102 THE PINK FAMILY. 



Styles 3. Leaves flat, the upper ones apparently 4 in a 



whorl 14 Polycarp. 



Styles 5. Leaves linear, eylindrical, clustered so as to 



appear many in a whorl 13. Spurry. 



Leaves without any scales or stipules at the base. 

 Petals entire or sligldly jagged or none. 



Sepals 4 or 5, with the same number of styles. 



Capsule opening in 4 or 5 valves. Small, matted, 



fine-leaved plants 5. Pearlwort. 



Capsule opening at the top, in 8 or 10 teeth. 

 Plant glabrous, stiff, and erect. Petals quite 



entire 8. Mcenchia, 



Plant downy, much branched. Petals slightly 



notched 10. Cerast. 



Sepals 5. Styles 3 (rarely 4). 



Petals none. Alpine, moss-like plant .... 6. Cherleria. 

 Petals obovate or oblong (sometimes very small). 



Petals quite entire 7. Sandwort. 



Petals slightly jagged 9. Holosteum. 



Petals 2-cleft. 

 Styles 3. 



Capsule opening to below the middle, in 6 valves 11. Starwort. 

 Capsule opening at the top, in 6 short teeth. Alpine 



plant, with narrow leaves Starwort Cerast. 



Styles 5, rarely 4. 

 Stem-leaves sessile. Capsule opening in 10 or 8 



short teeth 10. Cerast. 



Stem-leaves cordate, stalked. Capsule opening in 



5 entire or shortly split valves • . . . . Water Starwort. 



Among exotic genera, several GypsopJiylls, from south-eastern Europe, 

 are occasionally cultivated in our flower-gardens, and Cucubalus bac- 

 cifer (Eng. Bot. t. 1577), from central and southern Europe, is said to 

 have been formerly found in the Isle of Dogs, introduced with ballast. 



I. FINK. DIANTHUS. 



Stiff perennials, or more rarely annuals, with narrow leaves. Calyx 

 tubular, 5 -toothed, clasped at the base or covered by 2, 4, or 6 broad 

 scales or bracts. Petals usually crenate, or jagged. Stamens 10. Styles 

 2. Capsule stalked within the calyx, opening at the top in 4 teeth or 

 short valves. 



A considerable genus, spread over Europe and Asia, with a few 

 South African species. It is also one of the most natural in the family* 

 readily known by the scales under the calyx. 



