312 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



herbs; leaves obliquely straight-veined, their bases con- 

 nected by the bristly-fringed sheathing stipules; /076'er5 

 small, in axillary sessile clusters. 



S. GLABRA, Michx. Stem 4-angled, smooth, erect; 

 leaves lanceolate or oblong, acute, roughened on the mar- 

 gins and veins beneath ; clusters globose, dense, many- 

 flowered; coroZ/a barely longer than the lanceolate calyx- 

 teeth, white woolly within; stamens and ^^fi/^e included; 

 fruit obovate. Stem l°-2° high ; perennial. 



BOERERIA. 



Like Spermacoce in character and habits, differing only 

 in the carpels of the fruit separating from the apex down- 

 ward, both opening lengthwise on the inner face. 



B. MiCRAXTHA, Torr. and Gray. Annual; stem slender, 

 erect, simple, branched above, 4-angled, smooth; leaves 

 lanceolate, mostly obtuse, narrowed at the base, the upper 

 surface and margins rough, the lateral veins obscure ; clus- 

 ters dense, globose, axillary and terminal ; caly x-iQQih. 4, 

 subulate, longer than the very small corolla ; fruit ovoid, 

 hairy. Plant 6-18' high, pale green; leaves 1' long. 



DIODIA, L. 



Differing from Spermacoce in having the two bony inde- 

 hiscent carj^els closed on the inner face. — Herbs ; corolla- 

 tube often long and slender ; fioioers axillary, solitary, and 

 few ; leaves narrow. 



D. ViRGii^iANA, L. Stem and leaves smooth, pubescent 

 or hirsute ; stem prostrate, 4-angled ; leaves fleshy lanceo- 

 late, acute, sessile; flowers single, or 2-6 clustered ; corolla 

 hairy within, the tube long and slender; fruit ovoid, 

 strongly ribbed, crowned with the .2-4 linear or lanceolate 

 calyx-iQQi)i. Flowers white or purplish. 



