198 PORTULACACE^. Claytoxia. 



4. CALYPTRIDIUM. Nutt. mss. 



" Sepals 2, ovate, persistent. Petals united into a minute diaphanous coni- 

 cal corolla, slightly 3-toothed at the apex, soon detached from the base and 

 carried up on the summit of the elongated capsule. Stamen 1. Styles 2, 

 minute. Capsule oblong-linear, many times longer than the calyx, 2-valved !, 

 6-10-seeded. Seeds (circinate, compressed,) on filiform funiculi of unequal 

 length, rising from the base of the cell. — An annual succulent plant with the 

 habit of Calandrinia, much branched, depressed, with alternate spatulate 

 leaves. Spikes axillary, numerous, often several from the same point: 

 flowers small, somewhat secund." 



C. monandrum (Nutt.! mss.) — Talinum monandrum, liuiz ^ Pav. 

 prodr. p. 65 1 Calandrinia monandra, DC. prodr. 3. p. 359? 



" St. Diego, California. — Depressed, densely branched, glabrous. Radi- 

 cal leaves lanceolate-spatulate, obtuse, thick and succulent, in a rosulate clus- 

 ter. Sei)als slightly unequal, with scarious margins. Corolla minute, pale- 

 reddish. Capsule about \ of an inch long, compressed, pod-shaped, some- 

 what recurved ; valves membranaceous. Seeds placed at different heights 

 in the capsule inconsequence of the inequality of the funiculi, black and 

 shining. — Talinum monandrum, if not our plant, as is most probable, is doubt- 

 less a congener. The calyptriform corolla and dicarpellary fruit, which charac- 

 terize this genus, are curious anomalies in the order Porlulacacese." — Nutt. 



5. CLAYTONIA. Linn.; Gcertn. fr. t. 129. 



Sepals 2, persistent, distinct or united at the base, ovate, mostly obtuse. 

 Petals 5, hypogynous, obcordate, obovate, or oblong, emarginate or bifid, 

 sometimes entire, equal, unguiculate ; the claws more or less connate at the 

 base. Stamens 5, inserted on the claws of the petals. Styles 3-cleft, the 

 divisions slender, stigmatose Avithin. Capsule 3-valved, 2-5-seeded. Seeds 

 turo-id. smooth or punctate, shining. — Glabrous rather succulent herbs. Stems 

 simple, with a pair of opposite often connate leaves (or with several alternate 

 ones) ; radical leaves long-petioled. Racemes often one-sided. Flowers 

 rose-color or white. 



§ 1. Perennial: stems simple, arising from a subterranean cormus {or 

 rhizoma) : caiUine leaves 2, opposite, distinct: raceme terminal, rarely 

 geminate. — Claytonia proper. 



-j^ 1. C. Virginica (Linn.) : leaves all linear or linear-lanceolate, elongated 

 and' attenuated into petioles below, radical ones very few ; raceme at length 

 elono-ated ; pedicels slender, nodding ; petals mostly emargmate.—Bot.mag. 

 t 94I ; Michx.! ft. 1. p. 160; Ell. sk. 1. p. 306; Hook. ft. Bor.-Am.. 1. p. 

 224 (a.) ; DC. prodr. 3. p. 361 («. & /?•) ; Sweet, Brit. ft. gard, (ser.2.) t. 

 163. C.grandiflora, ^'ipee^, /. c. /. 216, fide /Too/c. 



a. acutiftora: petals elliptical, acute [mostly with a slight emargmation] ; 

 sepals rather acute ; leaves elongated, narrowly linear. DC. I. c. 



ff. media: petals obovate, obtuse [emarginate]; sepals obtuse ; leaves ob- 

 lon'T-linear or lanceolate. DC. I. c. 



In low moist grounds, Canada ! (rare) to Florida ! Louisiana ! and Arkan- 

 sas ! most abundant in the Middle and Southern Atlantic states. March- 

 May.— Cormus fju-inaceous, deep in the ground. Leaves acutish. Flowers 



