nfycarpaa.] xvn. caryophyllace^: (oliver). 147 



Nile Land. Abyssinia (Schweinf. et Asch. Emm.). 

 Also in Egypt, Arabia, and India. 



7. P. prostrata, Becaisne in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2. iii. 263. A dif- 

 fuse, glabrous, rather glaucous herb of 3-8 in., the lateral branches spreading 

 or prostrate, repeatedly and rather laxly forking from the base. Leaves nar- 

 rowly linear-spathulate or the upper linear, subacute or rather obtuse. Sti- 

 pular scales inconspicuous, very minute. Flowers singly from the forks or 

 subfastigiate towards the extremities ; lower pedicels usually exceeding or 

 equalling the flower. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, herbaceous, with a broad mem- 

 branous margin, the inner slightly longer. Petals nearly equalling the sepals, 

 ovate-elliptical, obtuse, entire, very shortly unguiculate. — Arenaria ? prostrata, 

 ^r., DC. Prod. i. 400. Robbairea prostrata, Boiss. Fl. Orient, i. 135. 



Nile Land. Nubia (Schweinf. et Asch. Enum.). 

 nave not myself seen specimens collected south of the tropic. 



Also m Egypt and Arabia. 



!2. SPHJEROCOMA, T. Anderson ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 154. 



Sepals 5, strongly mucronate, serrulate. Petals 5, entire, shorter than 

 8e pals. Stamens 5, inserted on a small annular disk. Ovary 1-celled, biovu- 

 ' at e; style bifid. Utricle indehiscent, 1-seeded.— A much-branched, gla- 

 brous, glaucous shrub of 1-2 ft. Leaves fleshy, terete, fascicled. Flowers 

 m pedunculate globose glomerules, densely setigerous from the accrescent se- 

 pals of the abortive flowers. 



ased upon Arabian specimens of the following species: — 

 *• S. Hookeri, T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. v. 16. t. 3. 

 Nile Land. Nubia (Schweinf. et Asch. Enum.). 



Order XVIII. PORTTTLACE^l (by Prof. Oliver). 



. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Sepals fewer than the petals, 2 in tro- 

 P'cal African species, free or adnate to the base of the ovary, imbricate, de- 

 Jwuous or persistent. Petals 4-5, rarely more, hypogynous or pengynous, 

 Ire e or connate at the base, imbricate, usually fugacious. Stamens inserted 

 J»M the petals, definite or indefinite. Filaments filiform ; anthers 2-celled. 

 ^ary free or half-inferior, unilocular. Style 2-8-fid, the divisions longi- 

 tudinally stigmatose ; ovules 2 or indefinite, from the base of the cavity or 

 irom a free central column. Capsule membranous or crustaceous dehiscing in 

 ^ many va i vea ag st Jes or transversely, rarely indehiscent. Seeds 1 or more, 

 usually W ith a curved embryo surrounding a mealy albumen.— Herbs or 

 gjlk, usuallv more or less succulent and glabrous. Leaves alternate or 

 JPPosite, entire, often succulent, with scarious or setose stipular append.ces. 

 powers solitary or capitate and terminal, racemose or cymosely pamcled, oc- 

 ^'onally axillary. 



oidw ther sma11 Natnral 0rder ' chiefl y American > with several genera re P resented in the 



World and two peculiar to the Cape Flora. 



£2 ^'inferior. Flowers terminal solitary or fascicled \ £° R ™^ CA - 



j "ce. flowers racemose or pamcled ~ 



1 — 



