Herbs, with opposite entire leaves, and minute flowers without petals.

(Prostrate spreading or freely branched plants, 3 dm. high or less; flowers in summer.)

1a. Stipules none; leaves slightly connate at base, subulate =Knawel, Scleranthus annuus.=

1b. Stipules present, but small; leaves elliptical or oval (Forked Chickweed) --2.

2a. Stems p.u.b.escent; internodes seldom more than 1 cm. long =Forked Chickweed, Anychia polygonoides.=

2b. Stems smooth; internodes about 2 cm. long =Forked Chickweed, Anychia canadensis.=

AIZOACEAE, the Carpet-weed Family

Prostrate herbs, with whorled leaves and small whitish axillary flowers without petals, in summer.

One species in Michigan =Carpet-weed, Mollugo verticillata.=

CARYOPHYLLACEAE, the Pink Family

Herbs, with opposite or whorled entire leaves, and stems frequently swollen at the nodes. Sepals 4 or 5; petals separate, as many as the sepals, or rarely none; stamens twice as many as the petals in plants with conspicuous flowers, sometimes fewer in those with small flowers; ovary 1-celled, with the ovules on a central axis, and with 2-5 styles.

1a. Calyx spreading, of separate sepals; flowers 15 mm. wide or less; petals sometimes none --2.

1b. Calyx tubular, of united sepals; flowers in many species more than 15 mm. wide; petals always present --22.

2a. Stipules present --3.

2b. Stipules none --4.

3a. Leaves opposite; flowers pink (about 1 dm. high; summer) =Sand Spurrey, Spergularia rubra.=

3b. Leaves whorled; flowers white (1-5 dm. high; leaves linear; summer) =Spurrey, Spergula arvensis.=

4a. Leaves subulate or thread-like --5.

4b. Leaves linear to ovate --7.

5a. Leaves opposite (1 dm. high or less; flowers white, summer) =Pearlwort, Sagina proc.u.mbens.=

5b. Leaves fascicled in the axils --6.

6a. Styles 4 or 5 (1 dm. high; terminal white flowers 5 mm. wide, in summer) =Pearlwort, Sagina nodosa.=

6b. Styles 3 (1-4 dm. high; flowers white, nearly 1 cm. wide, summer) =St.i.tchwort, Arenaria stricta.=

7a. Petals entire (3 dm. high or less; flowers white, in summer) (St.i.tchwort) --8.

7b. Petals notched or 2-cleft at the end, or none --11.

8a. Princ.i.p.al leaves 1 cm. long or less --9.

8b. Princ.i.p.al leaves 1.5 cm. long or more --10.

9a. Petals half as long as the sepals =St.i.tchwort, Arenaria leptoclados.=

9b. Petals almost as long as the sepals =St.i.tchwort, Arenaria serpyllifolia.=

10a. Leaves oblong-oval, obtuse. =St.i.tchwort, Arenaria lateriflora.=

10b. Leaves lanceolate, acute. =St.i.tchwort, Arenaria macrophylla.=

11a. Capsule splitting by valves at maturity; styles usually 3 (Chickweed) --12.

11b. Capsule opening by terminal teeth at maturity; styles usually 5 (tufted or matted plants, 1-5 dm. high; flowers white, in spring and summer) (Mouse-ear Chickweed) --18.

12a. Petals distinctly shorter than the sepals, or none --13.

12b. Petals as long as the sepals, or longer --15.

13a. Leaves ovate (1-3 dm. high; flowers white, all summer) =Chickweed, Stellaria media.=

13b. Leaves lanceolate to oblong (in water or wet places, 1-4 dm. high; flowers white, in summer) --14.

14a. Flowers in a leafy terminal branching cl.u.s.ter =Chickweed, Stellaria borealis.=

14b. Flowers in a lateral cl.u.s.ter with minute bracts =Chickweed, Stellaria uliginosa.=

15a. Flowers in cl.u.s.ters with leaf-like bracts, or axillary and solitary (in water or wet places; 1-3 dm. high; flowers white, summer) =Chickweed, Stellaria cra.s.sifolia.=

15b. Flowers in cl.u.s.ters with scale-like bracts --16.

16a. Leaves distinctly linear; cymes lateral; a common species in marshes (2-5 dm. high; flowers white, early summer) =Chickweed, Stellaria longifolia.=

16b. Leaves distinctly broadest near the base; flower-cl.u.s.ter terminal --17.

17a. Pedicels erect; cl.u.s.ters usually few-flowered; in extreme northern part of the state only (1-3 dm. high; flowers white, summer) =Chickweed, Stellaria longipes.=

17b. Pedicels spreading; cl.u.s.ters open, many-flowered (2-6 dm. high; flowers white, in summer) =Chickweed, Stellaria graminea.=

18a. Petals distinctly longer than the sepals --19.