Arenaria, CARYOPHYLLACE^. 95 



closely sessile. Flowers mostly in a small terminal leafy cymule. Petals oval. Capsule 

 ovoid, coriaceous, opening at first by six teeth at the summit, finally splitting into 3 valves, 

 each 2-toothed at the tip. Seeds numerous, reniform, rough. 



A common plant in sandy fields, cultivated ground, and on dry hill-sides ; introduced from 

 Europe, but now found in all parts of the United States. Fl. April - July. 



§ 2. Alsine, Wahl. ; Fenzl. Valves of the capsule entire. 



2. Arenaria squarrosa, MicJix. (Plate XIV.) Squarrose Sand-wort. 



Densely casspitose ; upper part of the stems minutely glandular-pubescent ; leaves short, 

 subulate, rigid, channelled on the upper surface ; the lower ones densely squarrose-imbricate, 

 rather obtuse ; upper ones distant : petals about three times as long as the ovate very obtuse 

 sepals.— MicAo;./. l.p. 273; Torr.fl. l.p.454; DC.prodr. l.p.403; Ell.sk. l.p.520; 

 Torr. 4" Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 179. A. Caroliniana, Walt. fl. Car. p. 141 ? A. imbricata, 

 Raf. in Desv.jour. hoi. 1. p. 229 ? A. Rafinesquiana, Seringe in DC. prodr. 



Root perennial, perpendicular and very long. Stems numerous, forming dense tufts. 

 Flowering branches 5-8 inches long, erect or procumbent, simple, about 3-flowered. Leaves 

 3—4 lines long, with a prominent midrib underneath. Flowers about one-third of an inch in 

 diameter. Sepals herbaceous. Capsule roundish-ovoid, obtuse, longer than the calyx. 



Arid sandy fields, Suffolk county. Long Island. April - September. 



A common species in the pine barrens of New-Jersey. 



3. Arenaria stricta, Michx. Upright Sand-wort. 



Loosely cespitose, at length diffuse, smooth ; stems filiform, branching from the base 

 leaves subulate-setaceous, one-nerved, much fascicled in the axils ; petals oblong-obovate 

 twice the length of the rigid, ovate, very acute, 3-ribbed sepals. — Miclix. fl. \.p. 274 ; Ell 

 sk. l.p. 520 ; DC.prodr. l.p. 503 ; Torr.fl. l.p. 455 ; Bigel.fl. Bost.p. 180 ; Hook, fl 

 Bor.-Am. l.p. 99. t. 33 ; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. l.p. 179. Alsine Michauxii, Fenzl, I. c 



Perennial. Stems 6-10 inches, very numerous, cymosely divided at the summit, many 

 flowered. Leaves 5-8 lines long, very narrow, at first erect, at length spreading, and the 

 lower ones somewhat recurved. Sepals strongly 3-ribbed. Capsule ovoid, about the length 

 of the calyx. Seeds few, large, reniform, compressed, nearly black, rugosely scabrous. 



On rocks and in barren places, particularly on the banks of rivers and lakes ; northern and 

 western counties. May - July. 



4. Arenaria Grcenlandica, Spreng. (Plate XV.) Greenland Sand-wort. 



Densely caespitose, smooth ; stems low, decumbent at the base, 1 - 5-flowered ; leaves 

 narrowly linear, obtuse ; pedicels filiform, nearly erect ; petals obovate-cuneiform, entire or 



