78 riNK FAMILY. 



7. STELLARIA, C'llICKWEED STARWOUT. (Latin: Stella, a 

 star.) Flowers spring and summer. (Lessons, Figs. -345, 4.31, 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. (i) In all damp cult, grounds. 



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

 longer tlian tiie calyx, 2-cleft. 2/ Shaded rocks, Penn., S., and VV. 



» * Whully (jlabrous ; stems erect or spreading ; leaves narrou:, sessile. % 



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



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

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

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

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

 in damp grassy jjjaces N. 



S. Idngipes, (ioldie. Very smooth; leaves ascending, lanceolate, or 

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

 seeds smooth. Eare 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. 



f- ^- Petals shorter than calyx or 0; bracts leaf-like. 



S. bore^lis, Bigel. Nortuern S. 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. 



8. 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 Utile 



longer than the calyx; flowering all summer, white. 



C. yiscdsum, 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, (i) E. and S.; not common. 



C. y u /g dtu m, h'mn. Larger M. Stems spreading, 6'-15' long, clammy- 

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

 long as tlie obtuse sepals. (2) 2/ Common in grassy places. 



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

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

 ])ii;ils Immir than calyx ; pods thrice the length of the calyx, nodding on 

 till' shinier flower-stalk and curved upwards. In moist grounds, (i) 



* * Floicers conspicuous, the snowy tchite petals 2 or 3 times the length of 



the calyx; plants forming matted tufts. 11 



C. arv^nse, 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. oblongif61iam is larger, with oblong leaves and pod twice as 

 long as calyx. — \ar. vill6sum is densely villous. European forms are 

 sometimes grown inr uniiimeut. 



C. iomentbsum. Linn. Cotto.vy 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. 



