SteUaria. CARYOPHYLLACE^E. g-j- 



From the Atlantic States to 'Washington Territory, Utah, and Northern Mexico ; collected by 

 Anderson in the mountains above Carson City, Nevada. 



2. C. arvense, Linn. Perennial, downy with reflexed hairs, cespitose ; stems 

 erect, 3 to 12 inches high: leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 4 to 12 lines long, acute, 

 clasping : cyme few-flowered, usually narrow ; pedicels mostly long, erect or nod- 

 ding : calyx li to 3 lines long, the petals nearly twice longer : capsule little ex- 

 ceeding the calyx, nearly straight. 



Northern States and westward in the mountains to Colorado and Washington Territory : also 

 European and Asiatic. Found but sparingly in California, at the Russian Colony, and by 

 Bolandcr in Mendocino County at Novo, in sandy fields among shrubs, and on the East Fork of 

 Eel River. The latter specimens might be referred to C. oblongi/olium, Torrey, which seems to 

 be but a form of C. arvense with the capsule a half longer than the calyx. 



3. C. pilosum, Ledeb. Perennial, erect, rather stout, more or less densely 

 pilose, glandular-pubescent above : leaves oblong-lanceolate. I to an inch long, 1 to 

 6 lines broad, acute, almost sheathing at base : flowers large, few : calyx 3 to 4 lines 

 long, the petals half longer: capsule 6 to 10 lines long, the slender teeth at length 

 circinate. — Icon. Eoss. t. 351. C. slellarioides, Mocino, Icon. Ined. t. 54.; Torr. & 

 Gray, Fl. i. 187. 



Alaska and Siberia ; Punta de los Reyes (Bigdoic), referred to ft oblongi/olium in Pacif. R. 

 Rep. iv. 70. 



3. STELLARIA, Linn. Chickweed. 



Sepals 5, rarely 4. Petals as many, 2-cleft, rarely none. Stamens 10, or fewer 



by abortion. .Styles 3, or rarely 2, 4, or 5, opposite to as many sepals. Capsule 



globose to oblong, many-seeded, dehiscent to below the middle into twice as many 



valves as styles. Seeds reniform-globose or laterally compressed. — Low herbs, 



mostly diffuse ; leaves rarely subulate ; flowers white, solitary or cymose, terminal 



or becoming lateral ; stems mostly 4-angled. 



Including "0 species or more, widely distributed, especially in tl i > ■ temperate and colder regions ; 

 aliout 20 North American. 



* Leaves ovale, petioled : stems marked by a pubescent I'm, : petals shorter than the 

 calyx : annual < r nearly so, introduced. 



1. S. media, Linn. Weak and spreading, rooting at tin- lower joints : leavi - 3 

 to 9 lines long, on hairy petioles, "i- the uppermost sessile : (lowers on slender pedi- 

 cels, deflexed in fruit, with foliaceous bracts: calyx pubescent: stamens 3 to 10 : 



capsule (iblniig-uvate, 2 to 3 lines long, equalling or exceeding t he calyx. 

 A common introduced weed, in shady places, native of Europe. 



* * Leaves linear lo lanceolate, sessili : perennials, excepting the first, 



+■ Bracts small and scqrious ; petals small or wanting, or often exceeding tin calyx in 



the last. 



2. S. nitens, Nutt. Annual, slender : stems 3 to C inches high, ereel or spread- 

 ing, smooth and shining, often slightly hairy at base : leaves lanceolate, 3 to 6 lines 

 hmg, acute, the lower shortly petiolate: Bowers erect, on Bborl pedicels: sepals 

 3-nerved, narrow, acuminate, shining, two lines long, twice longer than the deeply 

 lobed petals, which are sometimes wanting: capsule oblong, shorter than the calyx, 

 rather few-seeded. — Torr. A- Gray, Fl. i. 185 ; Torr. in Pacif. K. Rep. iv. 69. 



Valleys and foot-hills from Los Angeles northward to the British boundary : Guadalupe Island, 

 Palmer. 



3. S. umbellata, Tmvz. Glabrous: stems very slender, ascending, from slen- 

 der creeping rootstocks, which are covered with orbicular scale like colorless bracts : 

 leaves spreading, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, acute at each end, I to 8 lines ■ 



