Sagina. L. 4. 3.
S. procumbens. L. Pearlwort. Stem 2 — 4 inches high,
smooth, branched, procumbent, with linear leaves,.mucronate,
and small white flowers with very short petals or none ; along
streams ; July. Native of Britain.
Sagina is so called from its nourishing power, as some of the
plants are valuable food for sheep. Th e above species is a mere
weed and troublesome. Loudon.
Mollugo. L. 3. 3.
J\I. verticillata. L. Carpet Weed. This is a prostrate,
spreading weed, with a dichotomous stem, whorled leaves, and
small white flowers on axillary peduncles ; in fields, July ; a
native of this country.
Spergula. L. 10. 5.
S. arvensis. L. Corn Spurry. Stem 6—12 inches high,
with swelling joints, and narrow, linear, whorled leaves, and with
white flowers in a dichotomous panicle ; August, in sandy fields.
Introduced from Britain. Supposed to receive its name from the
Latin word to scatter, because it scatters its seeds widely and
rapidly. In Scotland, this spdcies is called yarr, and in England,
pickpurse, a name which shows its character. In Germany it is
sown in cornfields to give food for sheep in winter, for which it
is excellent food, and also for cows, and for hens, green or as
hay ; yields most nourishing fodder for its bulk, and gives the
best flavored milk and butter. It is not likely to be cultivated
here for the same reason that it is not in England, viz., there are
better plants for the same soils. Loudon.
A renaria. L. 10. 3.
Named from arena, sand, in which most of its species are found ;
all are plants of little consequence. About 50 species are described
; only 8 are credited to the Eastern States.
A. serpyllifolia. L. Stem 3 — 8 inches long, mostly decumbent,
diffuse and dichotomous, with ovate and acute, sessile leaves,
and solitary, axillary, and terminal flowers ; petals purplish, contract
within the calyx towards mid-day ; roadsides ; June. A
native of Britain ; naturalized.
A. lateriflora. L. Has a more erect stem, 4 - 8 inches high,
with white flowers ; wet, shaded places, Ju n e ; a native of
Britain, and probably of our country also.
A. rubra. L. Common Sandwort, has small delicate red
flowers on prostrate, branching stems ; roads ; July.
A. marina. Sm. Sea Sandwort; more succulent and fleshy
than the last. Salt marshes ; July ; often thought to be a variety
of S. rubra. '
A. peploides. L. Stem 8 - 1 2 inches high, smooth, fleshy,
pellucid, dichotomous ; leaves half-clasping, ovate, acute, fleshy,
opposite ; flowers nearly sessile, axillary, with white membranaceous
petals ; blossoms in May and June ; grows in large collections,
along the seashore sands ; Plumb Island, near Newbury-
port, Big., and some other places along the coast.
ORDER 143. E LA T IN E ^ l.
Only one species of this order is credited to North America,
viz. Crypta minima, Nutt. 2. 2. This plant has been found on
the Hudson near Albany, and along ponds about New Haven,
Connecticut, and widely over the country. It is difficult to detect
on account of its minuteness, as it lies flat on the ground,
and sends up branches only an inch or half inch high, with very
minute axillary flowers. It has lately been detected by the sides
of ponds in Plymouth County. Properties of the order unknown.
Elatine triandra, W., lately found in the eastern part of the State,
is probably the plant described by Nuttall.
ORDER 144. PORTULACEiE. T he P urslane T r ib e .
Calyx of 2 sepals, rarely 3 or 5, united at the base ; petals 5,
rarely 3, 4, or 6, distinct, or in a short tube, or none ; stamens