CARYOPHYLLACE^. (riNK FAMILY.) 59 



ovoid, opening by twice as many valves as styles, several - many-seeded. Seeds 

 naked. Flowers (white) terminal, or appearing lateral by the prolongation of 

 the stem from the upper axils. (Name from Stella, a star, in allusion to the 

 star-shaped flowers.) 



* Stamens usually fewer than 10 : leaves broad. 



1. S. MEDIA, Smith. (COMMON CHICKWEED.) Stems spreading, marked 

 with an alternate pubescent line ; leaves ovate, the lower on hairy petioles ; petals 

 2-parted, shorter than the calyx; stamens 3-10. () Fields and around 

 dwellings, everywhere. (Nat. from Eu.) 



2. S. pftfrera, Michx. (GREAT CHICKWEED.) Stems spreading, 

 marked with 2 opposite hairy lines ; leaves all sessile, oblong or ovate (2' long) ; 

 pef.als deeply 2-cleft, longer than the calyx, 1J. Shaded rocks, Penn. to Kentucky, 

 and southward. May. 



* * Stamens mostly 10: manifestly perigynous : perennial: leaves narrow, sessile: 



plants glabrous throughout. 

 Scaly-bracted : petals ^-parted, equalling or surpassing the calyx. 



3. S. loiigifolia, Muhl. (STITCHWORT.) Stem branching above; 

 weak, often with rough angles (8' -18' high) ; leaves linear, acutish at both ends, 

 spreading ; cymes naked and at length lateral, peduncled, many-flowered, the slen- 

 der pedicels spreading ; petals 2-parted, soon longer than the calyx ; seeds smooth. 



Grassy places, common, especially northward. June, July. (Eu.) 



4. S. loiigipcs, Goldie. (LONG-STALKED STITCHWORT.) Shining or 

 somewhat glaucous, very smooth ; leaves ascending, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 

 acute, broadest at the base, rather rigid ; cyme terminal, few-flowered, the long 

 pedicels strictly erect ; petals longer than the calyx ; seeds smooth. Maine to 

 Wisconsin, rare : common farther north. (Eu.) 



5. S. llligiiiosa, Murr. ( SWAMP STITCHWORT.) Stems weak, de- 

 cumbent or diffuse, at length prolonged, leaving the naked and usually sessile 

 cymes lateral ; leaves lanceolate or oblong, veiny ; petals and ripe pods as long as the 

 calyx; seeds roughened. (S. aquatica, Pollich, frc.) Swamps and rills, Phila- 

 delphia and Westchester, Pennsylvania (Darlington, <fcc.). New Hampshire 

 (Blake), and northward in British America. (Eu.) 



+- +- Leafy-bracted, the flowers in the forks of the stem or of leafy branches, even 

 the latest with foliaceous bracts ; petals 2-parted, small, or often none ; styles 3-4; 

 pod longer than the calyx. 



6. S. crassi folia, Ehrhart. Stems diffuse or erect, flaccid ; leaves rather 

 fleshy, varying from linear-lanceolate to oblong ; petals longer than the calyx, or 

 wanting; seeds rugose-roughened. An apetalous 4-6-androus state is Sagina 

 fontinalis, Short # Ptter. Cliffs of Kentucky River and Elkhorn Creek, form- 

 ing broad mats in springy places, SJtort. Kingwood, Illinois, Vasey. April, 

 May. Also in British America. (Eu.) 



7. S. borealis, Bigclow. (NORTHERN STITCHWORT.) .Stems erect or 

 spreading, flaccid, many times forked, at lepgth resolved into a leafy cyme ; 

 leaves varying from broadly lanceolate to ovate-oblong ; petals 2-5, shorter than 

 tfte calyx, or oftener none ; sepals acute ; styles usually 4 ; seeds smooth, Shaded 



