DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA 273 



Stellate, or Star-like SilbxbX Vulgo— Four-leaved Campion. 



Whole plant pulverulently pubescent. Root perennial. Stem 2 to 3 or 4 feet 



high, simple, terete, slender. Leaves 2 to 3 inches long, and 3 fourths of an inch 



to an inch wide, much acuminate, indistinctly nerved, sessile, in distant verticils 



of 4. Flowers in a terminal panicle ; the branches mostly opposite (the lower ones 



often verticillatc), from the axils of small lanceolate bracts. Calyx dilated, sub- 



campanulate, membranaceous, pubescent, pale green, or greenish white with green 



nerves; segments ovate, acuminate. Petals white; lamina cuneate, dilated and 



laccrately fringed at apex, naked at throat; claws nearly as long as the calyx, 



connected at base with each other, and with the filaments, by a dense white tomen- 



tose web, which sheaths the pedicel of the ovary. Stamens as long as the corolla. 



Ocary ovoid, pedicellate; styles longer than the stamens. Capsule roundish- 



obovoid, smooth, supported on a pedicel, or stipe, within the calyx ; stipe clavate, 



tomentose, or rather embraced by a tomentose sheath. Seeds reniform, rugose, or 



scabrous-punctate, reddish brown. 



Hub. Woodlands : frequent. / /. July. Fr. August— September. 



Obs. This, though clearly not a Cucubalus, is widely different in its general 

 aspect from the following. 



* * Calyx ovoid-cylindric : Petals crowned. 



2. S. axtirrhina, L. Leaves opposite, linear-lanceolate, acute; 

 calyx ovoid-cylindric, smooth ; petals small, bifid, or emarginatc. 

 Beck y Bot.p. 48. 



AxTIRRHIXCM-LIKE SlLENE, VulgO Catch-fly. 



Root annual. Stem 1 to 2 feet high, terete, smoothish, paniculate!y branching ; 

 branches opposite, or often dichotomous near the summit ; a portion of the inter- 

 nodes of the stem and branches at length coated with a dark purple viscid matter. 

 Leaves 1 to 2 inches long, and 1 to 3 or four lines wide [radical ones spatulatc- 

 lanceolate, 7'orr.], covered with rough dots. Flowers on slender peduncles half 

 an inch to an inch or more in length, in a loose terminal trichotomous panicle. 

 Calyx 10-ribbed, with short acuminate and often dark purple teeth. Petals white, 

 often tinged with purple, small, with a minute crown at throat (petals apparently 

 often wanting). Stamens shorter than the calyx \fdamenls very slender, smooth 

 at base, inserted on an elevated ring surrounding the pedicel of the ovary. Styles 

 short. Capsule ovoid-oblong, nearly as long as the calyx, on a very short slips. 

 Seeds numerous, roundishreniform, obtusely-muricate, or rather striate with mo- 

 niliform ridges, dark purple. 

 Hab. Dry, sandy fields ; about gardens, &c. frequent. Fl. June. Fr. July. 



Obs. I once thought the petals of this species were generally wanting ; but with- 

 in the last few years I have frequently observed them,— small, indeed, but fresh 

 and fully expanded, during the day. Nine or ten additional species, as the genus 

 is at present constituted, are enumerated in the U. States,— of which the S. penn* 

 sylvanica ought to be found on the red sandstone hills on the northern side of this 

 County ; but I have not yet met with it. I have collected fine specimens of the 

 beautiful S. virginica, in the adjoining County of New Castle, near Delaware City. 



219. STELLARIA. L. Nutt. Gen. 413. 

 [Latin, Stella, a star ; the corolla, of bifid petals, resembling a star.] 



Calyx deeply 5-parted, or rather of 5 sepals, spreading. Petals 5, 

 deeply bifid. Stamens sometimes 3, 5, or 8, by abortion. Ovary superior. 

 Capsule 1 -colled, 6-valved at apex, many-seeded. 



