130 



ALSINACEAE. 



3. S AGIN A L. 



Tufted matted low herbs, with subulate leaves, and small pedieelled whitish 

 flowers. Sepals 4 or 5. Petals of the same number, entire, emarginate or none. 

 Stamens of the same number, or fewer, or twice as many. Ovary 1-celled, 

 many-ovuled. Styles as many as the sepals and alternate with them. Capsule 

 4-5-valved, at length dehiscent to the base, the valves opposite the sepals. 

 [Ancient name of the spurry.] About 10 species, natives of the northern 

 hemisphere, the following typical. 



1. Sagina procumbens L. Procumbent 

 Pearlwort. (Pig. 151.) Annual or perennial, 

 branching, decumbent, or spreading, glabrous 

 or minutely downy, matted, f'-Ss' high. Leaves 

 linear, subulate, 2"-7" long, connate at the base ; 

 flowers about 1" broad, numerous; peduncles 

 capillary, longer than the leaves, often recurved 

 at the end after flowering; sepals 4, sometimes 

 5, ovate-oblong, generally longer than the 

 petals, which are occasionally wanting; capsule 

 about equalling the calyx; stamens 4, rarely 5. 

 [S. apetala of Reade and of H. B. Small.] 



Cliffs, Tucker's Town, and recorded by Reade 

 as found on waysides. Naturalized from Europe 

 or North America. Flowers in winter and spring. 



4. ABENABXA L. 



Mainly tufted herbs, with sessile leaves, 

 and terminal cymose or capitate, rarely soli- 

 tary, white flowers. Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire or scarcely emarginate, 

 rarely none. Stamens 10. Styles generally 3 (rarely 2-5). Ovary 1-celled, 

 many-ovuled. Capsule dehiscent at the apex by as many valves or teeth 

 as there are styles, or twice as many. Seeds reniform-globose or compressed. 

 [Latin, sand, in allusion to the habitat of many species.] About 150 species, 

 of wide distribution. Type species: Arenaria serpyllifoUa L. 



Annual ; leaves ovate, 2"-4" long. 1. A. leptoclados. 



Perennial ; leaves elliptic to narrowly spatulate, 5"-10" long. 2. A. lanuginosa. 



1. Arenaria leptoclados Guss. 

 Slender Thyme-leaved Sand- 

 wort. (Pig. 152.) Annual, slen- 

 der, slightly downy-pubescent, 

 widely branched, 2'-8' high. 

 Leaves ovate, 2"-4" long, acute; 

 pedicels 2"-6" long; bracts ovate, 

 resembling the leaves; flowers 2" 

 broad or less, very numerous in 

 loose panicles; sepals lanceolate, 

 acute or mucronate, 3-5-nerved; 

 petals obovate or oblong, usually 

 shorter; capsule oblong, papery, 

 dehiscent by 6 short apical valves ; 

 seeds rough. 



Waste and cultivated grounds. 

 Naturalized. Native of southern 

 Europe. Naturalized in continental 

 North America. Flowers nearly 

 throughout the year. Has been re- 

 ferred to the similar A. serpyllifoUa 

 L., by previous authors. 



