DECANDRIA PENTAGYNIA 279 



C. arvense? Bart. Phil. 1. p. 216. Not? of Linn. Muhl. Pursh y 



and others. 



C. pennsylvanicum. Hook. Am. 1. p. 104. Also, DC. Prodr. L/,.420. 

 Also ? C. pubesccns. DC. I. c. Beck, I. c. Eat. Man. p. 88. 

 Slexdeh-leaved Ceiiastium. 



Root perennial, long and creeping. Stems 4 to 6 or 8 inches high, numerous 

 from the root, erect, or declined at base, mostly simple, slender, pubescent, termi- 

 nating In a naked peduncle 2 to 4 inches in length. Leaves an inch to an inch and 

 half Long, and 1 to 2 lines wide, often shorter than the internodes, mostly acute 

 and a little callous at apex, pubescent when young, but at length becoming 

 smoothish, sessile and subconnate, often with a small fascicle of leaves in the 

 axils. Panicle usually twice dichotomous, with lanceolate bracts at the bifurca- 

 tions, and a I -flowered pedicel in the lower fork about half as long as the branches ; 

 the terminal branches bracteate near the middle, or rather at the base of the 

 pedicels, with the central pedicel rather longer than the real branches,— and 

 thus the flowers appear in threes at summit. Sepals oblong- lanceolate, acute, 

 pubescent, scarlousat apex and on the margin. Petals white, cuneate-obovate, 

 bitui, or emarginate. Stamens about as long as the sepals. Styles as long as the 

 stamens; stigmas subclavate. Capsule cylindric, 1 third to 1 half longer than 

 the calyx, sometimes nearly twice as long. Seeds compressed, roundish-reniform, 

 subcuneate, strialely muricate, tawny, or light reddish brown. 

 Uab. Along the Schuylkill ; Black llock,&c not common. Ft. May. Fr. June. 



Obs. My friend Dr. Pickering inclines to the opinion that this is distinct from 

 C. arvense,— and I defer greatly to his judgment : But after a patient examination 

 of my specimens, I profess myself unable to discover any important and constant 

 difference. Our plant is larger, and I think generally less pubescent, than the 

 acknowledged C. arvense ;— yet, as Prof. Hooker remarks, "there are interme- 

 diate states which diminish the value of those characters. " I have some speci- 

 mens, indeed, collected by D. Townsend, Esq. on our Mica-slate hills, which are 

 quite villose, with the leaves decidedly inclining to lanceolate, and a larger, flac- 

 cid, and more spreading panicle. They Bccm to be intermediate between this 

 species and the following «# 



4. C. yilh>sum, Muhl. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, tapering and rath- 

 er acute, mostly shorter than the internodes, thickish or subcoriaceous, 

 densely villose ; panicle terminal, somewhat elongated, dichotomously 

 branched, villose and viscid ; petals twice as long as the calyx. Muhl. 



Catal. p. 4G. 



C. oblongifolium (and also C. hirsutum). Florul. Cestr. p. 54. Not 



of Torr. 



Villose Cerastium. 



Root perennial. Stems 6 to 10 or 12 inches high, cespitose, erect, or decumbent 

 at base, mostly simple, rather stout, very villose, often densely tomentosc at the 

 joints, or base of the leaves, terminating in a stout naked peduncle 2 to 4 or 5 

 inches in length. Leaves 3 fourths of an inch to an inch and a quarter long, and 1 

 eighth to near half an inch wide at base, often ovate-lanceolate, tapering from near 

 the base to the apex, but not unfrequently rather obtuse, closely sessile and sub- 

 connate, the lower ones sometimes obovalc-oblong, often with a small fascicle of 

 laucc-linear leaves in the axils. Panicle elongated, somewhat spreading, fre- 

 quently three limes dichotomous, with ovale or lance-ovate bracts at the bifurca- 

 tions, and a longlsh 1 -flowered pedicel in the forks,— thus appearing somewhat 

 trie li otomous ; brandies and pedicels very villose, and considerably viscid. 



