34 CARYOPHYLLACE^. 



ly incomplete ring around the outside of the farinaceous 

 albumen. 



Herbs usually caespitose and with subulate or setaceous 

 leaves, destitute of stipules. Flowers solitary or cymose, 

 white, rarely rose-color. 



Etymolooy. The name is derived from SXaos, a grove, in allusion to the 

 situations many species affect. 



Geographical Distribution. A genus of many species, all natives of 

 the temperate and frigid regions of the northern hemisphere. 



Note. Als/ne was a general name applied by Tournefort and his prede- 

 cessors to all the Chickweeds. Linnaeus restricted the name to A. media 

 and A. segetalis, one of which is a Stellaria, the other a Linnaean Arenaria 

 of the stipulate section, that is, a Spergularia. Wahlenberg reestablished 

 the genus on its substantial character, viz. the capsule dehiscent into three 

 separate and entire valves ; and the acute Fenzl has adopted and confirmed 

 it, after excluding, of course, the stipulate species (Spergularia) and A. 

 peploides (Honkenya). Into this genus fall all the Arenarias of the Flora 

 of North America that are truly indigenous within the geographical limits to 

 which this work extends, excepting A. lateriflora, which is a Moehringia ; — 

 leaving no representative with us of Arenaria proper (the pod of which opens 

 at the apex by twice as many teeth as there are styles) besides the natural- 

 ized Arenaria serpyllifolia. To Alsine also belong some of our species 

 which, on account of their obcordate petals, have been referred to Stellaria, 

 viz. A. Nuttallii (Stell. Nuttallii, Torr. 4" Gr., Alsine Drummondii, Fenzl, 

 ined.), A. macropetala (Stell. macropetala, Torr df Gr.), and A. Walteri 

 (Stellaria uniflora, Walt.). 



PLATE in. Alsine squarrosa, Fenzl (Arenaria, Michx.) ; — from the 

 Pine barrens of New Jersey. 



1. Diagram of the flower in a transverse section of the bud. 



2. An expanded flower, magnified. 



3. External view of a stamen, more magnified. 



4. Internal view of the same. 



5. Magnified vertical section of the pistil, placenta, receptacle, &c. 



6. An ovule detached and more highly magnified. 



7. Dehiscent capsule, in the calyx, enlarged. 



8. A seed, more magnified. 



9. Vertical section of the same, tlirough the embryo and albumen. 



