13. HÉSPERIS, Tourn. Rocket.

Pod linear, nearly cylindrical; stigma lobed, erect. Seeds in 1 row in each cell, oblong, marginless. Cotyledons incumbent.—Biennial or perennial, with serrate sessile or petiolate leaves, and large purple flowers. (Name from ἑσπέρα, evening, from the evening fragrance of the flowers.)

H. matronàlis, L. (Dame's Violet.) Tall; leaves lanceolate, acuminate, mostly petiolate; pods 2–4´ long, spreading.—Sparingly naturalized. (Nat. from Eu.)

14. ERÝSIMUM, Tourn. Treacle Mustard.

Pod linear, 4-sided, the valves keeled with a strong midrib; stigma broadly lobed. Seeds in 1 row in each cell, oblong, marginless. Cotyledons (often obliquely) incumbent.—Chiefly biennials, with yellow flowers; the leaves not clasping. Pubescence of appressed 2–3-parted hairs. (Name from ἐρύω, to draw blisters.)

1. E. ásperum, DC. (Western Wall-flower.) Minutely roughish-hoary; stem simple, leaves lanceolate to linear, entire or somewhat toothed; pods nearly erect or widely spreading on short pedicels, elongated (3–4´ long), exactly 4-sided; stigma 2-lobed.—Ohio (on limestone cliffs) to Ill., Ark., Dak., and common westward. June, July.—Plant stout, 1–2° high; the crowded bright orange-yellow flowers as large as those of the Wall-flower. Petals orbicular, on very slender claws.

2. E. cheiranthoìdes, L. (Worm-seed Mustard.) Minutely roughish, branching, slender; leaves lanceolate, scarcely toothed; flowers small; pods small and short (7–12´´ long), very obtusely angled, ascending on slender divergent pedicels.—Banks of streams, Mass. to Penn., Minn., and northward. July. (Eu.)

3. E. parviflòrum, Nutt. Stem erect, often simple; leaves linear-oblanceolate, entire or the lowest coarsely toothed; flowers small (3´´ long); pods narrow, 1–2½´ long, ascending on short pedicels.—Minn. to Kan. and westward.

15. SISÝMBRIUM, Tourn. Hedge Mustard.

Pod terete, flattish or 4–6-sided, the valves 1–3-nerved; stigma small, entire. Seeds oblong, marginless, in 1 or 2 rows in each cell. Cotyledons incumbent. Calyx open.—Flowers small, white or yellow. Pubescence spreading. (An ancient Greek name for some plant of this family.) Ours are mostly annuals or biennials.

1. S. hùmile, Meyer. Perennial, branching from the base, sparingly pubescent, 6´ high or less; leaves narrowly oblanceolate, mostly coarsely and sharply toothed; flowers white or rose-color; pods very narrow, subterete, 4–9´´ long, ascending on short pedicels, beaked with a short style, seeds 1-ranked. (Arabis petræa, Man., not Lam.)—Willoughby Mountain, Vt.; Canada and westward. (N. Asia.)

S. Sóphia, L. A similar hoary species, with decompound leaves; pods slender, 6–15´´ long, ascending; seeds 1-ranked.—Sparingly naturalized from Europe.

S. officinàle, Scop. (Hedge Mustard.) Leaves runcinate; flowers very small, pale yellow; pods awl-shaped, close pressed to the stem, scarcely stalked.—Waste places. May–Sept.—An unsightly branched weed, 2–3° high. (Nat. from Eu.)

S. Thaliàna, Gaud. (Mouse-ear Cress.) Leaves obovate or oblong, entire or barely toothed; flowers white; pods linear, somewhat 4-sided, longer than the slender spreading pedicels.—Old fields and rocks, Mass. to Kan. April, May.—A span high, slender, branched, hairy at the base. (Nat. from Eu.)

S. Alliària, Scop. Stout, erect; leaves reniform to ovate-cordate, coarsely repand-dentate; flowers white; pods tapering, 1–2´ long, ascending on very stout spreading pedicels.—Near Georgetown, D. C. (Nat. from Eu.)

16. THELYPÒDIUM, Endl.

Pod terete or teretish; valves 1-nerved; stigma mostly entire. Seeds in 1 row in each cell, oblong, marginless. Cotyledons obliquely incumbent.—Stout biennials or perennials, with mostly large purplish or white flowers. Leaves or petioles often auricled at base. (Name from θῆλυς, female, and πούς, foot, the ovary in some species being stipitate.)

1. T. pinnatífidum, Watson. Glabrous (1–3° high), often branched above; root-leaves round or heart-shaped, on slender petioles; stem-leaves auricled, ovate-oblong and ovate-lanceolate (2–6´ long), sharply and often doubly toothed, tapering to each end, the lower into a winged petiole, rarely bearing a pair or two of small lateral lobes; flowers purplish; pods 1–1½´ long, on short diverging pedicels, pointed by a short style. (Arabis hesperidoides, Gray.) Alluvial river-banks, Ohio to Minn., Mo., and southwestward. May, June.

17. BRÁSSICA (Brassica and Sinàpis), Tourn.

Pod linear or oblong, nearly terete or 4-sided, with a stout 1-seeded beak or a rigid style; valves 1–5-nerved. Seeds globose, 1-rowed. Cotyledons incumbent, folded around the radicle.—Annuals or biennials, with yellow flowers. Lower leaves mostly lyrate, incised, or pinnatifid. (The Latin name of the Cabbage. Sinapis is the Greek σίναπι, which is said to come from the Celtic nap, a turnip.)

B. Sinapístrum, Boiss. (or Sinàpis arvénsis, L., the English Charlock), with knotty pods, fully one third occupied by a stout 2-edged beak (which is either empty or 1-seeded), the upper leaves barely toothed, is a noxious weed in grain-fields, from N. Eng. to Penn. and N. Y. westward. (Adv. from Eu.)

B. (or Sinàpis) álba. (White Mustard.) Pods bristly, ascending on spreading pedicels, more than half its length occupied by the sword-shaped 1-seeded beak; leaves all pinnatifid; seeds pale. (Cult. and adv. from Eu.)

B. campéstris, L., in the form of the Rutabaga and the Turnip, sometimes persists a year or two in neglected grounds.

18. CAPSÉLLA, Medic. Shepherd's Purse.

Pod obcordate-triangular, flattened contrary to the narrow partition; the valves boat-shaped, wingless. Seeds numerous. Cotyledons incumbent.—Annuals; flowers small, white. (Name a diminutive of capsa, a box.)

C. Bursa-pastòris, Moench. Root-leaves clustered, pinnatifid or toothed; stem-leaves arrow-shaped, sessile.—Waste places; the commonest of weeds. April–Sept. (Nat. from Eu.)

19. THLÁSPI, Tourn. Pennycress.

Pod orbicular, obovate, or obcordate, flattened contrary to the narrow partition, the midrib or keel of the boat-shaped valves extended into a wing. Seeds 2–8 in each cell. Cotyledons accumbent. Petals equal.—Low plants, with root-leaves undivided, stem-leaves arrow-shaped and clasping, and small white or purplish flowers. (Ancient Greek name, from θλάω, to crush, from the flattened pod.)

