24, XVII. PORTULACE®. 
1. PORTULACA, Lina. 
Sepals 2, united at base into a tube attached to the ovary, 
free above, deciduous. Petals 4-6, free or slightly connate at 
base. Stamens 8or many. Ovary half-inferior, many-ovuled ; 
style deeply 3-8-fid. Capsule membranous, half-inferior, 
splitting across (circumscissile) about the middle.—#l. Cap. 
i. p. 881. 
Small, fleshy, widely-dispersed herbs. P. oleracea is a common weed .in 
gardens throughout the colony. P. quadrifida and P. pilosa are rare, 
2. ANACAMPSEROS, Sims. 
Sepals 2, at length deciduous. Petals 5, very fugacious. 
Stamens 15-20 or more, hypogynous ; filaments distinct, ad- 
hering to them. Ovary free, many-ovuled; style filiform, 
3-fid at the apex. Capsules conical, 1-celled, 3-valved, the 
valves often 2-partite, and then apparently 6-valved ; seeds 
many-winged.—Fl. Cap. i. p. 382. 
A South African genus of 9 species, natives of dry plains to the north and 
north-east. Very dwarf plants. Leaves roundish or ovate, or lanceolate, 
fleshy, sometimes very minute. Stipules membranous, larger than the 
leaves, much split. Flowers sessile, involucred or on long peduncles, 
opening only in sunshine. 
3. TALINUM, Juss. 
Sepals 2, ovate, separate, deciduous. Petals 5, ephemeral. 
Stamens 10-830, inserted with the petals, and often adnate to 
them. Style filiform, 3-fid at the apex. Capsules 3-valved, 
1-celled, many-seeded. Seeds wingless, many.—/V. Cap. ii. p. 
385. 
Chiefly Asiatic and American. 7. Caffrwm, E. and Z., the only South 
African species, grows in Caffraria. It is a glabrous perennial, $1 foot 
high. Leaves oblong-linear or linear-lanceolate, with revolute margins. 
Flowers solitary, in the axils of the upper leaves. 
4, PORTULACARIA, Jacq. 
Sepals 2, persistent, membranous. Petals 5, persistent, 
equal, obovate, hypogynous. Stamens 5-7, inserted with the 
petals ; anthers short, often imperfect. Ovary ovate, 3-angled ; 
style 0; stigmas 3, spreading. Fruits 3-quetrous, 3-winged, 
indehiscent, 1-seeded.—F. Cap. u1. p. 385. 
Glabrous, fleshy shrubs or small trees, natives of South Africa. Leaves 
opposite, roundish, flat, deciduous. Peduncles opposite; pedicels 1-flowered, 
in threes. Flowers very small, rosy. ‘‘ Speckboom.”—2 species: P. Afra, 
Jacq., grows in the Karroo and in the Eastern district; P. Namaquensis, 
Sond., in Namaqualand. 
