ENUMERATION OE THE PLANTS. 



PHANEROGAM^].— DICOTYLEDONES. 



CARYOPHYLLACE^E. 

 Polycarpon tetraphyllum, Linn., f. 



Polycarpon tetraphyllum, Linn., f. ; DC, Prodr., iii. p. 376 ; Oliver, FL Trop. Afr., i. p. 144. 



Ascension. — Indigenous \ Hooker. 



This almost ubiquitous plant in maritime districts was not one of those collected by 

 Osbeck, but it has perhaps as good a claim to be considered indigenous as Aristida asceu- 

 sionis or Portulaca oleracea. 



PORTULACEJS. 

 Portulaca oleracea, Linn. 



Portulaca oleracea, Linn., Sp. PL, ed. i., p. 82, sub Aristida. et p. 445, et Amoen. Acad., vii. p. 505 ; 

 DC, Prodr., iii. p. 353; Oliver, Fl. Trop. Afr., i. p. 148. 



Ascension. — Indigenous? Osbeck; Sparrman ; Hooker, <&c. 



This plant is common on nearly all sandy sea-shores in tropical and subtropical 

 countries, and it seems very probable that its seeds or even branches are conveyed by the 

 waves from shore to shore, for it is found in the most remote and unfrequented places. 

 It is apparently one of the first flowering plants to invade the coral islets, and it will 

 grow close to the water's edge. There is a specimen in Kew Herbarium from 

 Mangaia, South Pacific, collected by the Eev. Mr Gill, who notes on his label : " Grows 

 on dead coral close to water's edge." It grows perhaps equally well inland ; and, as it is 

 a cultivated plant, its present wide area of distribution is doubtless partly due to that 

 fact. Unless it belonged to the ancient flora of Ascension and St Helena, which is not 

 probable, its presence in these islands is more likely to be due to the agency of man. 

 Nevertheless, it is of interest to reproduce the earlier records of its existence. As already 

 mentioned, it was one of the four flowering plants collected by Osbeck in Ascension 

 about 1750 ; and Sparrman observed it in 1776, as we learn from his Iter in Chinam 

 (Amcenitates Academics, vii. p. 505). Thus: "Maii 11. Anchora jacta est ad iusulam 

 St Helenae, ubi Portulacse oleracea? ingens copia sponte crescebat. Maii 25. Ad insulam 

 Adscensionis pervenimus, ubi in littore numero 79 Testudines Mydas cepimus et Portu- 

 lacam oleraceam collegimus." 