T. arvénse, L. (Field P. or Mithridate Mustard.) A smooth annual, with broadly winged pod ½´ in diameter, several seeded, deeply notched at top; style minute.—Waste places; rarely naturalized. (Nat. from Eu.)

20. LEPÍDIUM, Tourn. Pepperwort. Peppergrass.

Pod roundish, much flattened contrary to the narrow partition; the valves boat-shaped and keeled. Seeds solitary in each cell, pendulous. Cotyledons incumbent, or in n. 1 accumbent! Flowers small, white or greenish. (Name from λεπίδιον, a little scale, alluding to the small flat pods.)—Ours are annuals or biennials, except the last.

[*] Leaves all with a tapering base, the upper linear or lanceolate and entire, the lower and often the middle ones incised or pinnatifid; pods orbicular or oval, with a small notch at the top; the style minute or none; stamens only 2.

1. L. Virgínicum, L. (Wild Peppergrass.) Cotyledons accumbent and seed minutely margined; pod marginless or obscurely margined at the top; petals present, except in some of the later flowers.—June–Sept. A common roadside weed, which has immigrated from farther south.

2. L. intermèdium, Gray. Cotyledons incumbent as in the following; pod minutely wing-margined at the top; petals usually minute or wanting; otherwise nearly as in n. 1.—Dry places, from western N. Y. and N. Ill., north and westward.

L. ruderàle, L. More diffuse, the smaller and oval pods and the seeds marginless; petals always wanting.—Roadsides, near Boston, Philadelphia, etc.; not common. (Adv. from Eu.)

[*][*] Stem-leaves with a sagittate partly clasping base, rather crowded.

L. campéstre, Br. Minutely soft downy; leaves arrow-shaped, somewhat toothed; pods ovate, winged, rough, the style longer than the narrow notch.—Old fields, Mass. and N. Y. to Va.; rare. (Nat. from Eu.)

L. Dràba, L. Perennial, obscurely hoary; leaves oval or oblong, the upper with broad clasping auricles; flowers corymbose; pods heart-shaped, wingless, thickish, entire, tipped with a conspicuous style.—Astoria, near New York, D. C. Eaton. (Adv. from Eu.)

Pod flattened contrary to the narrow partition; the two cells indehiscent and falling away at maturity from the partition as closed nutlets, strongly wrinkled or tuberculate, 1 seeded. Cotyledons narrow and incumbently folded transversely. Low and diffuse or prostrate annuals or biennials, with minute whitish flowers. Stamens often only 2. (Dedicated to J. Senebier, a distinguished vegetable physiologist.)

S. dídyma, Pers. Leaves 1–2-pinnately parted; pods notched at the apex, rough-wrinkled.—Waste places, at ports, E. Mass. to Va., etc.; an immigrant from farther south.

S. Coronòpus, DC. Leaves less divided, with narrower lobes; pods not notched at the apex, tubercled.—At ports, R. I. to Va., etc. (Adv. from Eu.)

22. CAKÌLE, Tourn. Sea-Rocket.

Pod short, 2-jointed across, fleshy, the upper joint separating at maturity; each indehiscent, 1-celled and 1-seeded, or the lower sometimes seedless. Seed erect in the upper, suspended in the lower joint. Cotyledons obliquely accumbent.—Seaside fleshy annuals. Flowers purplish. (An old Arabic name.)

1. C. Americàna, Nutt. (American Sea-Rocket.) Leaves obovate, sinuate and toothed; lower joint of the fruit obovoid, emarginate; the upper ovate, flattish at the apex.—Coast of the Northern States and of the Great Lakes. July–Sept.—Joints nearly even and fleshy when fresh; the upper one 4-angled and appearing more beaked when dry.

23. RÁPHANUS, Tourn. Radish.

Pods linear or oblong, tapering upward, indehiscent, several-seeded, continuous and spongy within between the seeds, or necklace-form by constriction between the seeds, with no proper partition. Style long. Seeds spherical and cotyledons conduplicate, as in Brassica.—Annuals or biennials. (The ancient Greek name from ῥαι, quickly, and φαίνω, to appear, alluding to the rapid germination.)

R. Raphanístrum, L. (Wild Radish. Jointed Charlock.) Pods necklace-form, long-beaked; leaves lyre-shaped, rough; petals yellow, turning whitish or purplish, veiny.—A troublesome weed in fields, E. New Eng. to Penn. (Adv. from Eu.)

Order 11. CAPPARIDÀCEÆ. (Caper Family.)

Herbs (when in northern regions), with cruciform flowers, but 6 or more not tetradynamous stamens, a 1-celled pod with 2 parietal placentæ, and kidney-shaped seeds.—Pod as in Cruciferæ, but with no partition; seeds similar, but the embryo coiled rather than folded. Leaves alternate, mostly palmately compound.—Often with the acrid or pungent qualities of Cruciferæ (as in capers, the flower-buds of Cápparis spinòsa).

1. Polanisia. Stamens 8 or more. Pod many-seeded, not or scarcely stipitate.

2. Cleome. Stamens 6. Pod linear, many-seeded, long stipitate.

3. Cleomella. Stamens 6. Pod very short, rhomboidal, few-seeded, long-stipitate.

1. POLANÍSIA, Raf.

1. P. gravèolens, Raf. Leaves with 3 oblong leaflets; stamens about 11, scarcely exceeding the petals; style short; pod slightly stipitate.—Gravelly shores, from Conn. and W. Vt. to Minn. and Kan. June–Aug.—Flowers small (2–3´´ long); calyx and filaments purplish; petals yellowish-white.

2. P. trachyspérma, Torr. & Gray. Flowers larger (4–5´´ long), the stamens (12–16) long-exserted; style 2–3´´ long; pod sessile; seeds usually rough.—Iowa to Kan. and westward.

2. CLEÒME, L.

Petals entire, with claws. Stamens 6. Receptacle somewhat produced between the petals and stamens, and bearing a gland behind the stipitate ovary. Pod linear to oblong, many-seeded.—Our species a glabrous annual, with 3-foliolate leaves, leafy-bracteate racemes, and rose-colored or white flowers. (Name of uncertain derivation, early applied to some mustard-like plant.)

1. C. integrifòlia, Torr. & Gray. Calyx 4-cleft; petals with very short claws, leaflets narrowly lanceolate to oblong; bracts simple; pod oblong to linear, 1–2´ long, the stipe as long as the pedicel.—Minn. to Kan. and westward; N. Ill. Flowers showy; 2–3° high.

(Addendum) C. spinòsa, L. Viscid-pubescent, 3–4° high; a pair of short stipular spines under the petiole of each leaf; leaflets 5–7, oblong-lanceolate; flowers large, rose-purple to white; stamens 2–3´ long; stipe of the linear pod about 2´ long. (C. pungens, Willd.)—An escape from cultivation, near Mt. Carmel, Ill. (Schneck), and in waste grounds southward; also on ballast. (Int. from Trop. Amer.)

