending, 1-4 dm. tall, simple 

 or sparingly forking above, often nearly naked : leaf-blades thick, the lower ones some- 

 times spatulate, or narrowly oblanceolate, the rest linear or linear-lanceolate, 3-5 cm. long, 

 acute, sessile : flowers in open cymes on erect elongating pedicels : sepals oblong-lanceolate, 

 4-5 mm. long, acutish : petals cuneate, fully twice as long as the sepals, deeply notched : 

 capsules about equalling the sepals. 



On dry or rocky hillsides, Labrador to Alaska, Georgia and California. Spring. 



FAMILY 11. CARYOPHYLLACEAE Keichenb. PINK FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs, with a watery sap and usually erect stems enlarged 

 at the nodes. Leaves opposite : blades commonly narrow, often with connate 

 bases : stipules wanting. Flowers perfect, polygamous or rarely dioecious. 

 Calyx of 4-5 united sepals forming a toothed tube. Corolla often showy, of 4-5 

 petals with narrow claws and blades at whose junction there usually exists a 

 scale. Androecium of usually twice as many stamens as there are petals. Fila- 

 ments usually distinct, inserted like the corolla and 1-celled ovary on the 

 columnar prolongation of the receptacle. Gynoecium of a single compound 

 pistil. Styles 2-5. Ovules numerous. Fruit a capsule opening by 2-5 apical 

 valves. Seeds many or rarely few, with the embryo straight in the endosperm 

 or nearly so. 



Calyx- tube with 5 ribs, nerved or nerveless. 

 Petals unappendaged. 



Calyx-tube terete or nearly so, subtended by bractlets. 1. DIANTHUS. 



Calyx-tube 5-angled, without bractlets. 2. VACCARIA. 



Petals appendaged at the base of the blade 3. SAPONAEIA. 



Calyx-tube Avith at least twice as many ribs as lobes. 



Styles 3 or rarely 4. 4. SILENE. 



Styles 5. 5. AGROSTEMMA. 



1. DIANTHUS L. 



Perennial or rarely annual herbs, with rather stiff stems. Leaves opposite : blades 

 usually narrow. Flowers perfect, solitary or in terminal cymes. Calyx sessile in an invo- 

 lucre of several bractlets : tube elongated, finely and equally striate : lobes 5, relatively 

 short. Petals 5, deeply colored, with long claws : blades toothed or eroded. Stamens 10. 

 Ovary 1-celled, stalked : styles 2. Capsule opening by 4 or rarely 5 tooth-like valves. 

 Seeds flattened. Embryo straight, eccentric. PINK. 



1. Dianthus Armeria L. Annual, minutely pubescent. Stems erect, simple or 

 usually branched at the base and above, 2-6 dm. tall : leaves linear, or the blades of the 

 basal ones linear-spatulate, 3-8 cm. long, obtuse or acutish, sessile, the cuneate bases 

 sheathing the stem : flowers clustered at the ends of the branches : calyx pilose ; tube 

 cylindric, nearly 1.5 cm. long, delicately striate ; lobes lanceolate, acuminate, about as 

 long as the tube : petals pink, often spotted with white ; blades oblong, notched at the apex, 

 crenate, about as long as the claws : capsules cylindric, about as long as the calyx, short- 

 stalked : seeds 1.5 mm. long, abruptly pointed. 



In fields and on roadsides, Maine to Ontario and Iowa, south to Georgia. Naturalized from 

 Europe. Summer. 



