ORDER XXI. — CARYOPIIYLLACE^. 245 



Order XXL— CARYOPllYLLA'CE^. J uss. 



Sepals 4 — 5, distinct or united at the base into a tube, per- 

 sistent. Petals 4 — 5, sometimes wanting, hypofrvnous, unguic- 

 ulate, inserted on the pedicel of the ovary, or destitute of claws, 

 and inserted on a nearly perigyn(jus disk. Stamens generally 

 twice as many as the petals, and inserted with them. Fila- 

 iiients sometimes cohering. Ovary stipitate. Pistils 2 — 5, 

 with the stigmatic surface extending the whole length. Cgt^j- 

 sule 2 — 5-vaIved, 1-celled, rarely 2 — 5-celled, dehiscence locu- 

 licidal, or by the apex, by the capsule splitting into twice as 

 many teeth as stigmas, with a central placenta. Seeds campy- 

 lotropous. Herbs, with tumid nodes. Leaves opposite, or in 

 whorls. 



ANALYSIS. 



1. Cal3'x tubular 2 



Calyx not tubular 3 



2. Styles 2 Snponaria, 8 



Styles 3 Sil^ip, 6 



Styles 5 Lyclinis, 7 



8. Capsule 3-celled Mollugo, 1 



Capsule l-celled 4 



4. Petals 2-parted Stellaria, 4 



Petals entire 5 



5. Capsules opening by 10 teeth Cerastium, 5 



Capsules opening by 3 — 5 valves 6 



6. Pistils 3 Aranaria, 3 



Pistils 4 or 5 Sagina, 2 



Genus L— MOLLU'GO. L. 3—3. 

 (The Eonian name of this or some similar plant.) 



Sepals 5, united at the base. Petals 5, minute, or more frc' 

 quently none. Stamens 3 — 5, opposite the sepals. Styles 3. 

 Capsule 8-valved, 3-celled, many-seeded. 



1. M, verticilla'ta, (L.) Stem prostrate, branching, glabrous. Lravea 

 Bpatulate — those toward the summit lanceolate, generally verticillate, 

 with 6 in a whorl. Flowers axillary in sessile umbels. Sepals expand- 

 ing, 3-nerved, with membranaceous margins. Stamens usually 3. Styles 

 3. Stigtnas plumose. — April — Sept. Common. 



Genus II.— SAGI'XA. Bart. 4—4. 

 (From sagiria, fatness, in allusion to its fattening sheop.) 



Sepals 3 — 5, united at the b;ise. Petals 4 — 5, or none. 

 Stamens 4: — 10. Styles A — 5. Capsuled — 5-valved, 1-celled, 

 many-seeded. 



1. S. Procum'bens, (L) Stem procumbent, glabrous. Leaves linear, 

 clustered at tlje extremity of tlie branches, rloicers on solitary, axil- 

 lary peduncles. Petals about half the length of the sepals, or none. — 

 Barren fields. South Carolina. 2 — 4 inches. 



