Genus i. 



PURSLANE FAMILY. 



37 



4. Talinum calycinum Engelm. Large- 

 flowered Talinuni. Fig. 1739. '^ 



Talinum calycinum Engelm. in Wisliz. Rep. 



184S. 



Perennial, erect from a very thick root, 

 slender, 6'-io' high. Leaves nearly terete, clus- 

 tered at the base, 13-2' long, the base triangular- 

 broadened, slightly prolonged posteriorly ; cyme K 

 terminal, somewhat compound, scarious-bracted, 

 its branches ascending; flowers pink, lo"-i5" 

 broad; sepals broadly ovate, persistent, cuspi- 

 date; petals twice as long as the calyx; stamens 

 12-30; style about twice as long as the stamens; 

 capsule globose-ovoid, about 3" in diameter. 



In dry soil, western Missouri, Nebraska and Kan- 

 sas to Texas. Rock-pink. June. 



2. CLAYTONIA [Gronov.] L. Sp. PI. 204. 1753. 



Perennial succulent glabrous herbs, with corms, or thick rootstocks, petioled basal leaves, 

 and opposite or alternate cauline ones. Flowers terminal, racemose. Sepals 2, ovate, per- 

 sistent. Petals 5, hypogynous, distinct. Stamens 5, inserted on the bases of the petals. 

 Ovary few-ovuled; style 3-Iobed or 3-cleft. Capsule ovoid or globose, 3-valved, 3-6-seeded. 

 Seeds compressed, orbicular or reniform. [In honor of John Clayton, i686?-i773, Amer- 

 ican botanist.] 



About 10 species, natives of northern North America. Type species: Claytonia virginica L. 



Leaves linear-lanceolate, 3'-/' long. 

 Leaves ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 2'-^' long. 



1. C. virginica. 



2. C. caroliniana. 



I. Claytonia virginica L. Spring Beauty. 

 May- or Grass-flower. Fig. 1740. 



Claytonia virginica L. Sp. PI. 204. 1753. 



Ascending or decumbent, perennial from a 

 deep tuberous root, stem 6'-i2' long, simple or 

 rarely with a few branches. Leaves elongated, 

 linear or linear-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, nar- 

 rowed into a petiole, the basal 3'-7' long, i"-6" 

 wide, the cauline shorter and opposite; raceme 

 terminal, loose, at length 3-5' long, somewhat 

 secund ; flowers white or pink, with darker pink 

 veins, 6"-io" broad ; pedicels slender, at length 

 I'-iV long and recurved; petals emarginate; cap- 

 sule shorter than the sepals. 



Tn moist woods. Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, 

 south to Georgia, Montana and Texas. Very vari- 

 able in the breadth of leaves, .\scends to 2400 ft. 

 in Virginia. Good-morning-spring. Wild potatoes. 

 March-May. 



