Drymaria CARYOPHYLLAGK^ 175 



Family XXII. CARYOPHYLLACE^. 



. Herbs. Leaves opposite, entire, generally united at the base 

 by a transverse line, without stipules or with small scarious 

 .stipules. Inflorescence cymose. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. 

 Sepals 4-5, persistent. Petals as many as sepals. Stamens 8-10 

 or fewer, inserted with the petals. Receptacle small, or elongated 

 and bearing the stamens at its apex under the ovary, or" forming 

 &n annular disk bearing the stamens. Ovary free, 1 -celled, or 

 rarely 2-5 celled at the base. Styles 2-5, free or united below. 

 • Ovules numerous. Capsule dehiscing by valves or teeth at apex. 

 Embryo curved surrounding the endosperm ; cotyledons narrow. 

 Species about 1450, mostly occurring in temperate regions of 

 the northern hemisphere, but also in the southern hemisphere, 

 and a few in mountains of the tropics. 



Sepals free or very shortly united at base. 



Style simple below, divided into 3 above 1. Drymaria. 



Styles distinct from base. 

 Stipules none. 



Petals entire 2. Arenaria. 



Petals 2-lobed. 



Styles 5 3. Cerastium. 



Styles 3 i.Stellaria, 



Stipules small, scarious 5. Spergula. 



Sepals united into a tubular toothed calyx 6. Silene. 



1. DRYMARIA Willd. 



Herbs. Leaves with small scarious stipules. '. Flowers in 

 terminal cymes. Sepals 5. Petals 5, 2-fid. Stamens 5-2, opposite 

 the sepals. Ovary 1-celled ; style simple at the base, 3-fid above. 

 Capsule 3-valved. 



Species about 47, natives of tropical and subtropical America, 

 one also dispersed through. tropics of the Old World. 



D. cordata Willd. ex Boem. d- Schult. Syst. v. 406 (1819); 

 Mac/. Jam. i 53 ; Griseh. FJ. Br. W. Ind. 56 ; Bohrh. in Fl. 

 Bras. xiv. pt. 2, 259, t. 60 ; Urb. Symh. Ant. iv. 234. D. diandra 

 Maef. Jam. i. 52. Holosteum cordatum L. Sp. PL 88 (1753). 

 H. diandrum Sw. Prodr. 27 (1788), Icon. t. 7 & Fl. Ind. Occ. 221. 

 Alsine americana nummularije &c, Sloane Cat. 87 & Hist. i. 203. 

 Holosteum foliis orbiculatis &c. Browne Hist. Jam. 139. H. dian- 

 drum ikc. Browne loc. cit. Type in Herb. Linn. (Fig. 67.) 



West Indian Chickweed. 



Sloane Herb. iv. 8 ! Houstoun ! Swartz ! Macfadyen ! March ! Blue 

 Mts., Fawcettl Devon Pen, 300 ft., TJuympsonl Hope Gardens, Harris\ 

 PL Jam. 7958, 8444.— West Indies, tropics. 



