200 A FLORA OF MANILA 
2. P. oleracea L. Golasiman (Tag.); Purslane. 
An annual, prostrate or spreading, succulent, branched herb, quite 
glabrous, 10 to 50 cm long, the stems often purplish. Leaves fleshy, flat, 
obtuse, oblong-obovate, base cuneate, 1 to 2.5 cm long. Flowers in sessile, 
axillary and terminal, few-flowered heads, the heads solitary or cymose, 
the buds compressed. Petals 5, yellow, about as long as the sepals. Sta- 
mens 8 to 12. (Fl. Filip pl. 164.) 
In open waste places, very common, fl. all the year; throughout the 
Philippines. All temperate and tropical countries. . 
3. P. QUADRIFIDA L. 
A slender, prostrate, annual, succulent plant, the stems often rooting 
at the nodes, the nodal appendages pilose. Leaves ovate-elliptic, about 5 
mm long, subsessile. Flowers small, terminal, solitary, surrounded by a 
4-leaved involucre and copious white hairs. Petals 4, yellow. 
Cementerio del Norte, Pasay, etc., in waste places, fi. all the year; of local 
occurrence in the Philippines and apparently introduced. Tropical Asia and 
Africa. 
48. BASELLACEAE (BASELLA OR LIBATO FAMILY) 
Twining, glabrous, herbaceous vines, more or less succulent. Leaves 
alternate, entire. Inflorescence axillary, spicate or racemose. Flowers 
small, perfect, 2-bracteolate. Sepals 2, more or less adnate to the corolla. 
Corolla-lobes 5, nearly free or more or less united. Stamens 5; anthers 
versatile. Ovary free, 1-celled, 1-ovuled. Fruit indehiscent, dry or fleshy 
surrounded by the perianth. 
Genera 5, species about 14, mostly in tropical America, 2 genera and 2 
species in the Philippines, both introduced. 
Sepals not winged; filaments erect in bud.2.....2..22.22cceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 1. Basella 
Sepals broadly winged down the back; filaments recurved in bud. 
2. Anredera 
1. BASELLA Linnaeus 
A succulent, glabrous, twining vine. Leaves alternate, entire. Flowers 
in axillary spikes, white or red, small. Bracteoles minute, caducous. Se- 
pals 2, connate, not keeled. Corolla 5-fid, somewhat fleshy, the lobes erect, 
obtuse. Stamens 5, inserted on the corolla-tube. Filaments straight in 
bud. Ovary globose; styles 3, connate at the base; stigmas linear-clavate. 
Fruit a globose utricle enclosed in and adnate to the perianth. (A Malabar 
name.) 
A single variable species found in most tropical countries, its original 
home uncertain, possibly tropical Asia. 
1. B. RuBRA L. Libato (Tag.). 
A succulent, branched, glabrous, twining, herbaceous vine, reaching a 
length of several meters, the stems green or purplish. Leaves somewhat 
fleshy, ovate, petioled, acuminate, base cordate to decurrent, 5 to 12 cm 
long. Spikes axillary, solitary, 5 to 20 cm long. Flowers pink, about 4 
mm long. Fruit ovoid or globose, 5 to 6 mm long. (FI. Filip. pl. 74.) 
Occasional in waste places, escaped from cultivation, fi. most of the 
year; throughout the Philippines but certainly introduced here. In most 
tropical countries, wild or cultivated, possibly a native of India. 
