PURSLANE FAMILY 223 
Group II. POLYPETALAE. Flowers with Distinct Petals 
While, among modern botanists the division Choripetalae in- 
cludes both plants whose flowers have calyx and corolla and plants 
whose flowers have no corolla, it is most convenient for the pur- 
poses of this work to follow the older practice of dividing the 
class into Apetalous and Polypetalous Exogens. In the preced- 
ing orders of Exogens or Dicotyledons the corolla has been absent 
or only in a rudimentary stage. In the remaining orders of 
Choripetalae the petals are evident and distinctly separate, with 
few exceptions. 
Order I—PORTULACINEAE 
The general characters of the order are found in those of the 
single family. 
Famity. PORTULACACEAE. Tur Purstane FAmMILy 
This family is represented in our region by three genera, Clay- 
tonia, Montia and Portulaca. They are all small herbs with weak 
stems and more or less fleshy leaves which are always, in our 
native species, opposite. The flowers are provided with both 
calyx and corolla. The divisions of the former are but 2, of the 
latter 5, which are regular or very nearly so. Stamens 5, opposite 
the petals (Claytonia) or less in number (Montia) or variable in 
number (Portulaca). The fruit is a capsule, opening, in Portu- 
laca, like a lid, in Montia and Claytonia splitting at the sides 
by 3 valves. 
SS NINCT a SUL eu dah Nae Sh acre cage dear ae, he is OU 
SEAMING. el Say ave ein sper. wns Gi Claytonia 
SHAMS <O tG. EDDA = 4),cJuo. be oR! luets ous se Ortulaes 
1. MONTIA, L. 
Small annual spreading plant with opposite fleshy leaves. Flowers 
small, funnel-shaped, white, of 5 petals and 2 sepals; flowers arranged 
in groups or singly. Stamens 3, style 3-parted, capsule 3-valved with 3 | 
seeds. 
M. fontana, L. (Fig. 2, pl. 38.) WatTeR CHICKWEED. BLINKS. 
Water Brinks. A densely tufted plant in springs and wet places, 
