CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 1 47 



Stellaria media (L.) Cyrill. Annual, weak and spreading; stems weak, 

 10-30 cm. long, glabrous except a line of hairs; lower leaves ovate, petioled, the 

 upper narrower and sessile, all acute, 10-40 mm. long; flowers solitary in the 

 axils or somewhat cymose, on slender pedicels; calyx glandular-pubescent, 

 nearly as long as the capsule; petals deeply 2-parted, shorter than the sepals; 

 stamens 3, 5, or 10. 



A common weed introduced from Europe. 



Stellaria nitens Nutt. Annual, somewhat tufted; stems erect, slender, 

 shining, 8-15 cm. tall, branched above, pubescent only at base; lowest pair of 

 leaves ovate, acute, petioled, 4 mm. long, the others linear-lanceolate and ses- 

 sile, 5-10 mm. long; cymes loose, few-flowered, the bracts scarious; pedicels 

 thread-like, 1-5 cm. long; sepals 3-nerved, very acute, scarious-margined, 

 4 mm. long; petals deeply 2-cleft, half as long as the sepais or wanting. 



In dry open places. 



Stellaria longipes Goldie. Somewhat tufted, with creeping rootstocks, 

 smooth and shining throughout; stems 4-angled, erect, 15-40 cm. high, branched 

 above; leaves linear-lanceolate, tapering from the base to the acute apex, 

 prominently 1-nerved, 2-3 cm. long; flowers solitary or in very loose cymes; 

 bracts reduced and scarious or when the flowers are few or solitary foliaceous; 

 pedicels slender, 2-10 cm. long; petals 2-cleft, exceeding the rather obtuse 

 sepals; capsule longer than the calyx; seeds smooth, shining. 



Moist places, not rare. 



Stellaria longifolia Muhl. Erect or nearly so, the stem sharply 4-angled, 

 glabrous, 20-40 cm. high; leaves linear or oblong-linear, acute at each end, 

 often ciliate near the base, 2-3 cm. long; cyme open, long-peduncled, becoming 

 lateral, many-flowered ; pedicels spreading or at length deflexed; petals exceed- 

 ing the sepals; capsule pale, longer than the calyx. 



In wet meadows, rare. 



Stellaria graminea L. Whole plant glabrous, shining; stems 4-angled, 

 ascending, branched above, 35-60 cm. high; leaves sessile, lanceolate, acute, 

 2-3 cm. long; flowers in a loose much-forked cyme; bracts scarious, somewhat 

 ciliate; pedicels slender, spreading or refiexed; sepals lanceolate, acute, 3- 

 nerved, nearly equalling the capsule; petals 2-cleft, as long as the sepals; 

 seeds minutely roughened. 



In wet places; introduced from Europe. 



Stellaria borealis Bigel. (S. calycantha Bong.) Perennial, glabrous 

 throughout, the weak stems ascending, branched, 15-30 cm. long; leaves ovate 

 to elliptic-lanceolate, 7-25 mm. long; pedicels slender, sometimes deflexed, 

 15-30 mm. long; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute, scarious-margined, 2—4 mm. 

 long; petals wanting or if present shorter than the sepals; styles mostly 4; 

 capsule ovoid, 3-5 mm. long; seeds smooth. 



Along rivulets in the mountains at high altitudes. 



Stellaria borealis bongardiana Fernald. Larger; the stems often 60 cm. 

 long; leaves lanceolate, 3-8 cm. long, the upper gradually reduced; sepals 

 4-5.5 mm. long; capsule 5-8 mm. long. 



Common in moist woods. 



Stellaria borealis sitchana (Steud.) Fernald. Upper leaves reduced to 

 scarious bracts, the flowers therefore loosely cymose. Otherwise like 5. 

 borealis bongardiana. 



In marshes, especially near the seashore. While the lowland subspecies 

 5. borealis bongardiana appears very different from the alpine or subalpine 

 S. borealis, Fernald concludes that they are completely connected by Rocky 

 Mountain forms. 



