31 
6. LGFLINGIA L. 
Low rigid dichotomous annuals, with subulate leaves, adnate and 
connate setaceous stipules, small flowers sessile in the axils, 5 rigid 
keeled scarious-margined sepals (the 3 outer with a narrow tooth upon 
each side), very small petals or none, 3 to 5 stamens, and a 3-valved 
several-seeded pod. 
1. L. squarrosa Nutt. Glandular-pubescent, much branched, the stems 5 to 15 
em. long: Jeaves and sepals subulate-setaceous, rigid and squarrose, the leaves 4 to 
6 nm. long, exceeding the flowers: pod triangular, at length exserted.—Sandy road- 
sides near Austin, and doubtless westward through the State. 
PORTULACEE, (PURSLANE FAMILY.) 
More or less suceulent herbs, with entire leaves (either opposite or 
alternate), 2 sepals, 2 to 5 or more petals, opposite stamens of the same 
uumber or numerous (in ours), 2 to 8-cleft styles, and a 1-celled pod 
with a free central placenta.—Stipules none, or scarious, or reduced to 
hairs. 
* Sepals united below and adherent to the ovary, the free upper portion at length 
deciduous, 
1. Portulaca. Stamens 7 to 20: flowers solitary, red or yellow: pod opening by 
a lid. 
** Sepals distinct, froe from the ovary. 
2. Talinopsis. Shrubby: sepals membranaceous and persistent: seeds hooked. 
3. Talinum. Herbaceous: sepals herbaceous and deciduous (sometimes tardily 
so): seeds not hooked. 
1. PORTULACA Tourn. (PURSLANE. ) 
Fleshy diffuse or ascending annuals (a few perennial), with entire 
leaves, axillary or terminal ephemeral yellow or rose-colored flowers, 
2 sepals coherent at base and adnate to the ovary, 4 to 6 petals, 7 to 20 
stamens, a deeply 3 to 8-cleft style, and pod opening by a lid. 
* Leaves flat. 
1. P. oleracea L. Prostrate, glabrous, purplish: stem terete: leaves obovate to 
spatulate, rounded at summit: sepals acute, keeled: petals yellow, 3 to 4 mm. long: 
stigmas 5: pod 6 to 10 mm. long: seeds black, dull, finely tuberculate,—The commou 
purslane, naturalized from Europe, and abundant in the valleys of southern and 
western Texas. 
2. P. retusa Engelm. Like the last, but greener and the stems more ascending, 
sometimes covering a space several feet in diameter: leaves usually smaller, retuse 
or emarginate: sepals obtuse, broadly keel-winged: petals yellow: stigmas 3 or 4: 
capsule 5 to 6 mm. long: seeds more strongly tuberculate.—Sandy soil, southern and 
western Texas. 
3. P. lanceolata Engelm. Suberect, glabrous, stem angled : upper leaves lanceo- 
late and acute, lower ones spatulate and obtuse: sepals scarcely keeled: petals red 
or yellow or both: stigmas 3 to 6: pod with a broad wing: seeds echinate-tubercu- 
late.—Sandy soil, southern and western Texas. 
* * Leaves terete. 
4. P. stelliformis Moc. & Sess. Perennial by creeping tuberous-thickened and 
sometimes moniliform rootstocks: leaves 2.5 cm. long, those about the flower clus- 
