Okdeb 21.— CAETOPHTLLACE^. 253 



Order XX. ELATINACE^. Water Peppers. 



Befbs small, annual, with opposite leavea and membranous stipules. Fls. minuta 



axillary. Sepals 2 — 5, distinct or slightly coherent at base, persistent. Fetals hy- 



pogynous, as many as the sepals. Sia. equal in number to, or twice as many as 



the petals. Antk. introrse. Ova. 2 — 6-oelled. Stigmas 2 — 5, capitate ; placenta in 



the axis. fV. capsular. Seeds numerous, exalbuminous. 



Genera 6, upecien 29, found in every part of the globe, growing in marshes. The following la 

 our only northern genus. 



ELATINE, L. (Gr. iXdrrj, fir; from tho resemblance of the slender 

 leave.s of some species.) Fls. 2 — 4-merous. Stigmas sessile, minute. 



E. Americana Am. Mtro Purselakb. St. diffuse, procumbent, striate, rooting 

 from the joints, with assurgent branches ; Ivs. lance-oval or obovate, obtuse, 

 entire; sly. ; Sep., pet., sta., stig. 2 — 3, as well as the cells and valves of the 

 capsule; slip, very minute. — A littlo mud plant, on the borders of ponds and 

 rivers, U. S. Fls. axillary, sessile, solitary. Cor. minute, closed. Jl.' — Sept. 

 (Crypta minima Nutt. Peplys Americana Ph.) 



Order XXI. CARYOPHYLLACeJ. Pinkworts. 



Herbs with swollen joints, opposite, entire leaves, and regular flowers. Sepab 

 4 or 5, persistent, distinct, or cohering into a tube. Petals 4 or 5, unguiculate or 

 not, bifid or entire, mostly removed from the calyx by a short internode of the torusi, 

 sometimes wanting. Stamms distinct, twice as many as the petals, rarely an equal 

 number or fewer. Ovary often stipitate ; styles 1 — 5, stigmatous the whole length 

 of the inner surface. Fr. a 1 -celled capsule (or imperfectly 2 — 5 celled), opening at 

 the top, or locuJicidaL Sds. numerous ; embryo curved around the albumen. (See 

 i'igs. 70, 209, 258, 296, 299, 300, 313, 392.) 



The Pinkworts as constituted by Endloicherand others, and above charaeterizod, coniprehemlB 

 four Suborders, and in the aggregate SS genera and IISO upecies. They are in general destitute 

 of aotivo properties. A few of tliem are valued as highly ornamental in cultivation, but the 

 greater part are insignificant weeds abounding in waste sandy tractj throughout tho temporato 

 zones. 



§ Leaves furnished with dry, membranous stipules. Subohdeti II. i\) 



5 fizstipulate. — Capsule 1-celled, 8— 00-secded. Petals rarely absent. SuisonDEP. I.(*) 

 — Capsule 1-celled, 1-seeded. Petals none. SuBonuER III. (h) 

 — Capsule completely 8-celIed. Petals none. Suboudek IV. (Ic) 



• Sepals united into a tube. Petals long-clawed. Ovary stiped. TuIbk 1. (a) 



* Sepals distinct or nearly so. Petals subsessile. Ovary sessile. Tribe 2. (b) 

 T Styles or stigmas 6. Capsule 1-ceIled, 00-seeded. Tkibi: 3. (e) 



^ Styles 2 or united into 1. Utricle l-seeded. Teibe 4. (f ) 



Suborder I. CARTOPHYLLINE^. 



a 1. SILENE.<E. — Calyx with scalo-Iite bractlcts at base. Styles 2 DiANTntrs. 1 



— Calyx bractless.— Styles 2. Capsule 4-toothcd when open. Saponaeia. 9 



— Styles 3. Capsule 6-toothed when open. SiLENE, ^ 



— Styles 5. Caps. 10-toothed.. .Ageostemma, 4. -Ltohnis. 5 

 b S. AiaiNEjE.— Petals 2-part6d (sometimes wanting in No. 6.) (o) 



C Styles 5. Capsule opening at the top by 10 teeth — Cerastium. 6 



c Styles 8. Capsulo opening deeply by 6 half-valves.. .Stellabia. T 



' — Petals undivided (sometimes wanting in No. 0). (d) 



cl Valves of tho capsule 8, each 2-toothed. Styles 3 Arenaeia. 8 



d Valves, &c., entire. — Styles 3, always fewer than sepals Alsine. 9 



— Styles 4 or 5, always as many .as sep.ils. .SAOrKA. 10 

 — Styles 8 &e. Dislc largo, lO-lobed.HoxKEUVA. 11 



Suborder n. ILLECEBEINE.;E. 



« 8. 8PKEQULE2J.— Styles 6. Petals white. Lvs. linear, whorled Sieegula. 13 



— Styles 3 and 5. Petals red. Lvs. linear, oppositt^ Spergulaeia. 13 



^-Styles Sin all tho flowers. — Stipules ovate. Lvs. in 4's.PoLYrAKPoN. 14 

 — 9tip. multifid. Lvs. opp. . . Stipuhcida. IB 



