496 SEDACEAE 



FAMILY 2. SEDACEAE Neck. ORPINE FAMILY. 



Herbs or somewhat shrubby plants, various in habit, with mostly succulent 

 tissues. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, without stipules : blades thick. 

 Flowers perfect or dioecious, solitary, or usually in cymes. Perianth usually of 

 2 series. Calyx of 4 or 5 persistent sepals, or rarely fewer or more. Corolla of 

 as many imbricated, sometimes united petals as there are sepals, or wanting. 

 Androecium of as many stamens as there are petals, or twice as many. Anthers 

 opening lengthwise. Receptacle with a scale at the base of each carpel. Gy- 

 noecium of as many distinct or partially united carpels as there are sepals. 

 Styles terminal. Ovules in 2 rows along the ventral suture. Fruit membran- 

 ous or leathery follicles, opening along the ventral suture. Seeds minute, nu- 

 merous. Endosperm fleshy. Embryo terete. \_Cra88ulaceae DC.] 



Sepals and petals distinct or nearly so : calyx not inflated. 



Stamens as many as the sepals. 1. TILLAEA. 

 Stamens twice as many as the sepals. 



Carpels distinct. 2. SEDUM. 



Carpels partially united. 3. DIAMORPHA. 



Sepals and petals united : calyx inflated. 4. BRYOPHYLLUM. 



1. TILLAEA L. 



Low fleshy usually mud-inhabiting glabrous caulescent herbs. Leaves opposite, terete 

 or flattish, entire. Flowers white or reddish, solitary in the axils, or in simple axillary 

 or terminal cymes. Sepals 3-5, united below. Petals 3-5, distinct, or united at the base. 

 Stamens 3-5 : filaments filiform : scales 3-5, narrow, or obsolete. Carpels 3-5, distinct. 

 Ovary 1-celled : styles subulate or wanting : stigmas minute. Ovules several or rarely 1 

 in each cavity. Follicles 3-5, distinct. 



Flowers sessile or nearly so : corolla greenish : follicles with 8-10 seeds. 1. T. aquatica. 



Flowers manifestly pedicelled : corolla reddish : follicles with 12-20 seeds. 2. T. 



1. Tillaea aquatica L. Stems simple or widely branching, 2-7 cm. long, sometimes 

 creeping : leaves opposite and connate, linear-oblong, 4-6 mm. long, acutish or obtuse : 

 flowers solitary and sessile in the axils or nearly so : corolla greenish, about 1 mm. broad : 

 petals about twice as long as the sepals : follicles ovoid, surpassing the calyx : seeds 8-10 

 in each follicle. \_T. simplex Nutt.J 



On muddy banks, Nova Scotia to Massachusetts, Maryland and Alabama. Summer. 



2. Tillaea Diummdndii T. & G. Stems usually much branched at the base, the 

 branches 1-3 cm. long, often rooting at the lower nodes, mostly forking above : leavt-s 

 linear-oblong or spatulate, 2-4 mm. long, obtuse, the bases connate : flowers mostly solitary 

 in the axils : pedicels finally as long as the leaves : sepals ovate, 0.5 mm. long, rather obtuse : 

 petals reddish, twice as long as the sepals : follicles 1 mm. long, obtuse : seeds oval, 

 12-20 in each follicle. 



On muddy shores of ponds, Washington to Colorado, Louisiana, Texas and Mexico. Spring to fall. 



2. SEDUM L. 



Fleshy commonly glabrous caulescent herbs or rarely shrubby plants. Stems solitary, 

 or often tufted. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled : blades flat or terete, entire or 

 toothed. Flowers perfect or dioecious, white, yellow, pink or blue, in terminal or axillary 

 cymes or rarely solitary. Sepals 4 or 5, distinct. Petals 4 or 5 or rarely more, distinct. 

 Stamens 8-10, or rarely more : filaments subulate or filiform, often adnate to the petals. 

 Carpels 4 or 5, distinct or nearly so. Ovary 1-celled : styles subulate : stigmas minute. 

 Ovules usually numerous in each cavity. Follicles 4 or 5, erect or spreading. 



Stem-leaves with terete or nearly terete blades. 



Corolla yellow. 1. S. Nuttattianum. 



Corolla white, pink or purple. 



Corolla purple. 2. S. pulchellum. 



Corolla white or pink. 3. S. pusillum, 



Stem-leaves with flat blades. 



Relatively low plants with decumbent or creeping stems. 



Corolla less than 13 mm. broad : follicles 2.5-4.5 mm. long : bracts linear. 4. S. Nevii. 



Corolla over 13 mm. long : follicles 5.5-8 mm. long : bracts oblong. 5. S. ternatum. 



Relatively tall plants with erect stems. 



Leal-blades toothed : flowers in dichotomous or corymb-like cymes. 



Flowers perfect : sepals and petals 5 : corolla white or pink. 6. S. tdephipides. 



Flowers dioecious : sepals and petals 4 or rarelv 5 : corolla purple. 7. <S. Roanense. 



Leaf-blades entire : flowers in spike-like, raceme-like or panicle-like cymes. 8. S. Texanum. 



