258 Oedeb 21 — CARYOPHYLLACE^. 



2 C. visooaum L. Hairy, viscid, spreading; Ivs. oUong-lanceolaie, rather acuU; 

 fls. in loose cymes ; Sep. smrious and white on the margin and apex, shorter than 

 the pedicels.— % Fields and waste grounds, TJ. S. and Can. Plant greener than 

 the last. Sts. many, assurgent, dichotomously eymous. Lvs. 5 to 9" long, J to 

 J as wide, radical onea subspatulate. Fls. white, in diffuse cymes. Pet. hardly 

 as long as the sep., obovate, bifid. Sta. rarely but 5. Jn. — Aug. 



3 C. arv^nse L. Pubescent, somewhat casspitous; lvs. linear-lanceolate, acute, 

 often longer than the internodes ; cyme on a long, terminal peduncle, four-flow- 

 ered ; petals more than twice longer than the calyx ; cops, scarcely exceeding the 

 sepals. — % Rocky hills. Sts. i to 10' high, decumbent at base. Lvs. 9 to 15" 

 long, 1 to 2" wide.^ Fls. white, rather large. Caps, usually a little longer than 

 the calyx. May — Aug. 



4 C. oblongifdlium Torr. Villous, viscid above ; st. erect or declined ; lvs. 

 ' oblong-lanceolate, mostly obtuse, and shorter than the internodes ; fls. numerous, 



in a spreading -cyme ; pet. twice as long as the sepals ; cops, about twice as long a.? 

 the calyx.— 1[ Rocky places. Sts. 6 to 10' high, thick. Lvs. 9 to 12" by 3 to 5", 

 tapering from base to an acute or obtuse apex. Fls. larger than either of the 

 foregoing, white, in two or three-forked cymes. Apr. — Jn. 



5 C. nutans Raf. Viscid and pubescent; st. weak, striato-.sulcato, erect; lvs- 

 lanceolate; fls. many, diffusely eymous, on long, filiform, nodding pedicels ; pet 



. nearly twice as long as the cal. ; caps, u, little curved, nearly thrice as long.—Ct^ 

 Low grounds, Vt. to 111. and La. Pale green and clammy. Sts. 8 to 15' high, 

 branched from the base. Lvs. J to 2' long, J as wide. Fls. white. May. — 

 Varies greatly at different dates ; beginning to flower when small in all its parts. 



7. STELLARIA, L. Star Chickweed. (Latin, stella, a star — from 

 the stellate or star-like flowers.) Sepals 5, connected at base j petals 6, 

 2-parted, rarely ; stamens 10, rarely fewer; styles 3, sometimes 4; 

 capsule ovoid, 1-cellcd, valves as many as styles, 2-parted at top ; seed.s 

 many. — Small herbs in moist, shady places. Fls. in forked cymes or 

 axillary, white. 



§ stems lealy to the top, or with leafy bracts, (a) 



§ Stems leafless above, bearing scarious bracts Nos. 6 — ."i 



a Leaves ovate. Stems prostrate, pubescoat Nos. 1, 'i 



a Leaves oblong, lanceolate or linear Nos. 3 — 5 



1 S. mSdia Smith. Chickweed. Lvs. ovate ; st. procumbent, with an alternate, 

 lateral, hairy line ; pet. shorter than the sep; sta. 3 to 5 or 10. — -A common weed 

 in almost every situation N. of Mexico, flowering from the beginnmg of Spring 

 to the end of Autumn. Sts. branched, becoming eymous, brittle, round, jointed, 

 leafy, and remarkably distinguished by the h^iry ridge. Fls. small, white. Tho 

 .seeds are eaten by poultry and birds. § Eur. 



2 S. prostrata Baldw. Lvs. ovate, the lower on long petioles, sts. procumbent, 

 hollow, pubescent; fls. on long pedicels; pet. longer than sepals; stam. 1. — D Ga. 

 and Fla. Sts. 1 to 4f long, slightly channelled and downy ; lower lvs. s;ib- 

 cordate, shorter than the ciliate-petioles. Fls. small. Mar., Apr, 



3 S. piibera Michx. St. ascending, pubescent in one lateral or two opposite linof ; 

 lvs. oblcng or elliptical, acute, sessile, somewhat ciliatc; flis. on filiform, finally 

 recurved pedicels; petals longer than the sepals. — 2| In rocky places, Penn. to 

 Ind. and Ga. St. 6 to 12' high, often diffusely spreading. Lvs. 1 to 2J' by 4 to 

 10", with minute, scattered hairs. Fls. J' diam., axillary and terminal, witli 10 

 stamens and 3 styles. Sep. white-edged. Apr. — Jn. 



4 S. uniflora "Walt. St. glabrous, erect, branched from the base; lvs. Uneas- 

 fmbulate, lanceolate, acute; pod. axillary, solitary, 1-flowered; pet. miarginate, 

 twice as long as the sep.—® N. Car., Ga., in swamps. Sta. 10 — 12' high, slen- 

 der. Lvs. much shorter than the internodes. Ped. filiform, as long (2 to 3') as 

 the internodes. May. 



5 S. borealis Bigelow. St. weak, smooth; lvs. veinless, lanceolate, acute; pod. 

 at length axillaiy, elongated, 1-flowered ; petals 2-parted (sometimes wanting), 



