168 Key to the System of 



PORTULACEAE. 

 PORTULACA. 



807. Leaves from obovate- to elliptical-cuneate, very 



carnulent. 



An annual, prostrate herb ; leaves mostly scattered on the 

 stems, crowded at the flowers, always glabrous, often 

 acidulous; minute stipular hairlets generally near the base 

 of the leaves ; flowers terminal, several, few or sometimes 

 solitary, 'sessile ; calyx -segments dorsally angular ; petals 

 tender-membranous, often five, yellow, rarely red; stamens 

 usually from seven to twelve ; stigmas capillary, five ; 

 lower portion of fruit adnate. P. oleracea. 



CLAYTONIA. 



808. Sepals deciduous. 



Quite dwarf, annual ; leaves very turgid, from oval- to 

 narrow-ellipsoid ; stalklets shorter than the flowers ; 

 sepals very carnulent ; petals four to seven, pointed ; 

 stamens four to ten ; stigmas three ; fruit hard, black, 

 blunt, only at the summit dehiscent ; seeds dotted. 

 Figure 31. C. pygmaea. 



Sepals persistent 809 



809. Stalklets longer than the flowers 810 



Stalklets shorter than the flowers ... ... ... 812 



810. Seeds dotted. 



Annual ; stems not rarely flexuous or twining ; leaves turgid, 

 from almost elliptical to cylindric-linear, those near the 

 root crowded ; stalklets soon distant, in age refracted ; 

 petals small, pink ; stamens five to ten ; fruit pointed ; 

 seeds very minute. (C. pusilla.) C. volubilis. 



Seeds smooth ... ... ... .., ... 811 



811. Leaves from spatular- to linear-ellipsoid. 



Annual ; leaves turgid, those near the root crowded ; stalk- 

 lets soon distant, refracted in age ; petals small, pink ; 

 stamens few ; fruit conical-ellipsoid ; seeds rather small. 



C. calyptrata. 

 Leaves compressed-cylindrical. 



Perennial, floating or creeping or tufted ; leaves mostly 

 scattered, clasping at their base ; flowers few or even 

 only two or one ; stalklets elongated ; petals comparatively 

 large, white; stamens generally five; fruit almost globular; 

 seeds usually three, comparatively large, black, shining. 



C. Australasica. 