3. CLEOMÉLLA, DC.

Differing from Cleome in the clawless petals, glandless receptacle, and the short few-seeded pod with more or less distended or even conical valves. Flowers small, yellow. (Name a diminutive of Cleome.)

1. C. angustifòlia, Torr. Glabrous, 1–2° high; leaflets (3) and simple bracts linear to linear-lanceolate, acute; pod rhomboidal, the valves very bluntly conical; stipe shorter than the pedicel.—Kan. to Tex. and westward.

Order 12. RESEDÀCEÆ. (Mignonette Family.)

Herbs, with unsymmetrical 4–7-merous small flowers, a fleshy 1-sided hypogynous disk between the petals and the (3–40) stamens, bearing the latter. Calyx not closed in the bud. Capsule 3–6-lobed, 3–6-horned, 1-celled with 3–6-parietal placentæ, opening at the top before the seeds (which are as in Order 11) are full grown.—Leaves alternate, with only glands for stipules. Flowers in terminal spikes or racemes.—A small and unimportant family, of the Old World, represented by the Mignonette (Reseda odorata) and the Dyer's Weed.

1. RESÈDA, Tourn. Mignonette. Dyer's Rocket.

Petals 4–7, cleft, unequal. Stamens 12–40, on one side of the flower. (Name from resedo, to calm, in allusion to supposed sedative properties.)

R. Lutèola, L. (Dyer's Weed or Weld.) Leaves lanceolate; calyx 4-parted; petals 4, greenish-yellow; the upper one 3–5-cleft, the two lateral 3-cleft, the lower one linear and entire; capsule depressed.—Roadsides, N. Y., etc.—Plant 2° high. Used for dyeing yellow. (Adv. from Eu.)

R. Lùtea, L. Leaves irregularly pinnately parted or bipinnatifid; sepals and petals 6, stamens 15–20.—Nantucket, Mass., and ballast-grounds.

Low shrubs or herbs, with regular flowers, distinct and hypogynous mostly indefinite stamens, a persistent calyx, a 1-celled 3–5-valved capsule with as many parietal placentæ borne on the middle of the valves, and orthotropous albuminous seeds.—Sepals 5; the two external much smaller, bract-like, or sometimes wanting; the three others a little twisted in the bud. Petals 3 or 5, convolute in the opposite direction from the calyx in the bud. Anthers short, innate, on slender filaments. Style single or none. Ovules few or many, on slender stalks, with the orifice at the apex. Embryo long and slender, straightish or curved, in mealy albumen; cotyledons narrow.—Leaves simple and mostly entire, the lower usually opposite, and the upper alternate. Inert plants.

1. Helianthemum. Petals 5, crumpled in the bud, fugacious (or none). Stigma nearly sessile. Stamens and ovules numerous in the petal-bearing flowers.

2. Hudsonia. Petals 5, fugacious. Stamens 9–30. Style long and slender. Pod strictly 1-celled, 2–6-seeded. Heath-like.

3. Lechea. Petals 3, persistent. Stamens 3–12. Style none. Pod partly 3-celled, the imperfect partitions bearing broad 2-seeded placentæ.

1. HELIÁNTHEMUM, Tourn. Rock-rose.

Petals 5, crumpled in the bud, fugacious. Styles short or none in our species; stigma 3-lobed. Capsule strictly 1-celled. Embryo curved in the form of a hook or ring.—Flowers in most N. American species of two sorts, viz., primary or earlier ones, with large petals, indefinitely numerous stamens and many-seeded pods; and secondary, or later ones, which are much smaller and in clusters, with small petals or none, 3–10 stamens, and much smaller 3–few-seeded pods. The yellow flowers open only once, in sunshine, and cast their petals by the next day. (Name from ἥλιος, the sun, and ἄνθεμον, flower.)

1. H. Canadénse, Michx. (Frost-weed.) Petal-bearing flowers solitary; the small secondary flowers clustered in the axils of the leaves, nearly sessile; calyx of the large flowers hairy-pubescent, of the small ones hoary, like the stem and lower side of the lanceolate-oblong leaves.—Sandy or gravelly dry soil, Maine to Minn. and southward. June–Aug.—Stems at first simple. Corolla of the large flowers 1´ wide, producing pods 3´´ long; pods of the smaller flowers not larger than a pin's head. A variety is more hoary, and with a stronger tendency to multiply the minute clustered flowers. Late in autumn crystals of ice shoot from the cracked bark at the root, whence the popular name.

2. H. corymbòsum, Michx. Flowers all clustered at the summit of the stem or branches, the petal-bearing ones at length on slender stalks; calyx woolly.—Pine barrens, N. J. and southward along the coast.

2. HUDSÒNIA, L.

1. H. ericoìdes, L. Downy but greenish; leaves slender, awl-shaped, loose; flowers on slender naked stalks; ovary hairy.—Dry sandy soil near the coast, E. Maine to Va.; N. Conway, N. H. (Miss Minns.) May.

2. H. tomentòsa, Nutt. Hoary with down; leaves oval or narrowly oblong, 1´´ long, close-pressed and imbricated; flowers sessile or some short-peduncled.—Sandy shores, Maine to Md., and along the Great Lakes to Minn.; rarely on banks of streams inland. May, June.

3. LÉCHEA, Kalm. Pinweed.

Petals 3, narrow, flat in the bud, not longer than the calyx, withering-persistent. Stamens 3–12. Style scarcely any; stigmas 3, plumose. Pod globular, partly 3-celled; the 3 broad and thin placentæ borne on imperfect partitions, each bearing 2 seeds on the face toward the valve; in our species the placentæ curve backward and partly enclose the seeds. Embryo straightish.—Homely perennial herbs, with very small greenish or purplish flowers, in summer. (Named in honor of John Leche, a Swedish botanist.)

[*] Pubescence villous, spreading; leaves oblong; flowers very short-pedicelled in cymulose clusters.

1. L. màjor, Michx. Stem upright (1–2° high), stout, simple, very leafy, producing slender prostrate branches from the base; leaves elliptical, mucronate-pointed, alternate and opposite or sometimes whorled; flowers densely crowded; pedicels shorter than the very small depressed-globose pod; sepals narrower than its valves.—Sterile grounds; common, especially southward.

[*][*] Pubescence appressed, leaves narrower; flowers paniculate.

[+] Leaves comparatively short, broad, and thin; panicles leafy.

2. L. thymifòlia, Michx. Erect, about 2° high; stem-leaves oval or oblong (3–6´´ long), commonly somewhat hairy, some whorled or opposite, those of the rather crowded panicles more linear; pod obovate-globose, one of the narrow outer sepals often longer. (L. Novæ-Cæsareæ, Austin.)—Dry grounds near the coast, E. Mass. to Fla.

[+][+] Leaves firmer, narrow, the cauline linear to slender-subulate; panicles more naked and racemiform.

[++] Fruiting calyx globular or broadly ovoid; pod rather large, nearly globose.

3. L. mìnor, L. Rather strict, 1° high or more, usually glabrate in age; leaves of radical shoots lanceolate, rigid, 2–3´´ long, the cauline linear, 6–9´´ long; pod about 1´´ high.—Dry and sterile ground; common.

