402 FLORA. 



the lower matted, 6-12 mm. long ; cyme terminal, several -flowered ; pedicels 

 filiform; flowers 8-12 mm. broad; sepals oblong, obtuse, nerveless, half the length 

 of the petals and shorter than the oblong pod ; petals rarely wanting; seeds com- 

 pressed, smooth. On dry rocks, Lab. and Greenland to N. N. Y., Conn., the 

 mountains of S. N. Y. and Penn., and on the higher Alleghanies of Va. and N. 

 Car. June-Sept. 



16. MOEHRINGIA L. 



Low herbs, our species perennials, with oblong ovate-lanceolate or linear soft 

 leaves, sessile or very short-petioled, and small white flowers solitary or in cymes. 

 Sepals and petals 4 or 5. Stamens 8 or 10. Capsule oblong or ellipsoid, few- 

 seeded. Seeds mostly smooth and shining, appendaged at the hilum by a mem- 

 branous broad strophiole. [In honor of P. H. G. Moehring, naturalist of Danzig.] 

 About 20 species, natives of the northern hemisphere. Only the following are 

 known to occur in N. Am. 



Leaves oblong or oval, usually obtuse ; sepals obtuse or acute, much shorter than the 



petals. i. M. latertflora. 



Leaves lanceolate, usually acute ; sepals acuminate, longer than the petals. 



2. M. macrophylla. 



1. Moehringia lateriflora (L.) Fenzl. BLUNT-LEAVED MOEHRINGIA OR 

 SANDWORT. (I. F. f. 1510.) Stems finely pubescent, 1-3 dm. high. Leaves 

 thin, oval or oblong, 1-5 cm. long, obtuse, the margins and nerves ciliate ; cymes 

 few-flowered or flowers sometimes solitary ; flowers 6-8 mm. broad ; sepals half 

 as long as the petals ; ovary at first 3-celled ; capsule ovoid, nearly twice as long 

 as the calyx, dehiscent by three 2-cleft valves. In moist places and on shores, S. N. 

 Y. and N. J. to Mo., N. S. and Alaska, extending in the Rocky Mts. to Utah. 

 Also in Ore., Br. Col., Europe and Asia. May-July. [Arenaria lateriflora L.] 



2. Moehringia macrophylla (Hook. ) Torr. LARGE-LEAVED MOEHRINGIA OR 

 SANDWORT. (I. F. f. 15.11.) Stems decumbent, puberulent, 1.5-4 dm. long. Leaves 

 lanceolate, acute or acuminate (rarely obtusish) at the apex, narrowed at the base, 

 2-8 cm. long, 4-10 mm. wide ; cymes i-5-flowered ; flowers about 6 mm. broad ; 

 sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, longer than the small petals; 

 capsule rather shorter than the calyx, 3-valved, the valves 2-cleft. Isle St. Ignace, 

 Lake Superior, to Br. Col., south to Cal. May-Aug. 



17. AMMODENIA J. G. Gmel. 



Perennial fleshy maritime herbs, with ovate, obovate, oblong, or oblanceolate 

 leaves, and rather small flowers, solitary in the axils and in the forks of the stem or 

 branches. Sepals 5 (rarely 4). Petals the same number, entire. Stamens 8 or 10. 

 Disk prominent, 8-io-lobed, glandular. Styles 3-5. Capsule subglobose, fleshy, 

 3_5_valved when mature, the valves entire. Seeds numerous, obovate, not 

 strophiolate. [Greek, referring to the growth of these plants in sand.] Two 

 species, of sea beaches in the north temperate zone. 



i. Ammodeniapeploides(L.)Rupr. SEA-BEACH SANDWORT. (I. F. f. 1512.) 

 Perennial by long rootstocks, glabrous ; stems stout, tufted, 0.7-2.5 dm. long. 

 Leaves sessile, clasping, ovate or oval, acute or mucronate, 1-2 cm. long ; flowers 

 6-8 mm. broad ; peduncles stout ; ovary 3-celled (rarely 4-5 -celled) ; sepals ovate, 

 obtusish, about equalling the petals, shorter than the pod ;^ seeds smooth, short- 

 beaked at the hilum. On sands of the seashore, Va. to arctic America. Also on 

 the shores of Europe and Asia. June-July. \Arenaria peploidts L.] 



18. SPERGULA L. 



Annual branched herbs, with subulate stipulate leaves, much fascicled in the 

 axils, and terminal cymes of white flowers. Sepals and petals 5. Stamens 10 or 

 5. Styles 5, alternate with the sepals. Capsule 5-valved, the valves opposite the 

 sepals. Seeds compressed, acute-margined or winged. [Latin, from spergo, to 

 scatter.] Two or three species, natives of the Old World. 



i. Spergula arvensis L. SPURRY. CORN SPURRY. (I. F. f. 1513.) Slender, 

 glabrous or sparingly pubescent, 1-5-4-5 dm. high. Leaves narrowly linear or 

 subulate, 2-5 cm. long, clustered at the nodes in two opposite sets. of 6-8 together, 

 appearing verticillate ; stipules small ? connate ; flowers 4-6 mm. broad ? numerous 



