176 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



SAGINA, L. 



Sejmls 4-5. Petals 4-5, entire or wanting. Stamens 

 4-10. Styles 4-5, alternate with the sepals. Cai^sule 4-5- 

 valved, the valves entire, opposite the sepals. Small herbs 

 with liliforni forking stemSy subulate leaves, and solitary 

 jloicers. 



S. Elliottii, Fenzl. Smooth ; stems erect or ascending, 

 tufted ; peduncles erect ; 7:>e^fr/s and sepals 5, equal, ob- 

 tuse; stamens 10. Stems 2-6' high. Peduncles 2-3 times 

 as long as the sharp-pointed leaves. April-June. An- 

 nual. 



ALSINE, Tourn. 



Sepals 5, petals 5, stamens 10, styles 3. Capsule 

 1-celled, 3-valved, the valves entire, opposite the inner 

 sepals. Low, slender lierhs^ with linear or subulate leaves, 

 and white cjmosc or solitary /o/6'er5. 



A. SQUARROSA, Fenzl. /S'^ews tufted, 6-10' high. Leaves 

 subulate, rigid, those of the glandular flowering stems dis- 

 tinct, of the sterile ones imbricated with spreading tips ; 

 sepals ovate, obtuse, shorter than the capsule, cymes few- 

 flowered. Pedicels rigid. April-May. Perennial. 



A. BREViFOLiA. Stems smooth, 2-4' long, not tufted, 

 erect, filiform, simple, 2-5-flowered ; leaves minute, l"-2", 

 erect, lance-subulate; sepals oblong, obtuse, as long as the 

 capsule ; p^etals twice as long as the sejmls. Flowers small, 

 on filiform peduncles. 



ARENAEIA, L. Sai^dwort. 



Petals 1-5 or none. Styles 2-4. Capside opening above 

 by as many valves as there are styles, each valve soon split- 

 ting into two pieces. Otherwise like Alsine. 



A. DIFFUSA, Ell. Downy; stem elongated, prostrate, 

 alternately short-branched ; leaves lanceolate ; peduncles 

 longer than the leaves,^ lateral reflexed in fruit; petals 1-5, 