Var. marítima, Gray in herb. Stouter and more rigid, leaves of radical shoots thicker, linear, hoary, the cauline puberulent or glabrous, calyx canescent. (L. thymifolia, Pursh.; L. maritima, Leggett.)—Sandy soil near the coast, Mass. to Ga.

[++][++] Smaller-flowered; fruiting calyx narrower; pod ellipsoidal.

5. L. racemulòsa, Lam. Erect, soft-pubescent when young, soon nearly glabrous; leaves of radical shoots narrowly oblong, the cauline oblong-linear, 4–6´´ long; inflorescence loose and diffuse; fruiting calyx glabrous.—Dry and rocky soil, Long Island to Ky., and southward.

Order 14. VIOLÀCEÆ. (Violet Family.)

Herbs, with a somewhat irregular 1-spurred corolla of 5 petals, 5 hypogynous stamens with adnate introrse anthers conniving over the pistil, and a 1-celled 3-valved pod with 3 parietal placentæ.—Sepals 5, persistent. Petals imbricated in the bud. Stamens with their short and broad filaments continued beyond the anther-cells, and often coherent with each other. Style usually club-shaped, with the simple stigma turned to one side. Valves of the capsule bearing the several-seeded placentæ on their middle; after opening, each valve as it dries folds together lengthwise firmly, projecting the seeds. Seeds anatropous, rather large, with a hard seed-coat, and a large and straight embryo nearly as long as the albumen; cotyledons flat.—Leaves alternate, with stipules. Flowers axillary, nodding. (Roots slightly acrid or emetic.)

1. Viola. Sepals auricled. Lower petal spurred. Stamens distinct, the 2 lower spurred.

2. Solea. Sepals not auricled. Petals equal in length. Stamens united into a sheath.

3. Ionidium. Sepals not auricled. Petals very unequal. Filaments distinct, the anthers merely connivent.

1. VÌOLA, Tourn. Violet. Heart's-ease.

Sepals extended into ears at the base. Petals somewhat unequal, the lower one spurred at the base. Stamens closely surrounding the ovary, often slightly cohering with each other; the two lower bearing spurs which project into the spur of the corolla. Besides these conspicuous blossoms, which appear in spring, others are produced later (especially in the stemless species), on shorter peduncles or on runners, usually concealed under the leaves; these never open nor develop petals, but are fertilized in the bud, and are far more fruitful than the ordinary blossoms. (The ancient Latin name of the genus.)

§ 1. Perennials; stipules never leaf-like, the lower more or less scarious.

[*] Stemless, the leaves and scapes directly from a rootstock or from runners.

[+] Stigma large, naked, not beaked; stolons none; rootstock short and thick.

1. V. pedàta, L. (Bird-foot V.) Nearly smooth; rootstock erect, not scaly; leaves all 3–5-divided, or the earliest only parted, the lateral divisions 2–3-parted, all linear or narrowly spatulate, sometimes 2–3-toothed or cut at the apex; flower large, 1´ broad, pale or deep lilac-purple or blue.—Sandy or gravelly soil, New Eng. to Minn., and southward.—Var. bícolor, Pursh, a very handsome variety, with the two upper petals deep violet, and as it were velvety, occurs sparingly from Mass. to Md.; most common in N. J., on shale.

[++] Rootstock fleshy and thickened, never filiform nor producing runners; flowers violet or purple (rarely white); lateral petals bearded.

2. V. pedatífida, G. Don. Leaves all palmately or pedately 5–7-parted; divisions 2–3-cleft; lobes linear; otherwise like n. 3. (V. delphinifolia, Nutt.)—Rich prairies, or more often in dry poor land, Ill. to Kan. and Minn.

3. V. palmàta, L. (Common Blue V.) Glabrous to villous-pubescent; early leaves roundish-cordate or reniform and merely crenate, the sides rolled inward when young, the later very various, palmately or pedately or hastately lobed or parted, the segments obovate to linear. (V. cucullata, var. palmata, Gray.)—Moist or dryish, especially sterile, ground; very common.

Var. cucullàta, Gray. Later leaves merely crenate, not lobed. (V. cucullata, Ait.)—Low grounds; common everywhere. Both forms are very variable in the size and shape of the leaves and sepals, and in the size and color of the flowers, which are deep or pale violet-blue or purple, sometimes white or variegated with white.

4. V. sagittàta, Ait. (Arrow-leaved V.) Smoothish or hairy; leaves on short and margined, or the later often on long and naked petioles, varying from oblong-heart-shaped to halberd-shaped, arrow-shaped, oblong-lanceolate or ovate, denticulate, sometimes cut-toothed near the base, the lateral or occasionally all the (rather large purple-blue) petals bearded; spur short and thick; stigma beaked.—Dry or moist sandy places, New Eng. to Minn., and southward. Some forms pass into the last.

[++][++] Rootstocks long and filiform, extensively creeping.

[=] Flowers blue or purple.

5. V. Selkírkii, Pursh. (Great-spurred V.) Small and delicate; the filiform rootstock fibrose-rooted, no runners above ground; smooth, except the round-heart-shaped crenate leaves, which are minutely hairy on the upper surface and have a deep narrowed sinus; spur very large, thickened at the end, almost as long as the beardless pale violet petals.—Damp and shady soil, N. Maine to W. Mass., central N. Y., L. Superior (Robbins), and northward; rare.—Scapes and petioles 1–2´, the leaf ½–1¼´ long, thin; the spur 3´´ long. (Eu.)

6. V. palústris, L. (Marsh V.) Smooth; leaves round-heart-shaped and kidney-form, slightly crenate; flowers (small) pale lilac with purple streaks, nearly beardless; spur very short and obtuse.—Alpine summits of the White Mountains, N. H., and high northward. June. (Eu.)

V. odoràta, L. (Sweet Violet), cultivated in gardens, from Europe, belongs near this group, and is sparingly spontaneous in some places.

[=][=] Flowers white (small, short-spurred), mostly with brown-purple veins; lateral petals bearded or beardless. Species apparently confluent.

7. V. blánda, Willd. (Sweet White V.) Commonly glabrous; leaves round-heart-shaped or kidney-form; petals mostly beardless, the lower strongly veined.—Damp places, everywhere. Flowers faintly sweet-scented.

Var. palustrifórmis, Gray. The larger form; upper surface of the leaves sparsely and finely hairy; petals 5´´ long, oftener bearded, less distinctly veined.—Shaded mossy ground, N. Eng. to Del., and westward.

8. V. primulæfòlia, L. (Primrose-leaved V.) Smooth or a little pubescent; leaves oblong or ovate, abrupt or somewhat heart-shaped at the base; petals often acute, the lateral ones usually sparingly bearded.—Damp or dry soil, N. Eng. to Fla., toward the coast.

9. V. lanceolàta, L. (Lance-leaved Violet.) Smooth; leaves lanceolate, erect, blunt, tapering into a long-margined petiole, almost entire; petals beardless.—Damp soil; common, especially eastward.

[=][=][=] Flowers yellow.

