124 



THE PINK FAMILY. 



Tig. 156. 



down, and erect again when the capsule 

 is ripe. Sepals near 2 lines long, white 

 and scarious at the edges. Petals white, 

 rather longer. 



On sandy and stony wastes, fields, and 

 roadsides, very common in southern Eu- 

 rope and western Asia, extending more 

 sparingly over central Europe to south- 

 ern Sweden. In Britain, only in Nor- 

 folk and Suffolk. 



X. CEItAST. CEKASTIUM. 



Annual or perennial herbs, usually downy or hairy, and branching at 

 the base, with white flowers in terminal forked cymes, or rarely soli- 

 tary ; the upper bracts often, like the sepals, scarious on the edges. 

 Sepals 5, rarely 4. Petals 5, rarely 4, usually 2-cleft, sometimes mi- 

 nute or wanting. Stamens 10, or occasionally reduced to 5 or fewer. 

 Styles 5, rarely 4 or 3. Capsule opening at the top in twice as many 

 short teeth as there are styles. 



A considerable genus, widely diffused over the whole range of the 

 family, and rather a natural one, differing generally from Stanvort in 

 its capsule, from the other British Alsinece by the cleft petals. 



Annual or biennial. Petals shorter, or scarcely longer than 



the calyx 1. Common C. 



Perennials. Petals considerably longer than the calyx. 

 Styles always 5. 



Leaves narrow, pointed 2. Field C. 



Leaves oblong or ovate, and obtuse 3. Alpine C. 



Styles mostly 3. Leaves narrow 4. Starwort C. 



An eastern species, with cottony leaves, C. tomentosum, is not un- 

 frequently cultivated in our cottage gardens. 



