244 ORDER XX. — ILLECEBRACEJ5. 



Genus IV.— STIPULI'CIDA. Mich. 3—1. 

 (From siiptda, a stipule, and coedo, to cut, the stipule being divided.) 



Sejmls 5, united at the base, or separate. Petals 5, narrow, 

 oblong, cuneate. Stamens 3. Pistils 3, with short styles. 

 Ca}}sule 3-valved, many-seeded. 



1. S. SETA CEA, (Mich.) Stem erect, dichotomous, setaceous. Leaves 

 near the root opposite, spatulate, petiolute ; of the stem small, setaceous. 

 Stipules multitid. Flowers minute, in small terminal fascicles. — White 

 0. May. Middle Geo. Common. 6 — 10 inches. 



Genus V.— POLYCARTOK L. .3—3. 

 (Fom the Greek polus, many, and karpos, fruit or seed.) 



Sepals 5, distinct, ovate, acuminate, keeled, unequal. Petals 

 5, linear, emarginate, shorter than the sepals, persistent. Sta- 

 mens 3, longer than the corolla. Pistils 3, styles united, short. 

 Capsule 3-valved, 1 -celled, many-seeded. 



1. P. tetraphyl'lum, (L.) Steyn ascending, much branched, glabrous, 

 striate, knotted. Leaves opposite and by fours, obovate, obtuse, gla- 

 brous, entire, narrowed at the base ; several membranous stipules at each 

 joint. Flowers in corymbose panicles, dichotomous, with a flower in 

 each division. Petals much shorter than the sepals. — White. 0. May 

 — June. Charleston. Introduced. 3 — 6 inches. 



Genus VI.— SPER'GULA- Bart. 10—5. 

 (From spargo, to scatter.) 



Sepals 5, distinct. Petals 5, entire. Stamens 5 — 10, some- 

 times only 2, inserted with the petals. Pistils 3 — 5. Capsule 

 3 — 5-valved, many-seeded. Seeds compressed, orbicular, or 

 reniform. 



1. S. arven'sis, (L.) Stem erect, glabrous. Leaves verticillate, subu- 

 late-linear, numerous at each joint. Flowers in dichotomous panicles, 

 with a flower in each division. Petals longer than the sepals. Pistils 

 5. Seeds margined. — White. #. May — August. Common, 10 — 12 

 inches- 



2. S. decum'bens, (Ell.) Stem branching, decumbent. Leaves linear, 

 subulate-, glabrous, opposite, connected by a stipular membrane. Floio- 

 ers on solitary or axillary peduncles. Sepals persistent. Petals ob- 

 long, obtuse, persistent. Stainc?is 10, as long as the calyx. Stigmas 5, 

 nearly cessile. Seeds small. — White. %. March— April. Common. 

 1 — 4 inches, 



3. S. ru'bra, (T. & G.) {Arenaria rubra. A. Canadensis.) Stem 

 much branched, glabrous, procumbent and assurgent, succulent. Leaves 

 linear, subulate, fleshy, mucronatc. Stipules ovate, cleft, membranaceous. 

 Flowers axillary, solitary. Sepals lanceolate, with membranaceous mar- 

 gins. Petals lanceolate. Stamens variable, 2 — 10. Stigmas glandular. 

 —Pale rose-oolor. 0. April — May, Salt marshes, 3 — 6 inches. 



