EOCKROSE AND TURNERA FAMILIES 145 



a touch the rockrose petals fall, and piriqueta flowers wilt 

 or lose their petals almost as soon as picked. 



In clear yellow color the flowers resemble St. John's- 

 worts, but the plants differ in their alternate leaves. The 

 piriqueta, moreover, has but five stamens in each flower, 

 where the St. John's-worts have many. The rockrose, 

 though having many stamens, differs from both in its 

 calyx, as the two outer sepals are much smaller than the 

 other three. 



Piriqueta tomentosa is quick to take advantage of the 

 easier conditions of life offered by partly cleared land, and 

 such land that has been neglected is often gay with the 

 bright flowers. The round green capsules of this genus 

 are noticeable as they stand out stiffly on slender stalks, 

 one of which rises from the axil of each leaf along the 

 upper part of the stem. 



Our common species of rockrose, Helianthemum, have 

 a lower and more branched growth than piriqueta, and all, 

 except H. carolinianum, bear both showy flowers and others 

 that have no petals. The pine-barren rockrose, H. corym- 

 hosum, is common in sandy soil, often growing in spreading 

 mats of slender, but woody, stems. The flowers open only 

 in sunlight. The seaside rockrose, H, wrenicold, prefers a 

 precarious existence near the ocean to security inland, and 

 is sometimes buried under drifting sand. 



Pirictueta tomentosa. Flowers yellow, 1 in. across, solitary 

 from leaf-axils. Sepals 5, petals 5, stamens 5, Plants 8-15 

 in. tall, seldom branched, clothed with short stellate hairs. 

 Leaves oval or oblong, about 1 in. long, slightly toothed. 

 Sandy soil. Blooming from midwinter to summer. Fla. 



Piriqueta caroUniana. Similar to above species, but stem 

 has longer hairs as well as short stellate ones. Leaves 

 mostly 1-3 in. long. Fla. to N. C. and Ala. 



Piriqueta glabrescens. Flowers similar to above, but leaves 

 are very narrow, 1-2 in. long. Stems 1-2 ft. tall. Fla. 

 peninsula. 



