PINK FAMILY 
45 
fewer. Ovary superior, 1-celled (rarely 3-celled), the ovules on a cen¬ 
tral placenta. Styles 2 to 5. Fruit a pod opening by valves or teeth at 
the summit, or 1-seeded and indehiscent.—Species 1200 to 1500, all parts 
of the earth. 
Sepals united into a 5-toothed calyx; petals with long claws; stamens 10; stipules 
none.1. Silene. 
Sepals distinct or nearly so ; petals without claws; stamens 10, 5, or fewer. 
Stipules none. 
Petals not entire. 
Petals retuse or bifid ; styles 5.2. Cerastium. 
Petals parted almost to base into 2 narrow segments ; styles 3 or 4 .... 
3. Stellaria. 
Petals entire ; styles 3.4. Arenaria. 
Stipules present, scarious ; petals entire. 
Styles 3 ; leaves opposite......5. Spergularia. 
Styles 5 ; leaves apparently whorled.6. Spergula. 
1. SILENE L. Catch-Fly. Campion 
Herbage more or less viscid. Flowers mostly large and showy. Calyx 
tubular or inflated. Summit of claw of petals commonly furnished with a 
scale or appendage. Stamens 10. Styles 3, rarely 4. Pod opening by 3 
or 6 teeth. (Greek sialon, saliva, the stem and other parts viscid.) 
Annuals; flowers in a 1-sided raceme; petal blades more or less twisted. 
1. S. gallic a. 
Perennials; flowers in an open or narrow panicle ; petal blades plane. 
Corolla crimson ; petal claws not woolly ; flowers in an open panicle. 
Corolla 2.4 to 3.6 cm. broad.2. S. californica. 
Corolla 1.2 to 1.8 cm. broad.3. N. laciniata. 
Corolla rose-color, 1.2 to 1.8 cm. broad; petals 2 cleft, the claws woolly: 
flowers in a spike-like panicle.4. .S’. verecunda. 
1. S. gallica L. Windmill Pink. Erect, simple or branched from 
the base, 2.4 to 3.6 dm. high; herbage hairy; leaves spatulate-obovate; 
flowers in a mostly 1-sided raceme; petals white or pink, entire; ovary 
almost completely 3-celled.—Very common weed nat. from Eur. 
2. S. califomica Dur. Indian Pink. Stems several from a deep 
tap-root, erect or half-erect or reclining amongst bushes, leafy, 1.5 to 10 
dm. long; leaves elliptic-ovate to oblanceolate, more or less acuminate, 2.4 
to 7 cm. long; corolla scarlet; petals cleft, the segments bifid and toothed, 
or the lateral small and entire; ovary sessile.—Cent, and n. Cal. 
3. S. laciniata Cav. Stems 5.7 to 14 dm. high ; leaves linear- to oblong- 
lanceolate, or sometimes oblanceolate; flowers bright scarlet; blade of 
petals 4-cleft, the lobes again cleft or the lateral reduced to small teeth; 
ovary on a stipe.—S. Cal. n. to Monterey Co. 
4. S. verecunda Wats. Stems several from a thick taproot, 2.8 to 3.6 
dm. high, leafy, especially at base; basal leaves oblong- or linear-lanceo¬ 
late, petioled, the upper smaller, sessile or less distinctly petioled; petals 
rose-red, the blade cleft to the middle into entire or toothed lobes.—Cent, 
and S. Cal. 
2. CERASTIUM L. Mouse-ear Chickweed 
Pubescent herbs. Flowers white, in dichotomous cymes. Petals retuse 
or bifid. Stamens 10 or 5. Styles 5. Pod elongated, cylindric, often 
curved, usually exceeding the calyx, opening at summit by 10 teeth. 
(Greek keras, a horn, in allusion to the elongated curved capsules.) 
