PORTULACACEAE. 



127 



1. Portulaca oleracea L. 



PURSLANE. PUSSLEY. (Fig. 

 146.) Annual, prostrate, branch- 

 ing from a deep central root; 

 branches 4'-10' long. Leaves 

 alternate and clustered at the 

 ends of the branches, obovate 

 or cuneate, 3"-10" long, rounded 

 at the apex, very fleshy ; flower- 

 buds flat ; flowers solitary, ses- 

 sile, 2"-4" broad, yellow, open- 

 ing in bright sunshine ; sepals 

 broad, keeled, acutish; style 4- 

 6-parted; capsule 3 "-5" long; 

 seeds finely rugose. 



Common as a weed In waste 

 and cultivated grounds and occa- 

 sional in rocky situations. Na- 

 tive. North America and the 

 West Indies. Probably trans- 

 ported to Bermuda by birds. 

 Flowers nearly throughout the 

 year. Used as a pot herb. 



Montia fontana L., a small 

 aquatic cold-temperate plant, 

 was reported by Lefroy and by 

 H. B. Small as common in ponds 

 and ditches, but it has not been found by other collectors; the records are 

 probably erroneous. 



Portulaca pilosa L., SMALL, PURPLE PORTULACA, a West Indian purple- 

 flowered species with nearly cylindric linear leaves, is recorded by Beade as 

 frequent in gardens, prior to 1883. 



Family 8. ALSINACEAE Wahl. 

 CHICKWEED FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubby at the base, with a 

 watery sap. Stems often diffusely branched. Leaves opposite, with or 

 without stipules, entire. Flowers mostly perfect, sometimes incomplete. 

 Calyx of 4-5 persistent, distinct or nearly distinct sepals. Corolla of 4-5 

 clawless petals, or wanting. Androecium of twice as many stamens as there 

 are sepals or fewer; filaments distinct or cohering below. Anthers introrse, 

 opening lengthwise. Ovary 1-celled or rarely 2-5-celled ; styles 2-5 ; ovules 

 several or many, amphitropous or campylotropous, on a central column. 

 Fruit a capsule, opening by valves, these sometimes tooth-like. Embryo 

 more or less curved in the endosperm, usually with incumbent cotyledons. 

 About 32 genera and 500 species, widely distributed, most abundant in 

 temperate regions. 



Stipules none. 



Petals deeply 2-cleft or 2-parted. 



Capsule ovoid or oblong, dehiscent by valves. 

 Capsule cylindric, dehiscent by teeth. 

 Petals entire or merely emarginate. 

 Styles as many as the sepals. 

 Styles fewer than the sepals. 

 Stipules present, scarious. 



1. Alsine. 



2. Cerastium, 



3. Sagina. 



4. Arenaria. 



5. Tissa. 



