ORDER XXI. CARYOPHYLLACE^E. 245 



Order XXL— CARYOPHYLLA'CEJE. Juss. 



Sepals 4 — 5, distinct or united at the base into a tube, per- 

 sistent. Petals 4 — 5, sometimes wanting, hypogynous,unguic- 

 ulate, inserted on the pedicel of the ovary, or destitute of ciaws, 

 and inserted on a nearly perigynous disk. Stamens generally 

 twice as many as the petals, and inserted with them. Fila* 

 merits sometimes cohering. Ovary stipitate. Pistils 2 — 5, 

 with the stigmatic surface extending the whole length. Cap- 

 sule 2 — 5-valved, 1-celled, rarely 2 — 5-celled, dehiscence locu- 

 licidal, or by the apex, by the capsule splitting into twice as 

 many teeth as stigmas, with a central placenta. Seeds campy- 

 lotropous. Herbs, with tumid nodes. Leaves opposite, or in 

 whorls. 



ANALYSIS. 



1. Calyx tubular 2 



Calyx not tubular 8 



2. Styles 2 Saponaria, 8 



Styles 3 Silent, 6 



Styles 5 Lychnis, 1 



8. Capsule 3-cel!ed Mollugo, 1 



Capsule 1-celied 4 



4. Petals 2-parted Stellaria, 4 



Petals entire 5 



5. Capsules opening by 10 teeth Cerastium, 5 



Capsules opening by 3 — 5 valves 6 



6. Pistils 3 Arenaria, 3 



Pistils i or 5 Sagina, 2 



Genus I.— MOLLU'GO. L. 3—3. 

 (The Roman name of this or some similar plant.) 



Sepals 5, united at the base. Petals 5, minute, or more fre- 

 quently none. Stamens 3 — 5, opposite the sepals. Styles 3. 

 Capsule 3-valved, 3-celled, many-seeded. 



1. M. verticilla'ta, (L.) Stem prostrate, branching, glabrous. Leaves 

 6patulate — those toward the summit lanceolate, generally verticillate, 

 with 6 in a Avhorl. Flowers axillary in sessile umbels. Sepals expand- 

 ing, 3-nerved,"with membranaceous margins. Stamens usually 3. Styles 

 3. Stigmas plumose. — April — Sept. Common. 



Genus II.— SAGI'NA. Bart. 4—4. 

 (From sagina, fatness, in allusion to its fattening sheep.) 



Sepals 3 — 5, united at the base. Petals 4 — 5, or none. 

 Stamens 4 — 10. Styles 4 — 5. Capsuled — 5-valved, 1-celled, 

 many -seeded. 



1. S. Procum'bens, (L) Stem procumbent, glabrous. Leaves linear, 

 clustered at the extremity of the branches. Flowers on solitary, axil- 

 lary peduncles. Petah about half the lengtt of the sepals, or none. — 

 Barren fields. South Carolina, 2—4 inches. 



