56 ORDER 19. CARYOPHYLLACE^E. 



floNKENTA. Caps, splitting into 3 (5) valves. Disk large, 10-lobed No. H 



ALSINE. Capsule splitting into 3 entire valves. Disk inconspicuous . . (a) 



a Sepals 3 or 5-veined, acute, or acuminate Nos. 4, 5, 4 



a Sepals reinless, obtuse. b Leaves rigid, subulate, imbricated No. 7 



b Leaves soft, opposite, spreading Nos. 8, 9, 10 



1 A. serpyllifolla L. St. dichotomous, spreading; Ivs. ovate, acute, subciliate : 



pet. shorter than the acute sep. ; pod ovate. (D Sandy pi. 2 5'. Lvs. 2 3". Jn.-Aug. 



2 A. diirusa Ell. St. long, diffuse ; Ivs. lance-ovate, acute at both ends ; ped. 1-flwd. ; 



pet. ova), much shorter than the calyx, or 0. 2f Moist woods, S. 2 5f. Apr. June. 



3 A. laterlflora L. Upright, slightly pubescent; Ivs. oval, obtuse; ped. lateral, 2 to 



3-fhvd. ; seeds (strophiolate) appendaged at the hilum. i Damp shades, N. 6 10'. Jn. 



4 A. patula MX. Sts. divaricately branched, very slender ; Ivs. linear-filiform, obtuse; 



petals emarginate. (I) Cliffs, Va. and Ky. G 10'. June July. 



5 A. Pitclierl T. & G. Erect, fastigiately branched, almost glabrous; Ivs. linear, ob- 



tuse, flat ; pet. entire, twice as long as the 5-veined sepals. (I) Tenn. and W. 3 & 



6 A. stricta MX. Glabrous, diffuse; st. branched from the base ; Ivs. subulate-linear, 



rigid, so fascicled in the axils as to appear whorled ; cymes few-flowered, with spread- 

 ing branches. 11 Sterile grounds. 8 W. May, June. 



7 A. squarrosa MX. Caespitous ; stem few-flowered ; lower leaves squarrous-imbri- 



cate, crowded, upper ones few, all subulate, channelled, smooth ; petals obovate, 3 

 times longer than the sepals, u Barrens, L. I. to Ga. 6 1(X. April Aug. 



8 A. Crreenlandlca Spr. Caespitous ; sts. numerous, filiform ; Iva. linear, flat, spread- 



ing; ped. 1-flwd.. elongated, divaricate, li HighMts. N. 3'. Fls. 8", numerous. Jl.Aug. 



9 A. brevlfolia N. Erect (not tufted), few-leaved ; stems many, filiform ; Ivs. minute, 



few, remote, ovate-subulate ; sepals oblong. (T) Rocks, Ga. 2 4'. May. 



10 A. glabra MX. Csespitous, glabrous ; sts. filiform; Ivs. linear setaceous, spread- 

 ing; sep. oval, veinless. half as long as the petals. U Mts. S. 46'. Fls. 6". July. 



11 A. peploides L. Sts. creeping, with upright branches, tufted; Ivs. 'ovate, fleshy, 

 half-clasping; fls. small, the veinless sepals exceeding the petals, if Coast. If. May. 



9. MCENCHIA, Ehrh. (Dedicated to Mwnch, a German botanist.) Sep. 

 4, as long as the 4 entire petals and opposite to the 4 styles. Stam. 4. Caps, 

 ovoid, not exceeding the calyx, opening by 8 teeth, oo-seeded. @ Low, 

 smooth, glaucous. Flowers white. 



HI. quateriiella Ehrh. Dry places, Md. Stems simple, 2 3', with 1 or 2 flowers. 

 Leaves lance-linear, acute. Apr. May. Eur. (Sagina erecta L.) 



10. SAGINA, L. PEARLWORT. (Lat. sagina, food or nourishment ; 

 badly applied to these minute plants.) Sep. 4 or 5. Pet. 4 or 5, entire, 

 often 0. Stam. as many or twice as many as the sepals. Styles 4 or 5, al- 

 ternate with the sepals, but the valves of the pod are opposite. Diminutive 

 herbs with linear leaves and small white flowers. 



* Petals 0, or 4, and much shorter than the 4 sepals. Stam. 4 Nos. 1, 2 



* Petals 5. equalling or much exceeding the 5 sepals. Stam. 10 Nos. 3. 4 



1 S. procitmfoens L. Procumbent, glabrous ; pet. about half as long as the roundish, 



obtuse sepals, sometimes ; Ivs. linear-filiform, n Damp, N. 3 4'. June. 



2 S. apetala L. Erect, puberulcnt; pet. very minute, or none; sep. oblong, acute; 



Ivs. linear-subulate. Sandy, N. Y., N. J. and W. Stems filiform, 24'. May, Jn. 



3 S. subulata Wimmer. Smooth or puberulent, tufted ; Ivs. filiform-linear, mucro- 



nate. shorter than the erect ped. ; pet. 5, as long as the ovate, obtuse sep., rarely 0. (g 

 Sandy, S. 2 6'. Lvs. W. March, April. (S. Elliottii Fenzl.) 



4 S. iiodosa Fenzl. Tufted, ascending, glabrous ; Ivs. subulate, the upper very short 



and fascicled ; pet. much longer than the sepals, v Sandy shores, N. 



