866 Lxviir. CACTACE^. [Opuntia. 



Species over looo, nearly all South American. One species intro- 

 duced here and more or less established in sandy spots. 



OPUNTIA, Mill. 



Stem elongate, lobes flat with tomentose tubercles bearing long 

 spines. Flowers lateral yellow (or red). Calyx-tube not prolonged 

 beyond the ovary. Sepals numerous. Petals numerous connate. 

 Stamens in many series, shorter than petals. Berry pear-shaped. 



(i) O. monacantha Haw. Suppl. PI. Succ. 8i ; Burkill, Gardens 

 Bulletin i. 320. 



Plant usually about 6 ft. tall, often more; lobes spathulate, 

 8 to 10 in. long, 4-5 in. wide, spines long, white single or in pairs. 

 Calyx 2 to 3 in. long, sepals green tipped red. Corolla 3 in. wide, 

 yellow, reddish on the back. Stamens shorter. Stigmas 6. Style 

 short thick. Fruit pear-shaped 4 in. long. Hah. Sandy spots 

 near the coast. Singapore, Galang; Balestier. Malacca. Intro- 

 duced many years ago and more or less established. 



Order LXIX. FICOIDE.E. 



Herbs often succulent. Leaves often fleshy opposed or whorled. 

 Flowers in cymes or clusters rarely solitary, bisexual. Calyx of 

 4 or 5 sepals connate into a tube or nearly free, free from ovary. 

 Petals usually o. Stamens perigynous or hypogynous, definite or 

 indefinite. Ovary free, 2- to 5-celled, syncarpous (in Malay species) ; 

 styles as many. Fruit capsular, splitting dorsally or circumsciss. 

 Seeds many (or i) reniform. Species 450, mostly African. 



Succulent seashore herb ; flowers conspicuous, pink . .1. Sesuvium 

 Slender erect much-branched herbs ; flowers very small. 



Seeds with a bristle appendage . . . . .2. Glinus 



Seeds with no appendage . . . . . • 3- Mollugo 



1. SESUVIUM, Linn. 



Succulent prostrate herb. Leaves opposite, linear, spathulate, 

 sub-cylindric, fleshy. Flowers axillary sessile or pedicelled, soli- 

 tary. Calyx-tube short ; lobes 5, coloured inside. Petals o. 

 Stamens many, insert round mouth of calyx-tube. Ovar}^ free 

 3- to 5-celled; styles 3 to 5. Capsule ovate-oblong membranous, 

 circumsciss. Seeds many reniform. Species 4 or 5, littoral, warm 

 countries. 



(i) S. Portulacastrum Linn. Syst. ed. 10, p. 1058 ; Clarke, 

 in Hook. fil. F.B.I, ii. 659 ; King, I.e. 68. 



A fleshy creeping plant with light green leaves about i in. long. 



