PORTULACACK/E. 23 



f. STEIiLA'RIA, L. CHICKWEED. STAKWOBT. 



1. S. media, Smith. (COMMON CHICKWEED.) Stems branch- 

 ing, decumbent, soft and brittle, marked lengthwise with one or 

 two pubescent lines. Lower leaves on hairy petioles, orate. 

 Flowers small, white. Petals shorter than the sepals. Extremely 

 common in damp grounds and old gardens. 



2. S, longifolia, Muhl. (LONG-LEAVED STITCHWOKT. ) Stems 

 branching, very weak and brittle, supporting themselves on other 

 plants. Leaves linear. Pedicels of the flowers long, slender, and 

 spreading, reflexed. Petals white, longer than the 3-nerved 

 sepals. Low grassy banks of streams. 



6. CERAS'TITJM, L. MoUSE-EAB CHICKWEED. 



1. C. Vlllga'tum, L. (COMMON M.) Stem ascending, hairy 

 and somewhat clammy. Leaves ovate or obovate, obtuse. Flowers 

 in close clusters. Pedicels not longer than the sepals. Petals 

 shorter than the calyx. Not common, sometimes confounded 

 with No. 2. 



2. C. visco'sum, L. (LARGER M.) Stems hairy, viscid, 

 spreading. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, rather acute. Flowers in 

 loose cymes. Pedicels longer than the sepals. Petals equalling 

 the calyx. Fields and copses ; common. 



3. 0. arven'se, L. (FIELD CHICKWEED.) Stem decumbent 

 at the base, pubescent, slender, 4-8 inches high. Leaves linear, 

 or linear-lanceolate, often fascicled in the axils, longer than the 

 lower internodes. Petals obcordate, more than twice as long as 

 the calyx. Pod scarcely longer than the calyx. Cyme few- 

 flowered. 



4. C. nu'tans, Raf. Stems very clammy-pubescent and 

 branching diffusely. The loose and open cymes many-flowered. 

 Leaves lance-oblong. Pods nodding on the stalks, curved upwards, 

 thrice the length of the calyx. In places where water lies in spring. 



ORDER XVII. POBTULACA'CE^l. (PURSLANE F.) 



Herbs with fleshy entire exstipulate leaves, and regular hypo- 

 gynons or perigynous flowers. Sepals 2. Petals 5. Stamens 

 5-20. Styles 3-8, united below. Pod 1 -celled, few or many- 

 seeded. 



