3. Flowers in clusters of 3, the middle one hermaphrodite, the side flowers male or rudimentary. Stamens nearly hypogynous. Style 1. Ovule one. Embryo almost straight. Leaves opposite, stipulate. [Tribe PTERANTHEAE.] 4 Flowers all alike. Stamens perigynous. 6 4. Stamens 2-3. Staminodes and petals absent. Sepals 5. Stigmas 3. Clusters of flowers on a rather thin stalk, with entire involucral bracts. Shrubs.--Species 1. Canary Islands. =Dicheranthus= Webb Stamens 4-5. Clusters of flowers with pinnately divided involucral bracts. Herbs. 5 5. Sepals 4. Petals and staminodes none. Stamens 4. Stigmas 2. Clusters of flowers on a much broadened and hollow stalk.--Species 1. North Africa. =Pteranthus= Forsk. Sepals 5. Petals or staminodes 5. Stamens 5. Stigmas 3. Clusters of flowers on a rather thin stalk.--Species 1. Northern East Africa to Egypt. =Cometes= L. 6. Leaves exstipulate. Petals none. Styles 2. Ovule 1. Herbs. Leaves opposite.--Species 3. North Africa, Abyssinia, and South Africa. [Tribe SCLERANTHEAE.] =Scleranthus= L. Leaves stipulate. [Tribe PARONYCHIEAE.] 7 7. Ovule 1. 8 Ovules 2. Undershrubs. 15 8. Style-branches, stigmas, or stigma-lobes 2, very rarely 1, and then style very short. 9 Style-branches, stigmas, or stigma-lobes 3, very rarely 1, but then style elongated. 13 9. Stem woody, shrubby, nodose. Bracts brown. Sepals mucronate. Petals 5, thread-shaped. Style elongated. Stigmas 2.--Species 1. Island of Socotra. =Lochia= Balf. fil. Stem herbaceous, rarely woody at the base; in the latter case sepals obtuse. 10 10. Flowers in globose heads; involucre becoming prickly. Sepals prickly beneath the tip. Petals wanting. Ovary adnate below to the calyx-tube. Fruit bursting at the top.--Species 1. North Africa and Cape Verde Islands. =Sclerocephalus= Boiss. Flowers in fascicles; involucre not prickly. Petals thread-shaped or wanting. Ovary free. 11 11. Sepals blunt, green. Style very short; stigmas 2. Embryo curved. Stipules small.--Species 10. North and South Africa, Abyssinia, Cape Verde Islands. Some are used in medicine. =Herniaria= L. Sepals more or less hooded, with a dorsal point beneath the tip. 12 12. Seed with a straight embryo. Stigma 1, entire or 2-lobed, nearly sessile. Stamens 5. Petals thread-shaped. Sepals white. Leaves in false whorls; stipules very small.--Species 1. North-west Africa. Used in medicine. =Illecebrum= L. Seed with a curved embryo. Stigma 1, two-lobed, or more frequently stigmas 2. Stipules large or rather large.--Species 15. North Africa and northern Central Africa. Some are used in medicine or yield a substitute for tea. =Paronychia= Juss. 13. Sepals awned. Petals awl-shaped. Style long, with 3 stigmas. Low shrubs with knotty branches. Leaves narrow.--Species 1. North Africa. =Gymnocarpos= Forsk. Sepals blunt. Petals scale-like. Style long with 1 stigma, or short with 3 stigmas. Herbs. 14