52 



ALSINACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



4. Sagina nodosa (L.) Fenzl. Knotted Pearlwort or 

 Spurry. Fig. 1776. 



Spergula nodosa L. Sp. PI. 440. 1753. 

 Sagina nodosa Fenzl, Verbr. Alsin. 18. 1833. 



Perennial, tufted, erect or decumbent, 2'-6' high, stems 

 sparingly branched, slender, glabrous, or slightly glandular- 

 pubescent above. Lower leaves linear, teretish, 4' -8" long, 

 mucronulate, the upper shorter and with clusters of minute 

 ones in their axils; flowers few, about 3" broad, terminating 

 the stem and branches ; sepals, petals and styles 5 ; stamens 

 10; peduncles 3"-8" long; sepals obtuse, 1" long; petals obo- 

 vate, longer than the calyx, as is also the ovoid pod. 



In wet places, Massachusetts to Greenland ; Lake Superior, Lake 

 Winnipeg and Arctic Sea. Northern Europe and Asia. Summer. 



ARENARIA L. Sp. PI. 423. 1753. 



Annual or perennial, mainly tufted herbs, with sessile leaves, and terminal cymose or 

 capitate, rarely axillary and solitary, white flowers. Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire or scarcely 

 emarginate, rarely none. Stamens 10. Styles generally 3 (rarely 2-5). Ovary i-celled, 

 many-ovuled. Capsule globose or oblong, dehiscent at the apex by as many valves or teeth 

 as there are styles, or twice as many. Seeds reniform-globose or compressed. [Latin, sand, 

 in allusion to the habitat of many species.] 



About 150 species, of wide geographic distribution. Type species: Arenaria serpyllifolia L. 

 Valves of the capsule 2-cleft or 2-toothed, sometimes appearing as if double the number of the styles. 

 Leaves ovate or oblong. 



Sepals acuminate ; annual herbs of waste places. 

 Capsule flask-shaped, firm. 

 Capsule nearly cylindric, papery. 

 Sepals obtuse or scarcely acute ; perennial ; arctic. 

 Leaves subulate or setaceous. 



Cymes very dense; stems i'-4' tall. 

 Cymes loose ; stems 4'~i5' tall. 

 Valves of the capsule entire (Genus Alsine Wahl., Alsinopsis Small). 

 Leaves rigid, subulate or setaceous. 



Arctic or alpine, densely tufted, I'-j' high. 

 Flowers 5"-8" broad. 

 Flowers 2"-4" broad. 

 Sepals acuminate. 

 Sepals obtuse. 

 Neither arctic nor alpine, tufted but diffuse, 4"-: 6" high. 

 Leaves densely imljricated ; pine barren species. 

 Leaves fascicled in the axils. 



Sepals ovate or ovate-lanceolate. 2" long ; plant bright green. 

 Petals longer and capsule shorter than the sepals. 

 Petals shorter and capsule longer than the sepals. 

 Sepals narrowly lanceolate, long-acuminate, 2j4" long; plant pale. 

 Leaves soft, herbaceous ; narrowly linear or filiform. 

 Sepals prominently ribl:)ed ; southern. 

 Sepals not ribbed ; alpine and northern. 



I. Arenaria serpyllifolia L, Thyme-leaved 

 Sandwort. Fig. 1777. 



Arenaria serpyllifolia L. Sp. PI. 423. 1753. 



Annual, slender, slightly downy-pubescent, 

 widely branched and diffuse, 2'-8' high. Leaves 

 ovate, 2"-4" long, ii"-2" wide, acute; pedi- 

 cels slender, 2"-6" long; bracts ovate, resem- 

 bling the leaves; flowers 2" broad or less, very 

 numerous in cymose panicles; sepals ovate, i\" 

 long, acute or mucronate, 3-5-nerved, scarious- 

 margined; petals obovate or oblong, usually 

 shorter ; capsule ovoid, slightly shorter than or 

 equalling the calyx, dehiscent by 6 short apical 

 valves; seeds rough. 



In dry or rocky places, nearly throughout east- 

 ern North America, extending across the continent. 

 Naturalized from Europe. Native also of northern 

 Asia, and widely distributed as a weed. May-Aug. 



