18b. Petals as long as the sepals, or shorter than them --21.
19a. Flowers much less than 1 cm. wide =Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium nutans.=
19b. Flowers more than 1 cm. wide --20.
20a. Stem-leaves linear or narrowly lanceolate =Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium arvense.=
20b. Stem-leaves oblong =Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium arvense var. oblongifolium.=
21a. Bracts green; pedicels short and inflorescence crowded =Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium viscosum.=
21b. Bracts with transparent white margins; pedicels longer than the calyx and inflorescence open =Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium vulgatum.=
22a. Styles 5 --23.
22b. Styles 3 (3-10 dm. high; flowers in summer) --25.
22c. Styles 2 --29.
23a. Calyx-teeth much longer than the calyx-tube (erect, 4-10 dm. high; flowers large, red, late summer) =Corn c.o.c.kle, Agrostemma githago.=
23b. Calyx-teeth shorter than the calyx-tube (4-10 dm. high; flowers in summer) --24.
24a. Flowers crimson =Mullein Pink, Lychnis coronaria.=
24b. Flowers white or pink =White Campion, Lychnis alba.=
25a. Flowers night-blooming, always wilted during the day =Catchfly, Silene noctiflora.=
25b. Flowers open during the day --26.
26a. Flowers 6 mm. wide or less, white or pink =Catchfly, Silene antirrhina.=
26b. Flowers 1-2 cm. wide, white to pink or purple --27.
26c. Flowers 2 cm. wide or more, crimson =Fire Pink, Silene virginica.=
27a. Princ.i.p.al leaves in whorls of 4 =Starry Campion, Silene stellata.=
27b. Leaves opposite --28.
28a. Calyx globular, much inflated or bladder-like =Bladder Campion, Silene latifolia.=
28b. Calyx club-shape, not inflated =Sweet William Catchfly, Silene armeria.=
29a. Leaves linear or narrowly lanceolate, 5 mm. wide or less (flowers pink or white, in summer) --30.
29b. Leaves lanceolate or ovate (flowers pink, white, or red, in summer) --32.
30a. Flowers in terminal cl.u.s.ters; leaves hairy (2-4 dm. high) =Deptford Pink, Dianthus armeria.=
30b. Flowers solitary at the ends of long pedicels --31.
31a. Flowers 3-4 mm. wide (1-2 dm. high) =Gypsophyll, Gypsophila muralis.=
31b. Flowers 1 cm. wide or more (1-5 dm. high) =Meadow Pink, Dianthus deltoides.=
32a. Flowers less than 1 cm. broad --33.
32b. Flowers more than 1 cm. broad --34.
33a. Flowers white, in large panicles (4-7 dm. high) =Baby"s Breath, Gypsophila paniculata.=
33b. Flowers pale red, in loose cl.u.s.ters (4-10 dm. high) =Cowherb, Saponaria vaccaria.=
34a. Leaves with 3-5 prominent veins (4-7 dm. high) =Soapwort, Saponaria officinalis.=
34b. Leaves with one mid-vein (3-6 dm. high) =Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus.=
PORTULACACEAE, the Purslane Family
Herbs with opposite or alternate leaves and regular flowers with 2 sepals, 5 petals, and a 1-celled ovary with 2 or 3 styles.
1a. Leaves a single pair on each stem (1-2 dm. high; flowers pink, in racemes in early spring) (Spring Beauty) --2.
1b. Leaves numerous (prostrate or spreading; flowers in summer) --3.
2a. Leaves lance-ovate to oblong, not more than six times as long as wide =Spring Beauty, Claytonia caroliniana.=
2b. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, more than six times as long as wide =Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica.=
3a. Flowers yellow, about 5 mm. wide =Purslane, Portulaca oleracea.=
3b. Flowers 2-5 cm. wide =Portulaca, Portulaca grandiflora.=
CERATOPHYLLACEAE, the Hornwort Family
Submerged aquatics, with whorled, finely dissected leaves and inconspicuous flowers with neither calyx nor corolla.
One species in Michigan =Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum.=