78 PINK FAMILY. 



7. STELLARIA, CHICKWEED STARWORT. (Latin: Stella, a 

 star.) Flowers spring and summer. (Lessons, Figs. 345, 4*31, 432.) 



* Stems weak and spreading, marked with pubescent lines ; leaves broad. 



S. media, Smith. Common Chickweed. Leaves ovate or oblong, the 

 lower on hairy petioles ; petals shorter than the calyx, 2-parted ; stamens 

 3-10. (J) In all damp cult, grounds. 



S. pubera, Michx. Great C. Leaves oblong or oval, sessile ; petals 

 longer than the calyx, 2-cleft. 2/ Shaded rocks, Penn., S., and W. 



» * Wholly glabrous ; stems erect or spreading ; leaves narrow, sessile. 21 



+- Petals 2-parted, equaling or surpassing calyx; bracts scale-like. 



S. longifdlia, Muhl. Long-leaved S. or Stitchwokt. Stem weak 

 with rough angles, 8'-18' high ; leaves linear, widely spreading, acutish at 

 both ends ; flowers numerous on slender, spreading pedicels, in a very loose 

 cyme ; petals 2-parted, longer than the calyx ; seeds smooth. Common 

 in damp grassy places N. 



S. longipes, Goldie. Very smooth ; leaves ascending, lanceolate, or 

 linear-lanceolate, broadest at base ; flowers on long, strictly erect pedicels ; 

 seeds smooth. Rare in N. U. S. ; commoner in Canada. 



S. graminea, Linn. Like the last ; leaves broadest above the base ; 

 pedicels widely spreading ; seeds wrinkled. _ Nat. from Eu. A yellow- 

 leaved variety is sometimes used in carpet bedding. 



4- +- Petals shorter than calyx or 0; bracts leaf-like. 



S. borealis, Bigcl. Northerns. Stem 3'-10' high, forking repeatedly 

 and with flowers in the forks of the leafy branches ; leaves broadly lan- 

 ceolate or narrow-oblong. Wet grassy places N. 



8. CERASTITJM, MOUSE-EAR CHICKWEED. (Greek: horn; 

 referring to the pod of some species. Popular name from the shape 

 and soft hairiness of the leaves of the common species.) 



* Flowers inconspicuous, the deeply 2-cleft petals being shorter or little 



longer than the calyx ; flowering all summer, white. 



C. viscbsum, Linn. An insignificant soft-hairy weed ; stems erect, 

 4'-9' high, slightly clammy ; leaves ovate or obovate, small ; pedicels in 

 fruit and petals shorter than the acute sepals. ® E. and S.; not common. 



C. vulgatum, Linn. Larger M. Stems spreading, 6'-16' long, clammy- 

 hairy ; leaves oblong ; pedicels becoming longer than the calyx ; petals as 

 long as the obtuse sepals. @ 21 Common in grassy places. 



C. nutans, Raf. Clammy-pubescent, erect, 6'-18' high, becoming 

 very loosely many-flowered and branched ; leaves oblong-lanceolate ; 

 petals longer than calyx ; pods thrice the length of the calyx, nodding on 

 the slender flower-stalk and curved upwards. In moist grounds. ® 



* * Mowers conspicuous, the snowy white petals 2 or S times the length of 



the calyx; plants forming matted tufts. 21 



C. arve'nse, Linn. Field M. Downy but green ; leaves linear to 

 narrowly lanceolate ; flowering stems 4'-6' high, few-flowered ; petals 

 notched at the end ; pod scarcely longer than calyx. Dry fields, etc. 



The var. oblongif61ium is larger, with oblong leaves and pod twice as 

 long as calyx. — Var. villdsum is densely villous. European forms are 

 sometimes grown for ornament. 



C. tomentdsum, Linn. Cottony M. Shoots spreading, crowded with 

 oblong or linear white-woolly leaves making dense silvery mats ; flower- 

 buds and pedicels densely woolly ; petals deeply 2-cleft. Cult, from Eu. 



