36 ERYTHEA. 
8. MONTIA, Micheli, Nova Plantarum Genera, 17. t. 13. 
Low glabrous herbs, with delicate pale or white flowers in 
loose axillary or terminal simple or compound racemes. 
Sepals 2, green, persistent. Petals usually 5, more or less 
unequal. Stamens 3 to 5. Ovary 3-ovuled, capsule 3-valved, 
3-seeded.—Montia Linn., and sections Limnia, Alsinastrum 
and Naicreus of Claytonia, T. & G. Fl. i. 199-202, and Gray, 
Proc. Am. Acad. xxii. 280-283. 
* Leafy-stemmed annuals; petals unequal. 
+ At least the lower leaves opposite. 
1. M. Fontana, Linn. Sp. 87. Stems weak, procumbent, 
1 to 6 inches long, rooting at the nodes, terminating in few- 
flowered racemes: seeds turgid, minutely tuberculate, not 
shining.—Common in Pacific North America and in Europe. 
+ + Leaves all alternate. 
++ Stamens 2 or 3, opposite the smaller petals; seeds len- 
ticular, margined, very smooth. 
2. M. Howenim, Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. xviii. 191. 
Stems 4 to 2 inches long, depressed, rooting freely at the 
nodes: leaves linear-spatulate to lanceolate, usually opposite 
a triangular clasping bract which subtends each few-flowered 
raceme: petals 1 to 5, or 0: seeds small, black and shining. 
— Willamette Valley, Oreg., flowering in Feb. and March. 
3. M. dichotoma. Claytonia dichotoma, Nutt., T. & G. 
Fl. i. 202. Erect, 1 to 3 inches high, branching from the 
base and compact: leaves all linear: flowers in dense ter- 
minal racemes: seeds dull-black.—On the Columbia River 
from the Dalles westward. 
4. M. Lingarts (Dougl.), Greene, FI. Fr. 181. Claytonia 
linearis, Dougl., Hook. Fl. i. 224. t. 71. Stems 2 to 6 inches 
long, erect or spreading: leaves linear, sessile by a clasping 
base: flowers in lax terminal racemes: stamens 3 (rarely 2 
