138 PORTULACACEAE. 



hypogynons, imbricated. Stamens hypogynous, equal in number to the 

 petals or fewer, rarely more; filaments filiform; anthers 2-celled, longi- 

 tudinally dehiscent. Ovary 1-celled ; style 2-3-clef t or 2-3-divided, the 

 divisions stigmatic on the inner side: ovules 2-oo, amphitropous. Capsule 

 circumscissile, or dehiscent by 3 valves. Seeds 2-co, reniform-globose or 

 compressed : embryo curved. About 20 genera and 180 species, mostly 

 natives of America. 



1. PORTULACA L. Sp. PI. 445. 1753. 



Diffuse or ascending, glabrous or pubescent succulent herbs, with terminal 

 flowers. Sepals 2, united at the base and partly adnate to the ovary. Petals 

 4-6 (mainly 5), inserted on the calyx, fugacious. Stamens 7-co, also on the 

 calyx. Ovary many-ovuled ; style deeply 3-9-cleft or parted. Capsule mem- 

 branous, dehiscent by a lid, many-seeded. [Latin, in allusion to the purging 

 qualites of some species.] A genus of about 20 species, all but 2 or 3 natives 

 of America. Type species: Portulaca oleracea L. 



Leaves flat : flowers yellow. 1. P. oleracea. 

 Leaves subterete. 



Flowers yellow ; seeds brown. 2. P. phaeosperma. 



Flowers purple ; seeds black. 3. P. gagatosperma. 



1. Portulaca oleracea L. Sp. PL 445. 1753. 



Annual, usually prostrate, branching from a deep root ; branches 1-7.5 dm. 

 long. Leaves alternate and clustered at the ends of the branches, obovate or 

 cuneate, 6-20 mm. long, rounded at the apex, very fleshy; flower-buds flat; 

 flowers solitary, sessile, 4-10 mm. broad, yellow, opening in bright sunshine; 

 sepals broad, keeled, acutish; style 4-6-parted; capsule 6-10 mm. long; seeds 

 finely rugose. 



Cultivated soil, waste places and maritime rocks, throughout the archipelago : 

 all temperate and tropical regions. Includes several races differing in size of 

 leaves and flowers, and of a prostrate or ascending habit. PURSLANE. 



2. Portulaca phaeosperma Urban, Symb. Ant. 4: 233. 1905. 



Fleshy, branched, 1.5 dm. high or less, with tufts of brownish hairs at the 

 nodes. Leaves linear-oblong, subterete, acute or obtuse, 5-10 mm. long, about 

 2 mm. thick, alternate and clustered at the ends of the branches ; flowers yel- 

 low, 6-10 mm. broad; petals oblong to obovate, obtuse; capsule about 3 mm. 

 in diameter, circumscissile at about the middle; seeds brown. 



Dry or rocky soil, throughout the archipelago from Great Bahama and Andros 

 to Mariguana, Turk's Islands and Inngua : Florida : Cuba to St. Croix and Virgin 

 Gorda ; Jamaica. Referred by Mrs. Northrop and by Coker to P. halimoides L. ; 

 by Hitchcock and by Coker to P. pilosu L. BHOWN-SEEDED PORTULACA. 



3. Portulaca gagatosperma Millsp. Field. Mus. Bot. 2: 299. 1909. 



Fleshy, diffusely branched, 5-10 cm. high, with tufts of whitish hairs at 

 the nodes. Leaves alternate, subterete, acute, 6-12 mm. long, about 2 mm. 

 thick, short-petioled ; flowers sessile at the ends of the branches ; sepals broadly 

 ovate, apiculate ; petals purple, emarginate ; capsule about 4 mm. in diameter, 

 circumscissile below the middle; seeds jet black, 0.6 mm. in diameter. 



In moist soils and mud of lake borders. Great Bahama, New Providence. Grand 

 Turk, Salt Cay (Turk's Islands) and Inagua, attaining its highest development in 

 our region on the dry rocks of East and Ambergris Cays of the Turk's Island 

 group : Endemic. Referred by Hitchcock to P. pilosu L., which it resembles. BA- 

 HAJIA PORTULACA. 



