154 ALSINKiE. (CHICKWEED FAMILY.) 



Leaves small, ovate, tapering into a petiole. Pedicels several times as 

 lono- as calyx, spreading or deflexed in fruit ; sepals papillose, lanceo- 

 late, acute, olDSoletely several-nerved ; petals lanceolate-linear, scarce- 

 ly longer than calyx ; capsule oblong, a little longer than calyx — 

 Spring — Rocky places ; Mureijat (Lebanon.) 



11. A. Panipliylica, Boiss. © .Ito .15, sparingly hirtulo us, 

 tender ; stem erect, stifiE, dichotomously branched, loosely corymbose 

 above. Lower leaves ovate or deltoid, obtuse, short-petioled, upj)er 

 linear-elliptical, acute. Pedicels setaceous, erect, several times as long 

 as calyx ; sepals hairy, lanceolate, acuminate, obsoletely 5-nerved ; 

 petals obovate, obtuse, tapering at base, one-third longer than calyx ; 

 capsule oblong, a third longer than calyx — May — Lebanon, near the 

 Cedars. 



6. STEL.LARIA, L. Chickwekd. Starwort. 



Sepals 5. Petals 5, bifid or bipartite. Stamens 10 (rarely fewer), 

 hypogynous, or implanted on an elongated, perigynous disk. Styles 3 

 (rarely 2). Ovary many- or few-ovuled. Capsule 6- (rarely 4-) valved 

 to the middle or beyond. Seeds not arillate, kidney-shaped, some- 

 what laterally compressed — Tender, diffusely branched annuals, with 

 white flowers. 



1. S, Cilicica, Boiss. .2 to .3, siyaringly scabrous; stems 

 dichotomously branched, cymose-paniculate, leafy. Leaves linear- 

 lanceolate. Sepals oblong, acuminate, membranous-margined ; styles 

 3 ; seeds 2-5 — May and June — Middle zone of Lebanon. 



2. S. media, L. .2 to .4 ; stems diffuse or ascending, tcith a 

 single hairy line., cymose above. Leaves ovate, the lower petioled, the 

 upper sessile. Sepals hairy, oblong, obtuse ; stamens generally 5 ; 

 styles 3 ; seeds numerous — Spring — Fields and moist places ; every- 

 where. 



Var. pul>esceii§, Post. Crisp-pubescent all around the stems — 

 Beirut. 



Var. major, Post. All the parts of the plant larger, in aSpect 

 resembling Malachium aquaticum. 



r. H0L<0§TEU1I, L. Jagged Chickweed. 



Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire or dentate. Stamens 10, or 3-4. Styles 

 3. Capsule cylindrical, with 6, revolute teeth. Seeds not arillate, 

 tubercled in rows, flattened at back, shield-shaped, with concave, longi- 

 tudinally keeled face — Low annuals, with umbellate flowers, unequal, 

 1 -flowered pedicels, refracted in fruit, but often erect after the shed- 

 ding of the seed. 



1. H. i^mtoellatum, L. © .1 to .2, glaucous, glabrous, or 

 sparingly glandular. Leaves oblong, the lower tapering into a petiole. 

 Petals bearded at base, sinuate-dentate at apex ; stamens often 3-4, 

 filaments shorter than calyx — April — Fields and sandy places ; 

 common. 



Var. ovatum, Post. Leaves ovate to ovate-oblong — Aintab. 



