98 CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 



bracts; petals pink, hardly longer than the sepals. Roadsides, becoming 

 « ommon. 



Tissa diandra bracteata (Robinson) Piper. Much like T. rubra but more 

 glandular; leaves, excepting the reduced upper ones, not cuspidate; stipules 

 small. Bhort, triangular; petals pinkish, shorter than the sepals. Banks of 

 Snake River at Almota, rare. 



133. CERASTIUM. Mouse-ear Chickweed. 



Annual or perennial, generally pubescent or hirsute herbs; 

 leaves flat, rarely subulate; stipules none; flowers in terminal 

 bracted dichotomous cymes; sepals 5; petals 5, retuse or bifid, 

 very rarely subentire, white; stamens 10, sometimes fewer; 

 styles 5, sometimes 4 or 3, opposite the sepals; capsule cylindric, 

 1 -celled', often curved, dehiscent by 10, rarely 8, apical teeth. 



Petals not longer than the sepals. 



Pedicels longer than the calyx. <-•• vulgatum. 



Pedicels not longer than the calyx. C. viscosum. 

 Petals decidedly longer than the sepals. 



Annual, viscid-pubescent; pods nodding. C. nutans. 



Perennial, pubescent; pods erect. C. arvense. 



Cerastium vulgatum L. Perennial, viscid-pubescent throughout, tufted, 

 10-30 cm. high; leaves oblong, obtuse, or the upper ones acucish, 10-25 mm. 

 long; inflorescence loose, the pedicels longer than the calyx; sepals obtuse, 

 4^5 mm. long, as long as the 2-cleft petals; capsule somewhat curved, longer 

 than the calyx. A weed in lawns and pastures; introduced from Europe. 



Cerastium viscosum L. Annual, viscid-pubescent, erect or nearly so, 

 10-20 cm. high; leaves oval to ovate or obovate, very obtuse, the lowest 

 narrowed into short-margined petioles; inflorescence rather close in flower, 

 looser in fruit; sepals acute, 3-4 mm. long; petals shorter than the sepals. 

 A need introduced from Europe. 



Cerastium nutans Raf. Stems erect, 15-40 cm. high, usually branched at 

 the base; leaves oblong-lanceolate, or the lowest spatulate, acute, 1-3 cm. 

 lon^;; cyme open, rather many-flowered; pedicels elongated, nodding, especially 

 in fruit"; calyx 3—4 mm. long, exceeded by the petals; pods curved, three times 

 .i-> long as the calyx. Near Lewiston, Idaho, and about Lake Coeur d'Alene. 



Cerastium arvense L. Perennial, tufted, pubescent throughout or some- 

 times marly glabrous; stems weak, erect, 15-40 cm. tall, nearly naked above; 

 leaves linear or lanceolate, 2-3 cm. long; flowers cymose, on slender pedicels; 



ds oblong, acute, 5-6 mm. long; petals deeply notched, twice as long as the 



tl>. In low places, infrequent. 



134. ALSINE. Chickweed. 



Annual tufted generally diffuse herbs; leaves flat, rarely subu- 

 late; stipules none; llowers solitary or cymose, terminal or 

 becoming lateral; sepals 5 or 4; petals 5 or 4, rarely none, always 

 more or less deeply bifid, often divided almost to the base, white; 

 Btamens ! 10; styles 3 or 4, rarely 5 ; capsules globose, ovoid or 

 oblong, dehiscing by as many valves as there are styles. 