10. V. rotundifòlia, Michx. (Round-leaved Violet.) Leaves round-ovate, heart-shaped, slightly crenate; lateral petals bearded and marked with brown lines; spur very short.—Cold woods, Maine to Minn., and south along the Alleghanies.—Smoothish; leaves 1´ broad at flowering, increasing to 3 or 4´ in the summer, then lying flat on the ground, shining above.

[*][*] Leafy-stemmed; all perennial with short rootstocks.

[+] Low, at first nearly stemless; flowers yellow; stigma concave, bearded.

11. V. Nuttàllii, Pursh. Pubescent or nearly glabrous; leaves ovate to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, entire or slightly crenate, decurrent on the petiole.—Central Kansas and westward.

[+][+] Stems erect, without root-leaves; stipules entire; spur very short; stigma beakless, pubescent.

[++] Stems naked below; flowers yellow.

12. V. pubéscens, Ait. (Downy Yellow V.) Softly pubescent (6–12´ high); leaves very broadly heart-shaped, toothed, somewhat pointed; stipules ovate or ovate-lanceolate, large; lower petals veined with purple, capsule oblong to globular, glabrous or tomentose.—Woods; common.—Var. scabriúscula, Torr. & Gray, smaller and greener, slightly pubescent (4–10´ high).—R. I. to Ky., and southwestward.

13. V. hastàta, Michx. (Halberd-leaved V.) Nearly glabrous, slender (4–10´ high); stem-leaves halberd-shaped or oblong-heart-shaped, slightly serrate, acute; stipules ovate, small.—Woods, N. Ohio (near Painesville, Miss Shattuck), mountains of Penn., and southward; rare.

[++][++] Stems more leafy and prolonged; flowers white or purplish.

14. V. Canadénsis, L. (Canada V.) Upright (1–2° high); leaves heart-shaped, pointed, serrate; stipules ovate-lanceolate, entire; petals white or whitish inside, the upper ones mostly tinged with violet beneath, the lateral bearded.—Rich woods; common northward and along the Alleghanies. May–Aug.

[+][+][+] Stems erect or spreading (at first nearly acaulescent); stipules fringe-toothed; spur oblong to cylindrical; stigma naked.

16. V. rostràta, Pursh. (Long-spurred V.) Stems ascending (3–6´ high); leaves roundish-heart-shaped, serrate, the upper acute; stipules lanceolate, large; spur slender (½´ long), longer than the pale violet beardless petals; style straight and slender; stigma terminal, beakless.—Shaded hillsides, N. New Eng. to Mich., and southward in the Alleghanies; rather rare. June, July.

17. V. canìna, L., var. Muhlenbérgii, Gray. (Dog V.) Low (3–8´ high), mostly glabrous; stems ascending, mostly simple, from the base at length producing creeping branches; leaves heart-shaped, or the lowest kidney-form, crenate, the uppermost slightly pointed; stipules lanceolate; spur cylindrical, half the length of the light violet petals, the lateral ones slightly bearded; stigma beaked.—Damp or wet shady places; common. May–July. (Eu.)—Var. pubérula, Watson in herb. Finely puberulent; leaves mostly ovate and acutish with a cordate base, often small; flowers small and mostly cleistogamous.—Sandy or stony shores and islands of Lakes Huron and Superior. (Robbins, Engelmann, etc.)—Var. multicaùlis, Gray. Depressed and stoloniferous; flowers mostly cleistogamous; leaves small, suborbicular to reniform.—Ky. to Fla. and Tex.

§ 2. Leaf-bearing throughout from an annual, biennial, or sometimes short-lived perennial root; the stipules large, leaf-like and lyrate-pinnatifid.

V. trícolor, L. (Pansy. Heart's-ease.) Stem angled and branched; leaves roundish, or the upper oval and the lowest heart-shaped, crenate or entire; petals variable in color or variegated (yellow, whitish, violet-blue and purple);—in var. arvénsis shorter or little longer than the calyx.—Dry or sandy soil, N. Y. to Iowa, Kan., and southward; the variety sometimes seeming like a native plant. April–Sept. (Nat. from Eu.)

2. SÒLEA, Spreng., in part. Green Violet.

Sepals not prolonged at the base. Petals nearly equal in length, but the lower one larger and gibbous or saccate at the base, more notched than the others at the apex. Stamens completely united into a sheath enclosing the ovary, and bearing a broad gland on the lower side. Style hooked at the summit.—A homely perennial herb, with stems leafy to the top, and 1–3 small greenish-white flowers in the axils, on short recurved pedicels. (Named in honor of W. Sole, author of an essay on the British Mints.)

1. S. cóncolor, Ging. Plant 1–2° high; leaves oblong, pointed at both ends, entire; pod 1´ long.—Woods, N. Y. to Kan., and southward. June.

3. IONÍDIUM, Vent.

Sepals not prolonged at base. Petals very unequal, the two upper shorter, the lower longest and largest, concave at base, contracted in the middle. Filaments distinct, the two lower with a scale-like gland or spur at base; anthers merely connivent.—Perennials, branching and leafy, with alternate and opposite leaves, and small axillary flowers. (Name from ἴον, violet, and εἶδος, appearance.)

Order 15. CARYOPHYLLÀCEÆ. (Pink Family.)

Herbs, with opposite entire leaves, symmetrical 4–5-merous flowers, with or without petals, the distinct stamens no more than twice the number of the sepals, either hypogynous or perigynous, styles 2–5 (or rarely united into one); seeds several or usually many, attached to the base or to the central column of the 1-celled (rarely 3–5-celled) pod, with a slender embryo coiled or curved around the outside of mealy albumen, in Dianthus nearly straight.—Bland herbs; the stems usually swollen at the joints; uppermost leaves rarely alternate. Leaves often united at the base. Calyx persistent. Styles stigmatic along the inside. Seeds amphitropous or campylotropous.

Tribe I. SILENEÆ. Sepals united into a tube or cup. Petals (mostly convolute in the bud) and stamens (10) borne on the stipe or stalk of the ovary, the former with slender claws, to the base of which the corresponding filaments often adhere, included in the calyx tube. Seeds numerous.—Stipules none. Flowers often large and showy.

[*] Calyx with scaly bractlets or small leaves at the base. Seeds flattened on the back, attached by their face; embryo nearly straight.

1. Dianthus. Calyx terete, mostly cylindrical. Styles 2.

[*][*] Calyx naked. Seeds globular or kidney-shaped; embryo curved or coiled.

2. Gypsophila. Calyx top-shaped or campanulate. Pod deeply 4-valved. Styles 2.

3. Saponaria. Calyx oblong-cylindrical, obscurely nerved, terete or 5-angled. Pod shortly 4-valved. Styles 2.

4. Silene. Calyx 5-toothed, 10-nerved. Styles 3.

5. Lychnis. Calyx 5-toothed, 10-nerved. Styles 5, rarely 4.

Tribe II. ALSINEÆ. Sepals distinct or nearly so, imbricated in the bud. Petals when present without claws, mostly imbricated, and with the stamens inserted at the base of the sessile ovary, or into a little disk. Pod splitting into valves or teeth several–many-seeded. Stamens opposite the sepals, when not more in number.—Low herbs.

