RUBIACEAE QMADDKU FAMILY) 747 



Subfamily II. CINCHONOlDEAE. Ovules numerous in each cell ; leaves 



opposite. 



s. Houstonia. Corolla salver-form or funDel-forui, 4-lobed. Seeds rather few, thimble-shaped 



oi' siiiiror-shaped. Low herbs. 

 9. Oldenlandia. Corolla wheel-shaped in our species, 4-lobed. Seeds very numerous and minute, 



angular. Low herbs. 



1. SHERARDIA [Dill.] L. Field Madder 



Calyx-lobes lanceolate, pei-sistent. Corolla funnel-form, the limb 4-5-lobecl. 

 Style filiform, 2-cleft ; stigmas capitate. Fruit dry, twin, of 2 indehiscent 

 1-seeded carpels. — A slender procumbent herb, with square stems, lanceolate 

 pungent leaves in wliorls of 4-(i, and small blue or pinkish flowers surrounded 

 by a gamophyllous involucre. (Named for Dr. William Sherard, patron nl' 

 Dillenius.) 



1. S. AKviiNsis L. The only species. — Waste places and fields, N. S. to Ont., 

 0., and N. J., local. (Nat. from Eu.) 



2. ASPERULA L. 



Similar to Galium, but with tubular or tubular-campanulate corolla. — An 

 Old World genus. (Name from asper, rough, in reference to some scabrous 

 species.) 



1. A. GALioiDES Bieb. Smooth and glaucous, 3-8 dm. high ; leaves 5-10 in 

 a whorl, linear, subulate-tipped ; flowers white, short-^pedioeled in cymules form- 

 ing a handsome panicle. — Fields, local, Ct. to Mich. (Adv. from Eu.) 



3. GALIUM L. Bedstraw. Cleavers 



Calyx-teeth obsolete. Corolla wheel-shaped, valvate in the bud. Stamens 4, 

 rarely 3, short. Styles 2. Fruit dry or fleshy, globular, twin, separating when 

 ripe into the 2 seed-like indehiscent 1-seeded carpels. — Slender herbs, with 

 small cymose flowers (produced in summer), square stems, and whorled leaves, 

 the roots often containing a red coloring matter. (Name from yd\a, milk, which 

 some species are used to curdle.) 



(*. Fruit dry 6. 

 &. Annuals. 



Fruit bristly. 

 Flowers sessile or subsessile ; leaves 4-T mm. long . . . 1. G. virgaium. 

 Flowers on long ascending axillary peduncles . . . . 2. tf . Aparine. 

 Fruit smooth or merely granulate-roughened. 



Flowers 1-few on a.xillary peduncles ; fruit 3-4 mm. thick . 3. (?. tricome. 

 Flower^tiny, in terminal small cymes ; fruit barely 1 mm. thick 4. G. parisiense. 

 b. Perennials c. 

 tf. Flowers yellow. 



Panicle rather dense, its lower branches much exceeding the 



internodes . . ■ 5. (?. verwm. 



Panicle loose, slender, interrupted, its lower branches shorter 



than the internodes 6. (?. Wirtgenli. 



c. Flowers white, greenish-white, or purplish d. 

 (3. Erect plants, neither the stems nor leaves retrorsely scabrous «. 

 e. Leaves mostly in 4's f. 

 f. Peduncles loosely 8-several-flowered ; flowers dull purple 

 to greenish-white g. 

 g. Fruit uncinate-hispid. 



Mature flowers and fruits on distinct pedicels. 

 Leaves firm and dull, the whorls uniform ... 7. G.pilosum. 

 Leaves filmy and lucid ; the upper whorl largest . 3. G. kamtmhatUnim. 

 Flowers and fruits mostly sessile or subsessile along 

 the loosely divergent branches of the peduncles. 

 Leaves oval or oblong, obtuse; flowers commonly 



pubescent 9. ff. circaesans. 



Leaves lance-acuminate ; flowers glabrous . . 10. G. lanceolaloLm. 

 g. Fruit smooth. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate, 8-nerved 11. 6^. latifolium. 



Leaves linear or lanceolate, 1-nerved . . , . 12. (?. arkannanum. 



