DICOTYLEDONS. 69 



on short pedicels, petals white or pink, with darker veins, |-^ hi. 

 long, emarginate ; capsule shorter than the persistent sepals. March- 

 April. Common in rich woods. 



II. PORTULACA. 



Annual ; stems low, diffuse and spreading, succulent ; leaves 

 entire, mostly alternate ; flowers terminal ; sepals 2, united at 

 the base and coherent with the ovary ; petals usually 5, in- 

 serted on the calyx, fugacious ; stamens 8-20, inserted on the 

 calyx ; style 3-8-parted, capsule globose, 1-celled, many- 

 seeded. 



1. P. OLERACEA L. PuRSLANE. Stems prostrate, diffiisc, flcshy ; 

 leaves alternate, flat, obovate or cnneate ; flowers solitary, sessile, 

 opening in bright sunshine in the morning, and usually withering 

 before noon; sepals broad, acute; petals yellow^; stamens 10-12; 

 capsule very many-seeded, seeds small, rugose. April-October. A 

 common garden weed. 



2. P. GRANDIFLORA Hook. GaRDEN PoRTULACA. StCHlS SUC- 



culent, erect or ascending, densely hairy or nearly smooth, .'WG in. 

 long ; leaves alternate, terete, fleshy, ^-1 in. long ; flowers 1-2 in. 

 wide, white, yellow, or red, showy, opening only in sunlight. The 

 sunmier months. Common in cultivation and often growing spon- 

 taneously. 



30. CARYOPHYLLACEiE. PINK FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs ; stems tumid at the nodes ; leaves 

 opposite or whorled, often connate, entire ; stipules dry and 

 scarious or none ; flowers cymose, usually perfect ; sepals 4- 

 5, persistent, distinct or united into a tube; petals as many 

 as tlie sepals or none ; stamens as many as tlie sepals and 

 ()l)posite them, or twice as many, or sonu^times fewer; ovary 

 1, free, usually 1-celled, sometimes 3-r)-celled, {)lacentai cen- 

 tral, styles 2-5 ; fruit dry, 1-many-seeded. 



I. AGROSTEMMA. 



Annual; stem pubescent, ln'anching above; leaves linear- 

 lanceolate or linear, pubescent, sessile; flowers showy, on 



