PM 
PINK FAMILY 
( Caryophyllacece) 
(A) Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) (Euro¬ 
pean). Although this is an introduced weed, so hardy 
and prolific is it that probably it now exceeds in num¬ 
bers any of our indigenous plants. It grows profusely 
about dooryards and along roadsides everywhere. The 
corolla consists of five white, very deeply cleft petals, 
and the calyx of the same number of larger and longer 
green sepals. The leaves are ovate, small, opposite, on 
small stems about the length of the leaves. The plant 
stem is either simple or branched and ranges from 2 
to 10 in. in height. 
(B) Long-leaved Stitchwort (8. longifolia) has 
larger flowers than the last, but the petals are very 
narrow and so deeply cleft as to appear to be ten in 
number instead of five. The sepals are nearly but not 
quite as long as the petals. The stem is weak and usu¬ 
ally supported by surrounding grasses or vegetation. 
The leaves are small, linear and pointed at both ends. 
Common everywhere in wet places. 
00 
