RUBIACEAE QMADDER FAMILV) 747 



Subfamily II. CINCHONOfDEAE. Ovules numerous in each cell ; leaves 



opposite. 



8. Houstonia. Corolla salver-form or funnel-form, 4-lobed. Seeds rather few, thimble-shaped 



or saucer-shaped. Low herbs. 



9. Oldenlandia. Corolla wheel-shaped in our species, 4-lobed. Seeds very numerous and minute, 



angular. Low herbs. 



1. SHERARDIA [Dill.] L. Field Madder 



Calyx-lobes lanceolate, persistent. Corolla funnel-form, the limb 4-5-lobe(l. 

 Style filiform, 2-cleft ; stigmas capitate. Fruit dry, twin, of 2 indehiscent 

 1-seeded carpels. — A slender procumbent herb, with sc^uare stems, lanceolate 

 pungent leaves in whorls of 4-6, and small blue or pinkish flowers surrounded 

 by a gamophyllous involucre. (Named for Dr. William /Sherard, patron of 

 Dillenius.) 



1. S. ARVENSis L. The only species. — Waste places and fields, N. S. to Ont., 

 O., and N. J., local. (Nat. from Eu.) 



2. ASPERULA L. 



Similar to Galium, but with tubular or tubular-campanulate corolla. — An 

 Old World genus. (Name from asper, rough, in reference to some scabrous 

 species.) 



1. A. GALioiDES Bieb. Smooth and glaucous, 8-8 dm. high; leaves 5-10 in 

 a whorl, linear, subulate-tipped ; flowers white, short-pediceled in cynmles form- 

 ing a handsome panicle. — Fields, local, Ct. to Mich. (Adv. from Eu.) 



3. GAlIUM L. Bedstraw. Cleavers 



Calyx-teeth obsolete. Corolla wheel-shaped, valvate in the bud. Stamens 4, 

 rarely 3, short. Styles 2. Fruit dry or fleshy, globular, twin, separating when 

 ripe into the 2 seed-like indehiscent 1-seeded carpels. — Slender herbs, with 

 small cymose flowers (produced in summer), square stems, and whorlcd leaves, 

 the roots often containing a red coloring matter. (Name from ydXa, milk, which 

 some species are used to curdle.) 



a. Fruit dry b. 

 b. Annuals. 



Fruit bristly. 

 Flowers sessile or subsessile ; leaves 4-7 mm. long . . . 1. G. virgatum. 

 Flowers on long ascending axillary peduncles . . . . 2. G. Aparine. 

 Fruit smooth or merely granulate-roughened. 



Flowers 1-few on axillary peduncles ; fruit 3-4 mm. thick . 3. G. tricome. 

 Flowers tiny, in terminal small cymes ; fruit barely 1 mm. thick 4. G. parisienae. 

 b. Perennials c. 

 c. Flowers j^ellow. 



Panicle rather dense, its lower branches much exceeding the 



internodes 5. G. verum. 



Panicle loose, slender, interrupted, its lower branches shorter 



than the internodes 6. 6r. Wirtgenii. 



C. Flowers white, greenish-white, or purplish d. 

 d. Erect plants, neither the stems nor leaves retrorsely scabrous e. 

 e. Leaves mostly in 4's /. 

 /. Peduncles loosely 3-several-flowered ; flowers dull purple 

 to greenish-white g. 

 g. Fruit uncinate-hispid. 



Mature flowers and fruits on distinct pedicels. 



Leaves firm and dull, the whorls uniform ... 7. G.pilosum. 

 Leaves filmy and lucid ; the upper whorl largest . 8. G.lfamtscliaticum. 

 Flowers and fruits mostly sessile or subsessile along 

 the loosely divergent branches of the peduncles. 

 Leaves oval or oblong, obtuse; flowers commonly 



pubescent 9. 6'. circaezans. 



Leaves lance-acuminate ; flowers glabrous . . 10. G. lanceolatutn. 

 g. Fruit smooth. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate, 3-nerved 11. G.latifolinm.. 



Leaves linear or lanceolate, 1-nerved . . . . VI, G. arkansanum. 



