CARYOPIIYLLACE.E. 39 



3. S. R'TiRA. {Arenaria Ruhra. A. Ctinadrnsis.) S/rm much branched, 

 plabnii-, pr '1 lunhetit and nssiirijciit, succulent. Ltvix's hncnr suhulate, 

 il«shy, njucrmiafo. S/im//«s ovato, cleft, incmliranaccous. Fltnrrm awWury, 

 solitary. i>epah lanceolate, with nienibranaceous margins. Vitals lanceo- 

 late. S/rtm#7ijf variable, 2-10. Sf^.'-mua tjlandular. 



Pale rose color. 0. April — May. Salt marshes. 3-6 inches. 



Order XXI. CARYOPHYLLACE.E. 



Srpals 4-5 distinct or united at the base into a tube, persis- 

 tent. Petals 4-5 liypogynous, unguiculate, inserted on the 

 pedicel of tlie ovary, or destitute ot' claws and inserted on a 

 nearlv perij^ynous di^k. N/f//7?f;n.v generally twice as many as 

 the petals anil inserted u itii lliein. Filaments sometimes co- 

 hering. Onirfj sti|)itate. Pistils 2-5, with the stigmatic 

 surface extending the whole length. Capsule 2.-5 valved, 

 1-celled rarely 2-5 celled, dehiscence loculicidal, or by the 

 apex, by the capsule splitting into twice as many teeth as 

 stigmas, with a central placenta. Seeds campulitropous. 

 Herbsj with tumid nodes. Leaves opposite. 



Ge.'vus 1. SAGINA. 



1. S. i T.ENS. S^e/n procumbent, glabrous. 2>ai'c.<f linear, clustered 



at ili< . t)t ihe branches. Flowers on sohtary, axillary pcduncJes. 



Ptf t the length of the sepals, or none. 



•^ South Carolina. 2—4 inches. 



Gexus II. ARENARIA. 



Sepals 5, expanding. Petals 5, entire. Stamens almost 

 always 10. Pistils 3, Capsule 3 valved, 1-celled, many 

 seeded. 



1. A. Serp\xlifolu. Stem diffuse, dichotomously divided, retrorsely 

 r,n'.. -i -.-nt. Leaves ovate, ciliate. Flowers a.xillary, or in the divisions of 



, solitary. S^yw/^ hairy, acuminate, lanceolate, somewhat unequal, 

 i ■ ..i,,. ..va^erpct, shorter than ihe sepals. Stamens unequal, shorter than 

 the e.il\ x. S^fi'-wwijj 3, simple. 



W'iiiii . Q. April — -May. Common in dry pastures. 3-G inches. 



2. A. S'^CARROSA. Stem much divided near the base, glandular pubes- 

 cent, /."/ly* short, subulate, the lower OJies densely squarrose-imbricate, 

 r,;,. r ...>..,.^ up|>er ones tew. Flctcers in terminal panicles, few flowered. 



, obtuse without nerves. Petals obovate, three times as long as 



White. %. April— June. Sand-hills, common. 6-10 inches. 



3. A K ditfusely-ciL'ijpiiose, glabrous, branched from the 

 base. ' , linear, erect, 1-nerved, fa.scicled in the a.Yils. Flow- 

 ers in a lew tiowered panicle. Sepals ovale, riiiid, 3-ribbed. Pe/a^ oblong- 

 ovate longer than the sepals. 



White. %. May— June. Mountains. 4-6inclies. 



4. A. Glabra. > :inbent at the base, cafspitose, gla- 

 brous. J^avrs hnt . . >i setaceous. Flowers 8-12. Sepals 



