PIXK FAMILY 79 



forking cymes. Sepals 4-5. Petals 4-5, notched or 2-cleft. 

 Stamens 10. Styles 5 or less. Capsules cylindrical, 1-celled, 

 many -seeded.* 



1. C. arvense L. Field Chickweed. Perennial. Stems tufted, 

 erect or ascending, 4-10 in. high. Basal leaves and those of flower- 

 less branches linear-oblong, crowded ; those of flowering stems linear 

 or lance-linear. Flowers |-| in. in diameter, in cymes. Petals obcor- 

 date, much longer than the sepals. Pods hardly longer than the 

 calyx. In dry or rocky soil. 



2. C. vulgatum L. MorsE-EAR Chickweed. Annual or some- 

 times perennial. Stems diffuse, tufted, clammy-downy, 6-12 in. 

 high. Lower leaves spatulate, the upper oblong, acute, or obtuse ; 

 bracts thin and dry. Flowers in loose cymes, pedicels becoming 

 much longer than the calyx. Sepals lanceolate, acute, about as long 

 as the 2-cleft petals. Slender capsule becoming twice as long as the 

 calyx and curved upward. A common garden weed.* 



3. C. brachypodum Robinson. Annual. Stems 3-10 in. high, 

 clammy-downy. Lower leaves oblanceolate or spatulate, the upper 

 ones linear to lanceolate. Pedicels shorter or not much longer than 

 the calyx. Petals longer than the sepals. Capsule straight or slightly 

 curved upwards. In dry soil. 



m. AGROSTEMMA L. 



Annual. Stem pubescent, -branching above. Leaves linear- 

 lanceolate or linear, pubescent, sessile. Flowers showy, on 

 long and naked peduncles in terminal corymbs. Calyx tubu- 

 lar, the tube oblong, 10-ribbed; lobes elongated, leaf -like, 

 deciduous. Petals 5, shorter than the calyx lobes, entire. 

 Stamens 10. Styles 6, capsules 1-celled.* 



1. A. Githago L. Corn Cockle. Stem erect, rather slender, l-.S 

 ft. tall, gray, with long, appressed hairs. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 acuminate, erect, 2-4 in. long. Petals obovate, notched, purple. 

 Capsule 5-toothed, many-seeded; seeds black. An introduced weed, 

 common in grain fields.* 



IV. LYCHNIS L. 



Plants with nearly the same characteristics as Silene, but 

 usually with 5 styles. 



1. L. Coronaria Desr. ^Iulleix Pink. A forking perennial plant, 

 2 ft. high, covered with white, cottony down. Leaves very wavy, 



