78 PINK FAMILY. 



7. STELLARIA, CHICKWEED STAR WORT. (Lain: stella, a 



star.) Flowers spring and summer. (Lessons, Figs. 345, ^^31, 432.) 

 » Stems iceak and spreading, marked loith pubescent lines ; leaves broad. 



S. media. Smith. Common Chickweed. Leaves ovate or oblong, the 

 lower on hairy petioles ; petals shorter than the calyx, 2-parted ; stamens 

 3-10. ® In all damp cult, grounds. 



S. ptibera, Michx. Great C. Leaves oblong or oval, sessile ; petals 

 longer than the calyx, 2-cleft. 2Z Shaded rocks, Penn., S., and W. 



« * ]VhoU>j glabrous ; stems erect or spreading ; leaves narrow, sessile. 11 



■*- Petals 2-parted, equaling or surpassing calyx ; bracts scale-like. 



S. longifdlia, Muhl. Long-leaved S. or Stitchwort. Stem weak 

 with rough angles, 8'-18' high ; leaves linear, widely spreading, acutish at 

 both ends ; flowers numerous on slender, spreading pedicels, 'in a very loose 

 cyme ; petals 2-parted, longer than the calyx ; seeds smooth. Common 

 in damp grassy places N. 



S. I6ngipes, Goldie. Very smooth ; leaves ascending, lanceolate, or 

 linear-lanceolate, broadest at base ; flowers on long, strictly erect pedicels ; 

 seeds smooth. Rare in N. U. S. ; commoner in Canada. 



S. graminea, Linn. Like the last ; leaves broadest above the base ; 

 pedicels widely spreading ; seeds wrinkled. Nat. from Eu. A yellow- 

 leaved variety is sometimes used in carpet bedding. 



*- 4- Petals shorter than calyx or 0; bracts leaf-like. 



S. boreilis, Bigel. Northerns. Stem 3'-10' high, forking repeatedly 

 and with flowers in the forks of the leafy branches ; leaves broadly lan- 

 ceolate or narrow-oblong. Wet grassy places N. 



B. CERASTIUM, MOUSE-EAR CHICKWEED. (Greek: horn; 

 referring to the pod of some species. Popular name from the shape 

 and soft hairiness of the leaves of the common species.) 



* Flowers inconspicuous, the deeply 2-cleft petals being shorter or little 

 longer than the calyx; flowering all summer, white. 



C. viscbsum, Linn. An insignificant soft-hairy weed ; stems erect, 

 4'"-9' high, slightly clammy ; leaves ovate or obovate, small ; pedicels in 

 fruit and petals shorter than the acute sepals. E. and S.; not common. 



C. yulgatum, Linn. Larger M. Stems spreading, 6'-1.5' long, clammy- 

 hairy ; leaves oblong ; pedicels becoming longer than the calyx ; petals as 

 long as the obtuse sepals. (2) 21 Common in grassy places. 



C. ntltans, Raf. Clammy-pubescent, erect, 6'-18' high, becoming 

 very loosely many-flowered and branched ; leaves oblong-lanceolate ; 

 petals longer than calyx ; pods thrice the length of the calyx, nodding on 

 the slender flower-stalk and curved upwards. In moist grounds. (D 



« « 



Flowers conspicuous, the snowy white petals 2 or 3 tiines the length of 

 the calyx; plants forming matted tufts. 2/ 



C. arv^nae, Linn. Field M. Downy but green ; leaves linear to 

 narrowly lanceolate ; flowering stems 4'-6' high, few-flowered ; petals 

 notched at the end ; pod scarcely longer than calyx. Dry fields, etc. 



The var. oblongif6lium is larger, with oblong leaves and pod twice as 

 long as calyx. — \'ar. vill6suin is densely villous. European forms are 

 sometimes grown for ornament. 



C. tomentdsum, Linn. Cottony M. Shoots spreading, crowded with 

 oblong or linear white-woolly leaves making dense silvery mats ; flower- 

 buds and pedicels densely woolly ; petals deeply 2-cleft. Cult, from Eu. 



