VOL. II.] 



PINK FAMILY. 



29 



i. Moenchia erecta (L,.) Gaertn. Upright Pearlwort. (Fig. 1493.) 



Sagina erecta L. Sp. PI. 128. 1753. 



Moenchia erecta Gaertn. Fl. Wett. i: 219. 1799. 



Cerastium quaternellum Fenzl, Verbr. Alsin. tabel. p. 18. 1833. 



Glabrous and glaucous, tufted, erect or ascending, 2 / -6 / 

 high. Basal leaves spatulate and narrowed into a short 

 petiole; stem-leaves sessile, linear or linear-lanceolate, 4 // -8 // 

 long, about i x/ wide; flowers few or solitary, erect, 2 // -4 // 

 broad, on slender erect pedicels; sepals 4, lanceolate, acute, 

 2 //_y/ long, scarious-margined; petals 4, slightly shorter than 

 the sepals, entire; stamens 4, rarely 8; styles 4; capsule ovoid, 

 dehiscent by 8 short apical teeth. 



In waste grounds, near Philadelphia (Drummond) and Balti- 

 more. Fugitive or adventive from Europe. Not recently col- 

 lected. May-July. 



14. SAGINA L. Sp. PL 128. 1753. 



Tufted matted low annual or perennial herbs, with subulate leaves, and small pedi- 

 celled whitish flowers. Sepals 4 or 5. Petals of the same number, entire, emarginate or 

 none. Stamens of the same number, or fewer, or twice as many. Ovary i-celled, mauy- 

 ovuled. Styles as many as the sepals and alternate with them. Capsule 4-5-valved, at 

 length dehiscent to the base, the valves opposite the sepals. [Ancient name of the spurry.] 



About 10 species, natives of the northern hemisphere. 

 Parts of the flower in 4's (or some flowers in 5's). 



Plant depressed-spreading; petals present. i. S. procumbens. 



Plant erect; petals very minute or none. 2. 5. apetala. 



Parts of the flower in s's. 



Leaves opposite, not fascicled. 



Petals equalling or shorter than the sepals. 3. 5. decumbens. 



Petals and pods longer than the sepals. 4. S. saginoides. 



Leaves fascicled in the axils; petals exceeding the sepals. 5. S 1 . nodosa. 



i. Sagina procumbens L,. Procumbent Pearl- 

 wort. (Fig. 1494.) 



Sagina procumbens L. Sp. PI. 128. 1753. 



Annual or perennial, branching, decumbent, depressed or 

 spreading, glabrous or minutely downy, matted, i'-3' high. 

 Leaves linear, subulate, i // -3 // long, connate at the base; 

 flowers about \" broad, numerous; peduncles capillary, 

 longer than the leaves, often recurved at the end after flower- 

 ing; sepals 4, sometimes 5, ovate-oblong, obtusish, generally 

 longer than the petals, which are occasionally wanting; 

 capsule about equalling the calyx; stamens 4, rarely 5. 



In moist places, Newfoundland and Greenland to New Jersey 

 and Pennsylvania. Also in northern Michigan. Native of Eu- 

 rope and Asia. Our plant is probably in part naturalized from 

 Europe, as it is in Mexico and in South America. May-Sept. 



2. Sagina apetala Ard. Small-flowered Pearlwort. 

 (Fig. 1495.) 



Sagina apetala Ard. Animad. Bot. Spec. 2: pi. 5. 1764. 



Erect or ascending, annual, glabrous, filiform, i'-4' high. 

 Leaves linear-subulate, glabrous or sparingly ciliate, i // -4 // long; 

 flowers i x/ broad or less; peduncles elongated, capillary, erect; 

 sepals 4, ovate or oval, obtuse; petals none, or 4 and very min- 

 ute; pod ovoid, nearly twice the length of the calyx. 



In dry soil in woods and fields, Massachusetts to New Jersey and 

 Pennsylvania; rare. Apparently introduced. Native of Europe. 

 Regarded by Bentham as a mere form of the preceding species. June . 



