ALSINACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



Petals shorter than the calyx ; lower leaves petioled. 4- A. media. 



Petals longer than the calyx, or as long ; lower leaves rarely petioled. 

 Petals longer than the blunt sepals. 

 Petals as long as the acute or acuminate sepals. 

 Leaves narrow, linear, oblong, oblanceolate or spatulate. 

 Flowers y"io" broad. 



Leaves lanceolate, ciliate. 

 Leaves linear, glabrous. 

 Flowers only 2" -6" broad. 



Bracts of the cyme small, scarious. 



Pedicels widely spreading ; cyme diffuse. 



Leaves linear, acute at each end ; seeds smooth. 

 Leaves lanceolate, broadest below ; seeds rough. 

 Pedicels erect ; flowers few or solitary. 

 Bracts of the cyme foliaceous, resembling the upper leaves. 



Capsule i l /2-2 times as long as the calyx; leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate. 

 Seeds rough; petals equalling or longer than the calyx. 12. A. crassifolia. 



Seeds smooth; petals much shorter than the calyx or none. 13. A.borealis. 

 Capsule not longer than the calyx ; leaves linear or linear-spatulate ; petals none. 



14. A. fontinalis. 



5. A. pubera. 



6. A. tennesscensis. 



A. Holostea. 

 A. glauca. 



9. A. longifolia. 



10. A, graminea. 



11. A. longipes. 



i. Alsine aquatica (L.) Britton. Water Mouse-ear Chickweed. Fig. 1749. 



Cerastium aqiiaticuin L. Sp. PI. 439. 1753. 



Stellaria aquatica Scop. Fl. Carn. Ed. 2, i : 319. 1772. 



Alsine aquatica Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5 : 356. 1894. 



Perennial, stem angled, mostly glandular-pubescent 

 above, nearly glabrous below, ascending or decum- 

 bent, branched, i-2$ long. Leaves ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acute at the apex, the upper sessile and 

 subcordate, the lower petioled, rounded at the base, i'- 

 2' long; flowers about \' broad, solitary in the forks 

 of the stem and in terminal cymes ; pedicels slender, 

 glandular, deflexed and much longer than the calyx in 

 fruit; calyx campanulate; sepals ovate, acute, about 

 one-half as long as the 2-cleft petals; stamens 10; 

 styles 5, alternate with the sepals, rarely 6; capsule 

 ovoid-oblong, slightly longer than the calyx; seeds 

 rough. 



In wet and waste places, Quebec and Ontario to Pennsyl- 

 vania. Also in British Columbia. Adventive from Europe. Water-chickweed. May-Aug. 



2. Alsine humifusa (Rottb.) Britton. Low 

 Chickweed. Fig. 1750. 



Stellaria humifusa Rottb. Skrift. Vid. Selsk. 10 : 447. 

 1770. 



Arenaria thymifolia Pursfi, Fl. Am. Sept. 317. 1814. 

 Alsine humifusa Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5 : 150. 1894. 



Glabrous, stems branching, spreading and ascend- 

 ing, i '-3' long, purplish. Leaves ovate or oblong, 

 fleshy, 2"-3" long, acutish or obtuse, sessile; bracts 

 foliaceous; flowers few or solitary, terminal or 

 axillary, 3"-s" broad; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute 

 or acutish, 2" long;' petals 2-parted, equalling or 

 somewhat exceeding the calyx; capsule ovoid, as 

 long as the sepals ; seeds smooth, brown. 



In moist or wet places. Greenland and Labrador to 

 New Brunswick and Maine, west to Alaska and Oregon. 

 Also in northern Europe and Asia. Summer. 