[*] Stipules none.

[+] Styles opposite the sepals, or, when fewer, opposite those which are exterior in the bud.

[++] Pod short, splitting into as many valves as styles; valves often bifid or 2-parted.

6. Arenaria. Petals entire. Styles usually 3. Valves of the pod entire, bifid or 2-parted.

7. Stellaria. Petals 2-cleft or none. Styles usually 3. Valves bifid or 2-parted.

[++][++] Pod cylindrical, dehiscent by twice as many equal teeth as styles.

8. Holosteum. Petals denticulate or notched. Styles usually 3. Seeds fixed by the face.

9. Cerastium. Petals notched or 2-cleft. Styles 5 or 4. Seeds fixed edgewise.

[+][+] Styles alternate with the sepals. Stamens as many, or twice as many.

10. Sagina. Petals 4 or 5, entire, or none. Styles 4 or 5. Pod short, 4–5-valved.

[*][*] Stipules present. Pod short.

11. Buda. Styles 3. Pod 3-valved. Leaves opposite.

12. Spergula. Styles 5. Valves of the pod opposite the sepals. Leaves whorled.

Calyx cylindrical, nerved or striate, 5-toothed, subtended by 2 or more imbricated bractlets. Stamens 10. Styles 2. Pod 1-celled, 4-valved at the apex. Seeds flattish on the back; embryo scarcely curved.—Ornamental plants, of well-known aspect and value in cultivation. (Name from Διός, of Jupiter, and ἄνθος flower, i.e., Jove's own flower.)

D. Armèria, L. (Deptford Pink.) Annual; flowers clustered; bractlets of the calyx and bracts lance-awl-form, herbaceous, downy, as long as the tube; leaves linear, hairy; petals small, rose-color with white dots, crenate.—Fields, etc., eastward. July. (Adv. from Eu.)

D. pròlifer, L. Annual, smooth, slender; flowers clustered; bractlets ovate, dry, concealing the calyx; leaves few, narrow, linear, erect; petals small, pink.—N. J. and E. Penn. (Adv. from Eu.)

D. deltoìdes, L. (Maiden Pink.) Perennial; leaves short, narrowly lanceolate, downy and roughish; flowers solitary; bracts ovate, half as long as the tube; petals rose-color or white, toothed.—Mich., L. H. Bailey. (Nat. from Eu.)

D. barbàtus, L. (Sweet William.) Perennial; flowers fascicled; leaves large, lanceolate; bracts filiform-attenuate, equalling the calyx.—Sparingly spontaneous. (Adv. from Eu.)

2. GYPSÓPHILA, L.

Calyx narrowly top shaped or campanulate, 5-nerved, 5-toothed, naked at base. Petals not crowned. Stamens 10. Styles 2. Pod 1-celled, 4-valved at the apex, sessile.—Slender glaucous annuals or perennials, with numerous small flowers. (Name from γύψος, gypsum, and φιλεῖν, to love.)

G. muràlis, L. Annual, much branched; leaves very narrowly linear; flowers on slender pedicels, solitary in the forks; calyx turbinate, the teeth short, obtuse; petals purplish, crenate or emarginate.—Sparingly naturalized. (Nat. from Eu.)

3. SAPONÀRIA, L.

Calyx narrowly ovoid or oblong, 5-toothed, obscurely nerved, naked. Stamens 10. Styles 2. Pod 1-celled, or incompletely 2–4-celled at base, 4-toothed at the apex.—Coarse annuals or perennial, with large flowers. (Name from sapo, soap, the mucilaginous juice forming a lather with water.)

S. officinàlis, L. (Soapwort. Bouncing Bet.) Flowers in corymbed clusters; calyx terete; petals crowned with an appendage at the top of the claw; leaves oval-lanceolate.—Roadsides, etc. July–Sept.—A stout perennial, with large rose-colored flowers, commonly double. (Adv. from Eu.)

S. Vaccària, L. Annual, glabrous; flowers in corymbed cymes; calyx 5-angled, enlarged and wing-angled in fruit; petals pale red, not crowned; leaves ovate-lanceolate. (Vaccaria vulgaris, Host.)—Occasionally spontaneous. (Adv. from Eu.)

4. SILÈNE, L. Catchfly. Campion.

Calyx 5-toothed, 10–many-nerved, naked at the base. Stamens 10. Styles 3, rarely 4. Pod 1-celled, sometimes 3-celled at least at the base, opening by 3 or 6 teeth at the apex.—Flowers solitary or in cymes. Petals mostly crowned with a scale at the base of the blade. (Name from σίαλον, saliva, from the viscid exudation on the stems and calyx of many species. The English name Catchfly alludes to the same peculiarity.)

[*] Dwarf, alpine, tufted, smooth, perennial; flowering shoots 1-flowered.

[*][*] Calyx bladdery-inflated; perennial; flowers panicled, white, in summer.

2 S. Stellàta, Ait. (Starry Campion.) Leaves in whorls of 4, ovate-lanceolate, taper-pointed; calyx bell-shaped; petals cut into a fringe, crownless.—Wooded banks, R. I. to Minn., and southward.—Stem 3° high, with a large and open pyramidal panicle. Corolla ¾´ broad.

3. S. nívea, Otth. Leaves opposite, lanceolate or oblong, taper-pointed; calyx oblong; petals wedge-form, 2-cleft, minutely crowned.—Penn. to Iowa and Minn.; rare.—Stem 1–2° high, almost smooth. Flowers few, larger than in the last.

S. Cucùbalus, Wibel. (Bladder Campion.) Glaucous; leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate; calyx globular, much inflated, elegantly veined; petals 2-cleft, nearly crownless. (S. inflata, Smith.)—Fields and roadsides, E. New Eng. to Ill.—A foot high. Flowers loosely cymose. (Nat. from Eu.)

[*][*][*] Calyx elongated or club-shaped, not inflated except by the enlarging pod; flowers cymose or clustered; perennial, pubescent with viscid hairs, especially the calyx; petals crowned, red or rose-color.

4. S. Pennsylvánica, Michx. (Wild Pink.) Stems low (4–8´); root-leaves narrowly spatulate, nearly glabrous, tapering into hairy petioles; stem-leaves (2 or 3 pairs) lanceolate; flowers clustered, short-stalked; calyx club-shaped; petals wedge-form, slightly notched and eroded, pink.—Gravelly places, E. New Eng. to N. Y., Ky., and southward. April–June.

5. S. Virgínica, L. (Fire Pink. Catchfly.) Steins slender (1–2° high); leaves thin, spatulate, or the upper oblong-lanceolate; flowers few and loosely cymose, peduncled; calyx oblong-cylindrical, soon obconical; petals oblong, 2-cleft, deep crimson; the limb 1´ long.—Open woods, western N. Y. to Minn., and southward. June–Aug.

6. S. règia, Sims. (Royal Catchfly.) Stem roughish, erect (3–4° high); leaves thickish, ovate-lanceolate, acute; flowers numerous, short-stalked, in clusters, forming a strict panicle; calyx ovoid-club-shaped in fruit; petals spatulate-lanceolate, mostly undivided, deep scarlet.—Prairies, Ohio to Mo., and southward. July.

