42 



ALSINACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



A. pubera. 



A. tennesseensis. 



Petals shorter than the calyx ; lower leaves petioled. 4. A. media. 



Petals longer than the calyx, or as long ; lower leaves rarely petioled. 

 Petals longer than the blunt sepals. 

 Petals as long as the acute or acuminate sepals. 

 Leaves narrow, linear, oblong, oblanceolate or spatulate. 

 Flowers 7"-io" broad. 



Leaves lanceolate, ciliate. 

 Leaves linear, glabrous. 

 Flowers only 2"-6" broad. 



Bracts of the cyme small, scarious. 



Pedicels widely spreading ; cyme diffuse. 



Leaves linear, acute at each end ; seeds smooth. g. 



Leaves lanceolate, broadest below ; seeds rough. 10, 



Pedicels erect; flowers few or solitary. 11. 



Bracts of the cyme foliaceous, resembling the upper leaves. 



Capsule i}^-2 times as long as the calyx; leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate. 

 Seeds rough ; petals equalling or longer than the calyx. 12. A.crassifolia, 



Seeds smooth; petals much shorter than the calyx or none. 13. A,borealis. 

 Capsule not longer than the calyx ; leaves linear or linear-spatulate ; petals none. 



14. A, fontinaiis. 



A. Holostea. 

 A, glauca. 



A. longifolia, 

 A> graminea. 

 A. longipes. 



I. Alsine aquatica (L.) Britton. Water Mouse-ear Chickweed. Fig. 1749. 



Cerastiiim agitaticiun L. Sp. PI. 439. 1753. 



Stellaria aquatica Scop. Fl. Carn. Ed. 2, i : 319. 1772. 



Alsiiie aquatica Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5 : 356. 1894. 



Perennial, stem angled, mostly glandular-pubescent 

 above, nearly glabrous below, ascending or decum- 

 bent, branched, i°-22° long. Leaves ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acute at the apex, the upper sessile and 

 subcordate, the lower petioled, rounded at the base, i'- 

 2' long; flowers about I' broad, solitary in the forks 

 of the stem and in terminal cymes ; pedicels slender, 

 glandular, deflexed and much longer than the calyx in 

 fruit ; calyx campanulate ; sepals ovate, acute, about 

 one-half as long as the 2-cleft petals; stamens 10; 

 styles 5, alternate with the sepals, rarely 6; capsule 

 ovoid-oblong, slightly longer than the calyx ; seeds 

 rough. 



In wet and waste places, Quebec and Ontario to Pennsyl- 

 vania. Also in British Columbia. Adventive from Europe. Water-chickweed. May-Aug. 



2. Alsine humifusa ( Rottb. ) Britton. Low 

 Chickweed. Fig. 1750. 



Stellaria humifusa Rottb. Skrift. Vid. Selsk. lo : 447. 

 1770. 



Arenaria thymifolia Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 317. 1814. 



Alsine humifusa Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5 : 150. 1894. 



Glabrous, stems branching, spreading and ascend- 

 ing, i'-3' long, purplish. Leaves ovate or oblong, 

 fleshy, 2"-3" long, acutish or obtuse, sessile; bracts 

 foliaceous; flowers few or solitary, terminal or 

 axillary, 3"-5" broad; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute 

 or acutish, 2" long; petals 2-parted, equalling or 

 somewhat exceeding the calyx ; capsule ovoid, as 

 long as the sepals ; seeds smooth, brown. 



In moist or wet places, Greenland and Labrador to 

 New Brunswick and Maine, west to Alaska and Oregon. 

 Also in northern Europe and Asia. Summer. 



