CA K YOPH YLLA CEA E, 399 



mm. broad; sepals obtuse, somewhat shorter than the petals; capsule nearly twice 

 the length of the sepals, its teeth recurved. Penn. and Del. Naturalized from 

 Europe. April-May. 



13. MOENCHIA Ehrh. 



Low annual glabrous herbs, with small narrow sessile leaves. Flowers ter- 

 minal, solitary or cymose, 4-parted or sometimes 5-parted, white. Sepals lanceo- 

 late. Petals entire. Stamens 4-10. Styles as many as the sepals and opposite 

 them. Capsule cylindric, 8-toothed or rarely 10-toothed, the teeth somewhat rev- 

 olute at maturity. [In honor of Konrad Moench, Professor in Marburg.] Two or 

 three species, natives of the Mediterranean region. 



1. Moenchia erecta (L.) Gaertn. Upright Pearlwort. (I. F. f. 1493.) 

 Glaucous, tufted. 5— 15 cm. high. Basal leaves spatulate, narrowed into a short 

 petiole; stem-leaves sessile, linear or linear-lanceolate, 8-16 mm. long, about 2 mm. 

 wide; flowers few or solitary, 4-8 mm. broad, on slender erect pedicels; sepals 4, 

 lanceolate, acute, 4-6 mm. long, scarious-margined; petals 4, slightly shorter than 

 the sepals, entire; stamens 4, rarely 8; styles 4. In waste grounds, near Phila- 

 delphia and Baltimore. Fugitive or adventive from Europe. Not recently col- 

 lected. May-July. 



14. SAGINA L. 



Tufted matted low herbs, with subulate leaves, and small pedicelled whitish 

 flowers. Sepals 4 or 5. Petals of the same number, entire, emarginate or none. 

 Stamens of the same number, or fewer, or twice as many. Ovary 1 celled, many- 

 ovuled. Styles as many as the sepals and alternate with them. Capsule 4-5- 

 valved, at length dehiscent to the base, the valves opposite the sepals. [Ancient 

 name of the spurry.] About 10 species, natives of the northern hemisphere. 



Farts of the flower in 4's (or some flowers in 5's). 



Plant depressed-spreading ; petals present. I. S. procumbens. 



Plant erect ; petals very minute or none. 2. 3". apetala. 



Parts of the flower in 5's. 



Leaves opposite, not fascicled. 



Petals equalling or shorter than the sepals. 3. S. decumbens. 



Petals and pods longer than the sepals. 4. S. saginoides. 



Leaves fascicled in the axils ; petals exceeding the sepals. 5. S. nodosa. 



1. Sagina procumbens L. Procumbent Pearlwort. (I. F. f. 1494.) An- 

 nual or perennial, branching, decumbent, or spreading, glabrous or minutely 

 downy, matted, 2-8 cm. high. Leaves linear, subulate, 2-6 cm. long, connate at 

 the base; flowers about 2 mm. broad, numerous; peduncles capillary, longer than 

 the leaves, often recurved at the end after flowering; sepals 4, sometimes 5, ovate- 

 oblong, generally longer than the petals, which are occasionally wanting; capsule 

 about equalling the calyx; stamens 4, rarely 5. In moist places, Newf. and Green- 

 land to N. J.. Penn., Kans. and Mich. Native of Europe and Asia. Probably in 

 part naturalized from Europe. May-Sept. 



2. Sagina apetala Ard. Small-flowered Pearlwort. (I. F. f. 1495.) 

 Erect or ascending, annual, glabrous, filiform, 2-10 cm. high. Leaves linear-sub- 

 ulate, glabrous or sparingly ciliate, 2-8 mm. long; flowers 2 mm. broad or less; 

 peduncles elongated, capillary, erect; sepals 4, ovate or oval, obtuse; petals none, 

 or 4 and very minute; pod ovoid, nearly twice the length of the calyx. In dry soil 

 in woods and fields, Mass. to N. J. and Penn. Apparently introduced. Native of 

 Europe. June. 



3. Sagina decumbens (Ell.) T. & G. Decumbent Pearlwort. (I. F. f. 

 1496.) Annual, tufted; stems 5-10 cm. long, glabrous or minutely glandular- 

 pubescent. Leaves narrowly linear, sometimes bristle-tipped, 6-10 mm. long; 

 peduncles filiform; flowers 2-3 mm. broad; sepals, petals and styles 5; stamens 5 

 or to; pod ovoid-oblong, nearly twice as long as the calyx. In dry soil, eastern 

 Mass. to 111., Fla., Mo. and La. March-May. 



Sagina decumbens Smithii (A. Gray) S. Wats. Slender; stems erect or nearly so ; 

 flowers apetalous. Plant with the aspect of S. apetala, but the parts of the flower in 

 5's. Southeastern Penn. and southern N. J, 