7. S. rotundifòlia, Nutt. (Round-leaved Catchfly.) Viscid-hairy; stems weak, branched, decumbent (2° long); leaves thin, round, abruptly pointed, the lower obovate; flowers few, loosely cymose, stalked; calyx elongated; petals 2-cleft and cut-toothed, deep scarlet.—Shaded banks of the Ohio, and in Ky. June–Aug.—Leaves and flowers large.

[*][*][*][*] Calyx not inflated, except by the enlarging pod; annuals.

[+] Glabrous, a portion of each joint of the stem glutinous; flowers pink.

8. S. antirrhìna, L. (Sleepy C.) Stem slender (8–30´ high); leaves lanceolate or linear; flowers small, paniculate; calyx ovoid; petals obcordate, crowned, opening transiently in sunshine.—Dry soil; common in waste places. June–Sept.

S. Armèria, L. (Sweet-William Catchfly.) Glaucous; leaves ovate-lanceolate; flowers in flat cymes, open in sunshine; calyx club-shaped; petals notched, crowned with awl-shaped scales.—Escaped from gardens; rare. (Adv. from Eu.)

S. noctúrna, L. (Night C.) Leaves short, the lower spatulate, the upper linear; flowers small, alternate in a 1-sided spike; petals 2-parted.—Introduced sparingly in Pa., according to Schweinitz. (Adv. from Eu.)

S. noctiflòra, L. (Night-flowering C.) Viscid-hairy, tall (1–3° high); lower leaves large and spatulate, the upper lanceolate; flowers few, peduncled; calyx-tube elongated (over 1´ long), soon ovoid, with awl-shaped teeth; petals rather large, 2-parted, crowned.—Cultivated grounds.

5. LÝCHNIS, Tourn. Cockle.

Styles 5, rarely 4, and pod opening by as many or twice as many teeth; otherwise nearly as in Silene. Calyx in one species with leaf-like lobes. (Ancient Greek name for a scarlet or flame-colored species, from λύχνος, a light or lamp.)

L. vespertìna, Sibth. (Evening L.) Biennial, usually diœcious, viscid-pubescent, in foliage, etc., like Silene noctiflora; but 5 styles, calyx much shorter (7–9´´ long), with lance-linear teeth, and flowers white or pinkish, opening at evening.—Cult. or waste grounds; scarce. (Adv. from En.)

L. diúrna, Sibth. (Red Lychnis.) Resembling L. vespertina, but less viscid, the calyx usually shorter (4–6´´ long), and the flowers red, opening in the morning.—Rarely spontaneous. (Adv. from Eu.)

L. Githàgo, Lam. (Corn Cockle.) Annual, clothed with long soft appressed hairs; flowers long-peduncled; calyx-lobes similar to the long and linear leaves, surpassing the broad and crownless purple-red petals, falling off in fruit. (Agrostémma Githago, L.)—In wheat-fields. (Adv. from Eu.)

L. Flos-cùculi, L. (Ragged Robin.) Perennial, erect, slightly downy below, viscid above; leaves narrowly lanceolate; flowers in loose panicles; calyx short, glabrous; petals red, 4-lobed, lobes linear.—Moist or marshy places; New Eng. and N. Y. (Adv. from Eu.)

6. ARENÀRIA, L. Sandwort.

Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire, sometimes barely notched, rarely wanting. Stamens 10. Styles 3, rarely more or fewer, opposite as many sepals. Pod short, splitting into as many or twice as many valves as there are styles, few–many-seeded.—Low, usually tufted herbs, with sessile exstipulate leaves and small white flowers. (Name from arena, sand, in which many of the species grow.)—The following sections are by many botanists taken for genera.

§ 1. ARENARIA proper. Pod splitting wholly or part-way down into 3 or at length into 6 valves; seeds many, naked at the hilum.

A. serpyllifòlia, L. (Thyme-leaved Sandwort.) Diffusely branched, roughish (2–6´ high); leaves ovate, acute, small; cymes leafy; sepals lanceolate, pointed, 3–5-nerved, about equalling the petals and 6-toothed pod.—A low annual; sandy waste places. June–Aug. (Nat. from Eu.)

§ 2. ALSÌNE. Pod splitting to the base into 3 entire valves; seeds many, usually rough, naked at the hilum; flowers solitary and terminal or cymose; root in our species perennial, except in n. 4.

[*] Leaves small, rigid, awl-shaped or bristle-shaped.

1. A. Caroliniàna, Walt. (Pine-barren S.) Densely tufted from a deep perpendicular root; leaves closely imbricated, but spreading, awl-shaped, short, channelled; branches naked and minutely glandular above, several-flowered; sepals obtuse, ovate, shorter than the pod. (A. squarrosa, Michx.)—In pure sand, S. New York, N. J., and southward along the coast. May–July.

3. A. vérna, L. Dwarf, alpine, densely matted, glabrous or (var. hirta) somewhat pubescent, 1–3´ high; leaves narrowly linear or awl-shaped; flowers loosely cymose; sepals lanceolate, pointed, 3-nerved, shorter than the pod. —Smuggler's Notch, Vt. (Pringle); north and westward. (Eu.)

[*][*] Leaves soft and herbaceous, filiform-linear; petals retuse or notched.

4. A. pátula, Michx. Diffusely branched from the slender root; stems filiform (6–10´ long); branches of the cyme diverging; peduncles long; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, 3–5-nerved. (A. Pitcheri, Nutt.)—S. W. Va. to Ky., Ill., Kan., and southward.

5. A. Grœnlándica, Spreng. (Mountain S.) Densely tufted from slender roots, smooth; flowering stems filiform, erect (2–4´ high), few-flowered; sepals oblong, obtuse, nerveless.—Summit of the Shawangunk, Catskill, and Adirondack Mountains, N. Y., of the higher mountains of New Eng., and northward; alpine or subalpine. At Bath, Maine, on river-banks near the sea, and near Middletown, Ct. June–Aug.—Leaves and peduncles 3–6´´ long; flowers large in proportion. (Addendum)—Arenaria Grœnlandica. Found on Mt. Desert Island, Maine (Rand).

§ 3. MŒHRÍNGIA. Parts of the flower sometimes in fours; pod as in § 1, but the young ovary 3-celled; seeds rather few, smooth, with a thickish appendage (strophiole) at the hilum; perennials, with flaccid broadish leaves.

6. A. lateriflòra, L. Sparingly branched, erect, minutely pubescent; leaves oval or oblong, obtuse (½–1´ long); peduncles 2- (rarely 3–4) flowered, soon becoming lateral; sepals oblong, obtuse.—Gravelly shores, etc., New Eng. to Penn., Mo., Minn., and northward. May, June. (Eu.)

§ 4. AMMADÈNIA. Styles, cells of the ovary, and valves of the fleshy pod 3, rarely 4 or 5; seeds few, smooth, short-beaked at the naked hilum; disk under the ovary more prominent than usual, glandular, 10-lobed; flowers almost sessile in the axils, sometimes diœcious or polygamous; root perennial.

