PINK FAMILY 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected fields. 



THE PLANT: erect or partially so, six to eighteen inches 

 high, branching near the base, without hairs or with 

 scattered, short, soft hairs. 



THE LEAVES: numerous; whorled; narrowly linear; without 

 hairs or with scattered, short, soft hairs on both surfaces; 

 acute at the apex; entire. 



THE FLOWERS: very small, numerous, in loose cymes, 

 turning brown early. 



THE FRUIT: a capsule. 



A bright green weed of many stems (for it branches 

 profusely near the ground) with numerous fine leaves and 

 plenty of minute white flowers. In spite of its multi- 

 tudinous parts, the weed is insignificant looking, but it 

 may do much harm in a field for being so prolific, it easily 

 smothers the young growth of carrots or turnips, clover 

 or grasses. 



CARYOPHYLLACE^E PINK FAMILY 



Arenaria peploides, L. 



White Sea Chickweed, Sea-purslane, 



Sea Pimpernel, Sea-beach Sandwort. 

 June-August 



Arenaria: derived from Latin for sand, in allusion to the 



habitat. 

 Peploides: from Latin, in allusion to the arrangement of 



the leaves, like a peplos. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand. 



THE PLANT: low, three inches to ten inches high, simple 

 or branched or tufted at the base; the stems stiff, light 

 green, fleshy, hairless. 



85 



