8. PORTFLACACE.^. 



35 



Pasture 

 mopolitan. 



and cultivated land. — July. -Jan. — Almost cos- 



5. Stellaeia, L. 

 stclhi. a star; alluding to the radiating 



(From the Latin 



petals.) 

 1. Stellaria. media, Cy- 



rillo. ('liirl-irred. Weak annual ; 

 stems branching, ascending, with 

 a line of white hairs on one side 

 leading down frf)m the junction 

 of the leaves and alternating at 

 each node : leaves oval-acuminate, 

 the lower ones with hairy 

 petioles, the upper ones sessile; 

 flowers small, white, on long 

 downy pedicels, in loose, leafy 

 cymes; petals deepl.v 2-cleft, 

 shorter than sepals; stamens 3-5; 

 capsule a little longer than 

 calyx. 



Usually in moist places. — Jul.v- 

 Dec. — Almost cosmopolitan. 



6* Arenaria, L. 



(From the Latin arena, sand.) 



1. Arenaria serpyili- 



folia, L. Thiiine-Jcaved Sand- 

 wort. Small, slender, downy 



annual 



Stellaria media. 



Glenelg and 

 Nov.- — Almost 



Arenaria serpyllifolia. 



leaves sessile, oval-acute, 

 spreading ; flowers white in 

 forked, leafy cymes; pedicels 

 slender, about twice as long as 

 the calyx ; petals entire, shorter 

 than sepals : styles 3. sometimes 

 4 ; capsule ovoid ; seeds finely 

 tuberculate. 



Sandhills near 

 Brighton. — Sept. - 

 cosmopolitan. 



Family 8 -PORTULACACEiC. 



1. Portulaca, L. 

 1. Portulaca oleracea, 



L. Purslane. Succulent prostrate 

 annual ; leaves oboval - oblong, 

 thick, shining; flowers small, 

 yellow, sessile, axillary ; sepals 2, 

 keeled, closing over the fruit, but 

 finally deciduous ; petals 4-6 ; 

 stamens 10-12; style-branches 

 4-6 ; ovary adherent at base ; 



