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herbs : some are insignificant weeds ; others have handsome flowers, and are cultivated fop 

 ornament. They form two main sub-families, one containing the Pinks, the other the Chick- 

 weeds. For lack of room, only the principal genera can be given here, without the species, 

 which are numerous. 



I. PINK Subfamily. Sepals united into a tube or cup. Petals witli long claws, which are en- 

 closed in the tube of the calyx. The petals and the 10 stamens are generally raised more or less on a 

 stalk within the calyx. Pod many-seeded, opening at the top. Flowers mostly rather large and showy. 

 Calyx furnished with two or more scaly bractlets at the base. Styles 2, {Dldnilms) * Pink. 

 Calyx naked, i. e. without any bractlets at the base. 



Styles 2. Calyx cylindrical and even, (Saponana) Soapwokt. 



Styles 2. Calyx oblong and strongly 5-angled, ( Vaccaria) Cowheeb. 



Styles 3. Calyx 5-toothed, {Silene) Catchfly. 

 Styles 5. 



Calyx with short teeth, which are not leaf-like, {Lychnis) *Lychkis. 



Calyx with leafy lobes, which are longer than the petals, (Affrosiemma) Cockle. 



II. CHICKWEED Subfamily. Sepals separate or nearly so. Petals without claws, spreading, 

 sometimes wanting. Small or low herbs ; many are weeds, yiowers small, mostly white, except in 

 Sand-Spurrey. 



Pod 3-celled, many-seeded. Petals none. Prostrate annual weed, {MoUiigo) Caepetvveed. 



Pod one-celled, with several or many seeds. Styles 3 to 6. 

 Stipules or little scales between the leaves none. 

 Petals 2-cleft or parted, or notched at the end. 



Styles and petals 5. Pod opening by 10 teeth. ( Cerastium) Mouse-eak Ciiickweed. 

 Styles 3 or 4. Pod splitting into valves, {Sldlaria) Ciiickweed. 



Petals entire, not notched nor cleft. 



Styles 3, fewer than the petals, (Arenana) Sandwoet. 



Styles 5 or 4, as many as the petals, {Sagina) Peaklwoet. 



Stipules in the form of scales between the bases of the leaves. 



Styles 3. Leaves not whorled. Petals purple, {Sperguldria) Sand-Spureey. 



Styles 5. Leaves in whorls, narrow. Petals white, {Spergula) Spuhkey. 



16. PURSLANE TAMILT. Order PORTULACACEJE. 

 More or less fleshy herbs, with entire leaves, and flowers which open only in supshine. 

 Sepals fewer than the petals (i. c. sepals 2, petals 5), with a stamen before each one, or 

 else with many stamens. Pod one-celled, with the seeds, like those of the Pink family, on 

 stalks rising from the base of the cell. Harmless and tasteless herbs; the Spring-Beauty 

 has handsome flowers in the spring in woods. The common Purslane is a well-loiown gar- 

 den weed and pot-herb, and the Great^flowered Purslane, with its cylindrical fleshy leaves 

 and large red or scarlet flowers, is a common ornamental annual in cultivation. 

 Calyx 2-cleft, the tube united with the lower part of the ovary. Petals opening only 

 once. Stamens 7 to 20. Pod many-seeded, opening round the middle, the top 

 falling off as a lid. Annuals. ' (Poriulaca) Pukslake. 



