PINK FAMILY 45 



ally into 3-6 valves ; flowers in terminal clusters or solitary ; leaves opposite, 

 simple, entire ; annual or perennial. 



1. Leaves needle-shaped, the tips often sharp 



a. Sepals lanceolate, long-pointed ; leaves sharp- 



pointed 



( 1 ) Flowers in an open branching cluster 



(a) Leaves rigid and pungent, 1-2 cm. long A.pungens 



(b) Leaves softer and less pungent, 2-10 cm. A. Fendleri 



(2) Flowers in a dense head-like cluster A.Hookeri 



b. Sepals oblong to lance-ovate, obtuse or short- 



pointed ; leaves not sharp-pointed; dwarf 

 alpine plants 



(1) Flowers 8-15 mm. wide; petals much 



longer than sepals A. biHora 



(2) Flowers 3-6 mm. wide; petals about as 



long as sepals A. verna 



2. Leaves much broader, lanceolate to ovate 



a. Petals about twice as long as sepals A. lateriflora 



b. Petals shorter to a little longer than sepals 



(1) Leaves 2-6 cm. long A.macrophylla 



(2) Leaves .5-1.5 cm. long A.saxosa 



Cerastium Linne 1753 Chickweed 



(Gr. kerastion, little horn, from the form of the pod) 



PL 9, fig. 7-8. 



Sepals 5, rarely 4, separate, petals 5, or 4, white, notched or cleft, 

 rarely wanting, stamens usually 10, styles usually 5, or 4, ovary 1-celled, 

 styles 5, or 3-4, fruit opening by 10, rarely 8, apical teeth ; flowers in termi- 

 nal clusters, or solitary; leaves opposite, simple, entire; annual or perennial. 

 1. Perennials, shown by the presence of rootstocks 

 or old stems, smooth or hairy; flowers 10-15 

 mm. wide ; pods little longer than calyx C. arvense 



Annuals, sticky-hairy ; flowers 4-6 mm. wide ; 

 pods 2-3 times longer than calyx C. nutans 



9 



Lychnis Linne 1753 Lychnis 

 (Gr. lychnos, lamp, from the use of a woolly species for wicking) 



PL 9, fig. 2. 



Sepals 5, united into a tube, petals 5, entire, cleft or fringed at the tip, 

 with a claw-like base, rarely wanting, white to red, stamens 10, ovary most- 



