Galenia, | LXVII. FICOIDEZ (OLIVER). 585 
2-5-celled ; styles as many as cells, distinct, divaricate, papillose; 
ovules solitary (or in pairs). Capsule membranous, dehiscing loculi- 
cidally in as many valves as cells——Herbs or low shrubs, glabrous 
papillose tomentose or scaly, Leaves alternate or opposite, entire, 
Veinless, exstipulate. Flowers small, sessile or pedicellate, axillary or 
m paniculate cymes, 
A genus of 15-20 species, confined to the Cape, with the following exception. 
1G. africana, Linn. Sp. Pl. 515. Var. An erect or diffuse diva- 
Neately rigidly branched glabrous or minutely papillose shrub, peennan 
~2 ft. Leaves opposite and often fascicled in the axils, narrowly ova 
or oblanceolate, apex often folded and reflexed, narrowed below into 
the petiole; with petiole $1} in. long, 5—} in. broad. Flowers about 
line broad, sessile in terminal divaricate dichotomous paniculate 
bracteate cymes. LBracteoles fleshy, at base of perianth. Perianth- 
lobes 4, outer ovate-oblong, thickened dorsally at apex. Styles 2, 
divaricate, 
Lower Guinea. Mossamedes, Benguela, Dr. Welwitsch ! : 
With rather broader leaves than the common Cape form of this species ; but Dr. 
ee We lora Capensis, ii. 478) describes a var. halimifolia, which is probably 
cal, 
5. SESUVIUM, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. i. 855, 
_ Calyx-tube turbinate, short, lobes 5. Petals 0. Stamens (5 or) ~, 
mserted in mouth of calyx-tube, free or filaments connate at base. 
‘Vary free, 2-3-5-celled ; styles free or nearly so, as many as cells. 
Capsule membranous, 38—5-celled, circumsciss; seeds few or many, ro- 
tundate-reniform, compressed, funiculate; embryo annulate.—Herbs 
or low shrubs, erect or prostrate, branching, succulent. Leaves oppo- 
Site, fleshy, usually narrow, exstipulate; petioles sometimes mem- 
“anous-margined, sheathing. Flowers axillary, sessile or pedunculate, 
Solitary or variously arranged, usually coloured. 
A small littoral genus, generally ditfused in the Tropics. 
Styles 3-5 
Glabrous. Leaves linear-spathulate to obovate . 1. S. Portulacastrum. 
istinetly papillose or vesicular. 
aves linear revolute . . wie Gaal ole Smee me 8. congense. 
. 3. S. erystallinum. 
e a T . . . . . . . 
Styles 2: Leaves seal ete Ls ee a eee as digynum. 
1. Ss. Portulacastrum, Linn. ; DC. Prod. iii. 453, A diffuse pro- 
cumbent or prostrate and rooting succulent glabrous herb often wholly 
blood-red or urple. Leaves succulent, from linear slightly dilated up- 
wards to oblanceolate or obovate-oblong, much narrowed at base, 
Usually from 4-2 in. in length; petioles sheathing, more or less mem- 
ranous-margined. Flowers axillary, purplish or rose, usually on pe- 
duncles equalling or shorter rarely much longer than the flower. 
alyx deeply 5-lobed, lobes ovate-lanceolate, obtuse with a mucro just 
below the apex behind. Stamens indefinite, free or nearly so. Ovary 
