148 ALSINE^. (CHICKWEED FAMILY.) 



3. ALSINE. Petals 5. Styles 3. Ovary many-ovuled. 



4. aUERIA, Petals 0. Styles 3. Ovary 1-ovuled. 



TRIHE II. STEIjIiARINEiH. Stipules 0, Valves or teeth of capsule twice 

 as many as styles. 



* Styles 2-3 {rarely 5) Capsule usually ovate or ovate-conicaL 



5. AREISARIA. Petals 5, entire. Stamens 10, perigynous. 



6. STELLARIA. Petals 4-5, bifid or bipartite. Stamens 10, hypogynous or perigyaoue. 



7. HOLOSTEUM. Petals 5, denticulate. Stamens 3-4. 



* * Styles 5, {rarely 3-4). Capsule cylindrical, or conico-cylindrical. 



8. CERASTIUM. Petals 5 (rarely 4,) 2 toothed or bifid. 



TRIBE III. ]TIAIiACmE-SI. Stipules 0. Valves of capsule and styles 5. 



9. MALACHIUM. Petals 5, bipartite. 



TRIBE IV. SPERGUIifi^. Leaves stipulate. Valves of capsule as many as 

 styles. 



10. SPERGULA. Styles 5. Leaves whorled, 



11. SPERGULARIA, Styles 3. Leaves opposite. 



1. S AGIN A, L. Pearlwort. 



Sepals 4-5. Petals 4-5, entire or retuse, often 0. Stamens 4-10, 

 hypogynous. Ovary many-ovuled. Capsule 4-5-valved to base. Seeds 

 kidney-shaped. Tufted annual or perennial herbs, with white or green 

 flowers, and awl-shaped leaves, connate at base, forming a sheath. 



1. S. prociimbens, L. If .03 to .1, stems procumbent, rooting 

 at base. Leaves glabrous. Sepals ovate, obtuse, equal; petals ovate, 

 half as long as calyx, sometimes — September — Subalpine Lebanon, 

 Amanus, and northward. 



2. S, apetala, S. © .03 to .05, stems erect, branching from 

 base. Leaves ciliate at base, rarely glabrous. Sepals ovate, obtuse, 

 unequal, shorter than capsule ; petals minute, lanceolate, or — Spring 



— Sandy places ; along coast. 



2. BUFFONIA, Sauv. Btjffonia. 



Sepals 4, scarious-margined. Petals 4, entire or bidentate. Sta- 

 mens 4-8, inserted on a perigynous, sometimes glandular disk. Styles 

 2. Ovary 3-10-ovuled. Capsule lenticular, compressed at base, 3- 

 valved. Seeds generally 3, basilar — Annual or perennial herbs with 

 aspect of Juncus bufonii. 



* Annuals. 



1. B. macrosperma, J. Gay. © .3 to .4 ; stems simple or 

 forked. Pedicels scabrous ; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, 3-7-nei-ved ; 

 petals one-half to three-fourths as long as sepals ; stamens 4, as long 

 as petals ; styles shorter than ovary ; seeds tubercled at face and back 



— May and June — Stony places •, Lebanon, Coelesyria, and Anti- 

 lebanon. 



Var. virgata, Post. Stems nearly simple. Seeds less strongly 

 tuberculed on face than at back — Same range as last. {B. mrgata, 

 Boiaa.) 



