40 Key to the System of 



191. Petals five. 



Herbs or half - shrubs ; leaves broad or narrow; stipules 

 absent ; stamens ten, inserted at the base of the calyx ; 

 styles generally two ; fruit usually four-valved. 



Saponaria. 803 



Petals none. 



Leaves always narrow ; stipules absent ; stamens one to 

 ten, inserted at the orifice of the calyx ; styles two ; fruit 

 valveless. Figure 33. Scleraiithus. 804 



PORTTJXACEAE. 



192. Fruit valveless, transversely dehiscent. 



Succulent herbs ; petals generally disunited. Portulaca. 807 



Fruit valvate ... ... ... ... ... ... 193 



193. Petals disunited. 



Succulent herbs or half -shrubs. Figure 31. Claytonia. 808 



Petals connate into an unilaterally slit corolla. 



Small herb, somewhat succulent. Montia. 813 



NYCTAGINEAE. 



194. Leaves opposite. 



Herbs or half -shrubs; flowers umbellate or paniculate or 

 crowded; involucre none; upper portion of the calyx 

 corollaceous, folded, hardly lobed, lower portion including 

 the fruit; stamens one to five; fruit furrowed, nearly 

 always beset with stalked glandules. Figure 44. 



Boerhaavia. 814 



POLYGONACEAE. 



195. Sepals six, the inner larger. 



Herbs, rarely half -shrubs; outer sepals spreading, inner 

 callously thickened; stamens usually six; styles three; 

 stigmas bearded or fringed. Rumex. 815 



Sepals five, nearly equal 196 



