7. Alsine Holóstea (L.) Britton. Greater Stitchwort Or Starwort. Adder's Meat

Fig. 1755

Stellaria Holostea L. Sp. Pl. 422. 1753.

Alsine Holostea Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 150. 1894.

Erect from a creeping rootstock, glabrous or slightly downy, perennial, 8-2° high, simple or sparingly branched. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, 1'-3' long, 2"-3" wide at the base, tapering to a long slender tip, ciliate on the midvein and margin; flowers showy, 7"-10" broad, in terminal leafy cymose panicles; pedicels rather slender, downy; sepals 3"-6" long, lanceolate, acute, scarious-margined, one-half to two-thirds the length of the 2-cleft petals; capsule globose-ovoid. Stem angled, rough on the angles.

Fields and meadows, Maine to Long Island. Fugitive or adventive from Europe. Native also of northern Asia. Also called Allbone, from its brittle nodes. Snake-, star- or thunder-flower. Snappers. Snap-jack. Piskies. Pixie. White bird's-eye. Easter-bell. Snake-grass. Lady's-lint. April-June.

8. Alsine Glaùca (With.) Britton. Glaucous Starwort

Fig. 1756

Stellaria glauca With. Bot. Arr. Br. Plants, Ed. 3, 2: 420. 1796.

Perennial, glabrous, pale green and glaucous; stem very slender, 1°-2° high, usually branched. Leaves glabrous, linear, 2' long or less, acute, the upper reduced to small bracts; flowers relatively few, cymose, 6"-8" wide, on very slender pedicels 1'-2 1/2' long; sepals linear-lanceolate, 3-ribbed, acute; petals longer than the sepals, deeply cleft.

Grassy places, Quebec. Naturalized from Europe and native also of northern Asia. May-June.

9. Alsine Longifolia (Muhl.) Britton. Long-Leaved Stitchwort

Fig. 1757

Stellaria longifolia Muhl.; Willd. Enum. Hort. Ber.

479. 1809. S. graminea Bigel. Fl. Bost. no. 1814. 'Not L. 1753. Stellaria Friesiana Ser. in DC. Prodr. 1: 400. 1824. A. longifolia Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 150. 1894.

Weak, glabrous, or the stem rough-angled, freely branching, erect or ascending, 8'-18' high. Leaves linear, spreading, acute or acutish at each end, 1/2'-2 1/2' long, 1"-3" wide, the lower smaller; bracts lanceolate, \"-\\" long, scarious; pedicels slender, divaricate; cymes at length ample, mostly lateral; flowers numerous, 3"5" broad; sepals lanceolate, acute, about 1 1/2" long, 3-nerved, equalling or somewhat shorter than the 2-parted petals; capsule ovoid-oblong, nearly twice as long as the calyx; seeds smooth, shining.

In low meadows and swamps, Newfoundland to Alaska, Maryland, Kentucky and Louisiana, in the Rocky Mountain region and British Columbia. Northern Europe and Asia. May-July.