( 3064 ) 



PORTULACA GlLLIESII. Dr. GlLLIEs' 



Purslane. 



Class and Order. 



ICOSANDRIA MoNOGYNIA. 



( Nat. Ord. — PortulacejE. ) 



Generic Character. 



Cal. aut liber aut imo ovario adhaerens, bipartitus, demum 

 circumscissus et deciduus. Pet. 4^—6, aequalia, inter se 

 libera, aut ima, basi concreta, calyci inserta. Stam. 8— 15 

 (v. plura,) Jilamentis liberis interdum ima corolla adnatis. 

 Ovarium subrotundatum. Stylus \, apice 5 — 6- (9-) fidus, 

 aut stylus nullus et stigmata 3 — 8 elongata. Capsula sub- 

 globosa, 1-locularis, medio circumscissa : Semina plurima 

 placentae (v. placentis tot stigmata) centrali affixa. D C. 



Specific Character. 



Portulaca Gilliesii ; caulibus suberectis basi ramosis, 

 foliis oblongo-cylindraceis subcompressis obtusis punc- 

 tatis, pilis axillaribus fasciculatis erectis appressis, flo- 

 ribus terminalibus, petalis calyce longioribus. 



Descr. Perennial. Stem nearly erect, four to five inches 

 high, stout in proportion to its length, purplish with trans- 

 verse whitish lines, branched, the branches short, princi- 

 pally at the base of the stem, sometimes at the extremity. 

 Leaves scattered, remote and refl ex i -patent on the stem, 

 dense and rosulate on the branches, linear-oblong, tereti- 

 compressed, obtuse, green, rosy at the top, and punctated 

 with white, pellucid dots. In their axils is a tuft of white, 

 erect, appressed hairs. Calyx of two rather unequal, 

 broadly oval, membranaceous leaves, scariose and white at 

 the margin. Petals five, bright red -purple, patent, broadly 

 obovato-rotund, waved. Filaments numerous, deep purple. 



Anthers 



