Basella BASELLACEAE-CARYOPHYLLACEAE Armaria 



One wide-ranging tropical species, cultivated in China. (The native Malabar name.) 



1. Basella rubra Linn. : f§ ^f (Lo K'uei; Falling Malva) (B.M.367). Herbaceous vine; 

 fls. red, X; 2 sepals. Introduced from tropical Asia; locally in Ki., Ku. Cul- 

 tivated for ornament; leaves and shoots used for food. Fig. 92. 



57. CARYOPHYLLACEAE Pink Family ^fifl (Shih Chu K'o) 



Herbs with opposite entire lvs. and regular fls.: sepals or calyx lobes 5; stamens 

 distinct, not more than 10; ovary usually 1-celled, with free central or basal placenta: 

 fr. a capsule (rarely a berry); styles 2-5. 70 genera with over 1200 species, abundant 

 in temperate and cold regions; 13 genera and about 50 species in China. 



Key to the Genera 



A. Sepals distinct; petals without claws. 



B. Lvs. awl-shaped 1. Sayina 



BB. Lvs. flat. 



Pod short, ovoid, opening by valves. 



Petals entire 2. Arenaria 



Petals deeply 2-cleft 3. Stellaria 



Pod cylindrical, opening by teeth at the top 4. Cerastium 



AA. Sepals united into a tube; petals clawed. 



C. Calyx without bracts at the base. 

 D. Calyx 5-nerved; styles 2. 



Calyx scarious between the green nerves 5. Gypsophilla 



Calyx green and 5-angled, not scarious 6. Saponaria 



DD. Calyx 10- or more-nerved. 



Styles 3 7. Silene 



Styles 5 8. Lychnis 



CC. Calyx with bracts at the base 9. Dianthus 



1. Sagina Linn. Pearl wort X^M'^M (Ch'i Ku Ts'ao Shu) 



Prostrate matted herbs with thread-like or awl-shaped lvs.: fls. small, at the 

 ends of the brs.; sepals distinct; petals, when present, undivided. About 10 species, 

 in the northern hemisphere; one in China. (Latin: sagina, fattening, from its 

 supposed food value; an old name of the spurry.) 



1. Sagina saginoides (L.) Karst. (S. linnaei Presl) $s/;£fr (Ch'i Ku Ts'ao; Close- 

 relatives Herb) (G.M.616). Prostrate herb; fls. white, V-VI. North temperate 

 regions; locally in Ku. Moist places. Fig. 93. 



2. Arenaria Linn. Sandwort SUM (Tsao Chui Shu) 



Low tufted herbs with flat sessile lvs. and small white fls.: petals, when present, 

 entire, or barely notched; stamens 10: pod short, ovoid, opening by valves. About 

 150 species, widely distributed; 6 in China. (Latin: arena, sand, referring to the 

 habitat of the species.) 



1. Arenaria serpyllifolia Linn. Thyme-leaved Sandwort gj$i (Tsao Chui; A. 

 string-of-fleas) (G.M.618). Low herb; fls. white, IV-V. Eurasia; locally in An., 

 Che., Ku. Roadside weed. Fig. 94. 



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