PINK FAMILY. Caryophyllaccae. 



There are many kinds of Alsine, widely distributed, low 

 herbs, liking moist ground and shady places, with smalU 

 starry white flowers; with four or five sepals; four or five 

 petals, deeply two-lobed or none; three to ten stamens and 

 three to five styles; capsule roundish or oblong, rather 

 shorter than that of Cerastium, splitting to below the 

 middle, with twice as many valves as there are styles and 

 many seeds. Many of these plants are weeds. They are 

 often called Stitchwort. The Greek name means "grove," 

 the home of some kinds. 



An attractive little plant, with smooth 

 Tall Chickweed . . r . ' 



Alsine longipes. stems, from six to fifteen inches tall, and 



(Stellario) pretty little flowers, less than half an inch 



White across, growing singly, or in loose clusters,^ 



Summer ^^ w | 1 { te pc t a ls which are deeply two4 

 Northwest, Nev., . _ 



Utah etc lobed, so that they appear to be ten. The 



capsule is almost black when ripe. This 

 is common in moist and grassy places in Yosemite and I 

 when growing in the shade is taller and more slender than ; 

 in the open. It reaches an altitude of ten thousand feet 

 and is found in the East and in Asia. 



There are many kinds of Cerastium, abundant in the ! 

 temperate zone, resembling Alsine, but usually downy and ; 

 therefore called Mouse-ear Chickwecds. The flowers are 

 white, usually with five sepals, five petals notched at the 

 tips or with two lobes, ten or five stamens and five stigmas. 

 The cylindrical capsule, often curved, splits at the top 

 into ten teeth. 



On the ledges moistened by the mist and i 

 Field Chickweed 

 Cerastium arvense S P ra y that blow from the ^OSemite water- - 



White falls, among the glistening, wet grasses, , 



Spring, summer these pretty little white flowers are quite 

 u * s * conspicuous. They smell pleasantly of 



honey, measure about half an inch across, and iiave more 

 or less downy stems, from five to ten inches tall. This is 

 the prettiest Cerastium, though not so "mousy" as some, 

 and grows in dry as well as moist situations. 



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