Portulaca.l PortulacacecB. 89 



basal placenta ; capsule dehiscent transversely by a deciduous 



lid ; seeds reniform, numerous, embryo curved round mealy 



endosperm. 



Of our 5 species 2 are common weeds of cultivated land, 2 seashore 

 plants, and i a rock plant in the dry region. 



PORTUIiACA, L. 



(For characters, see Order). — Sp. 16 ; 5 in i^/. B. Ind. 



Leaves flat or nearly so. 



Fl. in clusters i. P. oleracea. 



Fl. solitary. 



Nodes with large white stipular scales . . 2. P. Wightiana. 

 Nodes with a ring of hairs. 



Leaves opposite 3- P- QUADRIFIDA. 



Leaves alternate 4. P. tuberosa. 



Leaves terete or nearly so 5. P. suffruticosa, 



1. P. oleracea, Z. ^^^.P/. 445 (1753). G-enda-kola, 5. Pulik- 

 kirai, Pulichchankirai, T. 



Moon Cat. yj- Thw. Enum. 23. C. P. 1 103. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 246. 



A stout, glabrous annual, with numerous prostrate or 

 ascending branches ; 1. alternate, f- f in., crowded beneath the 

 branches, oblong-spathulate, very obtuse, thick, pale and 

 glistening beneath, petiole very short, no stipular appendages; 

 fl. sessile, few together, in terminal heads, inconspicuous ; 

 sep. fleshy, very acute, persistent, pet. 4-5, about as long as 

 Sep., very delicate and soon falling, or o ; stam. 8-12 ; capsule 

 dehiscent transversely, enclosed in sep., the free portions of 

 which also separate by a transverse division and come away 

 with the lid ; seeds numerous, muriculate, dark brown. 



An abundant weed in cultivated ground throughout the country. Fl. 

 all the year ; yellow. 



In all tropical and warm countries. The Purslane, a common pot- 

 herb. 



The fls. are open only for a few hours in the morning. 



2. P. Wig-htiana, Wall. Cat. No. 6845 (1828)." 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 247. 



A small, woody, prostrate, rooting, much-branched peren- 

 nial, the nodes very close, glabrous ; 1. alternate, sessile, 

 crowded, imbricate, oval, acute, very fleshy, easily detached, 

 stipular appendages persistent, scales as long as the 1. and 

 nearly hiding them, lanceolate, acuminate, shining and silvery; 

 fl. solitary, terminal, sessile, with an involucre of 4 fleshy leaves ; 

 pet. 4, ovate, acute, spreading ; stam. 4. 