7. A. peploìdes, L. Stems (simple or forking from long rootstocks, 6–10´ high) and ovate partly-clasping leaves (8–10´´ long) very fleshy. (Honkenya peploides, Ehrh.)—Sands of the sea-shore, N. J. to Maine and northward. June. (Eu.)

7. STELLÀRIA, L. Chickweed. Starwort.

Sepals 4–5. Petals 4–5, deeply 2-cleft, sometimes none. Stamens 8, 10, or fewer. Styles 3, rarely 4 or 5, opposite as many sepals. Pod ovoid, 1-celled, opening by twice as many valves as there are styles, several–many-seeded. Seeds naked.—Flowers (white) solitary or cymose, terminal, or appearing lateral by the prolongation of the stem from the upper axils. (Name from stella, a star, in allusion to the star-shaped flowers.)

[*] Stems spreading, flaccid, marked longitudinally with one or two pubescent lines; leaves ovate or oblong, ½–2½´ long.

S. mèdia, Smith. (Common Chickweed.) Annual or nearly so; lower leaves on hairy petioles, petals shorter than the calyx, 2-parted, stamens 3–10.—Everywhere in damp grounds. (Nat. from Eu.)

[*][*] Stems erect or spreading; wholly glabrous perennials, with sessile and narrow or small leaves; stamens usually 10, perigynous.

[+] Scaly-bracted; petals 2-parted, equalling or surpassing the calyx.

2. S. longifòlia, Muhl. (Long-leaved Stitchwort.) Stem erect, weak, often with rough angles (8–18´ high); leaves linear, acutish at both ends, spreading; cymes naked and at length lateral, peduncled, many-flowered, the slender pedicels spreading; petals 2-parted, longer than the calyx; seeds smooth.—Grassy places; common, especially northward. June, July. (Eu.)

3. S. lóngipes, Goldie. (Long-stalked S.) Shining or somewhat glaucous, very smooth; leaves ascending, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, broadest at the base, rather rigid; cyme terminal, few-flowered, the long pedicels strictly erect; petals longer than the calyx; seeds smooth.—Maine to Minn., rare; common farther north. (Eu.)

S. gramínea, L. Resembling the last; leaves linear-lanceolate, broadest above the base; pedicels widely spreading; seeds strongly but minutely rugose.—Becoming rather frequent. (Int. from Eu.)

4. S. uliginòsa, Murr. (Swamp S.) Stems weak, decumbent or diffuse, at length prolonged, leaving the naked and usually sessile cymes lateral; leaves lanceolate or oblong, veiny; petals and ripe pods as long as the calyx; seeds roughened.—Swamps and rills, Md. to N. Eng., and northward; rare. (Eu.)

[+][+] Flowers terminal or in the forks of the stem or of leafy branches; bracts foliaceous; petals 2-parted, small or often none; styles 3–4; pod longer than the calyx.

5. S. crassifòlia, Ehrh. Stems diffuse or erect, flaccid; leaves rather fleshy, varying from linear-lanceolate to oblong; petals longer than the calyx, or wanting; seeds rugose-roughened.—Springy places, eastern Ky. (Short), Ringwood, Ill. (Vasey), and northward. April–June. (Eu.)

6. S. boreàlis, Bigel. (Northern S.) Stems erect or spreading, flaccid, many times forked, at length resolved into a leafy cyme; leaves varying from broadly lanceolate to ovate-oblong; petals 2–5, shorter than the calyx, or oftener none; sepals acute; styles usually 4; seeds smooth.—Shaded or wet places, R. I. to Minn., and northward. June–Aug.—Var. alpéstris has the later flowers more cymose, and their bracts small and partly scarious, also the seeds obscurely reticulated or roughish.—Lake Superior, Dr. Robbins. (Eu.) (Addendum)—Stellaria borealis. In the mountains of northern N. J.

7. S. humifùsa, Rottb. Spreading or creeping; stems or branches (2´ high) 1–3-flowered; leaves fleshy, ovate or oblong (2–3´´ long); petals a little longer than the calyx; seeds smooth.—Northern border of Maine on the St. John's (G. L. Goodale), and high northward. June. (Eu.) (Addendum) S. humifusa. This species has also been found on Cranberry Island, near Mt. Desert, Maine, by J. H. Redfield.

8. HOLÓSTEUM, L. Jagged Chickweed.

H. umbellàtum, L. Leaves oblong; peduncle and upper part of the stem glandular-pubescent; pedicels reflexed after flowering.—Hills around Lancaster, Penn., Prof. Porter, and Morris Co., N. J., C. F. Austin. (Nat. from Eu.)

9. CERÁSTIUM, L. Mouse-ear Chickweed.

Sepals 5, rarely 4. Petals as many, 2-lobed or cleft, rarely entire. Stamens twice as many, or fewer. Styles equal in number to the sepals and opposite them. Pod 1-celled, usually elongated, membranaceous, opening at the apex by twice as many teeth as there were styles, many-seeded. Seeds rough.—Flowers white, in terminal cymes. Our species have the petals 2-cleft or obcordate, the parts of the flower always in fives, and the exserted pods more or less curved. (Name from κέρας, a horn, alluding to the shape of the pod in many species.)

C. viscòsum, L. (Mouse-ear Chickweed.) Annual, hairy and rather clammy, nearly erect (4–9´ high); leaves ovate or obovate to oblong-spatulate; bracts herbaceous; flowers small in close clusters at first, pedicels even in fruit not longer than the acute sepals; petals shorter than the calyx. (C. vulgatum, L. Herb., and Man. The names of this and the next were transposed in the Linnæan herbarium, which has caused much confusion. They are here applied as originally by Linnæus, and by many recent botanists. Others substitute for this the later name, C. glomeràtum, Thuill.)—Grassy places, eastward and southward; not common. May–July.—Stamens often 5. (Nat. from Eu.)

C. vulgàtum, L. (Larger M.) Perennial; stems clammy-hairy, spreading (6–15´ long); leaves oblong; upper bracts scarious-margined; flowers larger (sepals 2–3´´ long), at first clustered, the fruiting pedicels longer, the earlier ones mostly much longer than the obtuse sepals; petals equalling the calyx. (C. viscosum, L. Herb., and Man. C. triviàle, Link.)—Fields and copses; common, perhaps indigenous. May–July. (Nat. from Eu.)

1. C. nùtans, Raf. Annual, very clammy-pubescent; stems erect, slender, grooved, diffusely branched (6–20´ high); cyme loose and open, many-flowered; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, the lowest spatulate; peduncles mostly elongated; petals longer than the calyx; pods nodding on the stalks, curved upward, thrice the length of the calyx.—Moist places, Vt. to Minn., and southward. May–July.

2. C. arvénse, L. (Field Chickweed.) Perennial; stems ascending or erect, tufted, downy or nearly smooth, slender (4–8´ high), naked and few–several-flowered at the summit; leaves linear or narrowly lanceolate; petals obcordate, more than twice the length of the calyx; pods scarcely longer than the calyx.—Dry or rocky places. May–July. (Eu.)