aaytonta.] XIII. PORTULACE^. 77 



Bmall, in one, two, or more clusters or short racemes along one common 

 peduncle above the leaf. Petals white, notched, scarcely longer than 

 the calyx. 



A native of north-western America, now so common a weed in many 

 English counties that it cannot be omitted from our Flora. PL tpriny 

 and summer. 



[C. Sibiriea, Linn. (alsinoides, Sims), with ovate acuminate root-leaves 

 and sessile orbicular stem-leaves, also a North American species, is 

 naturalised in various places, and threatens to be as common as C. 

 perfoliata.] 



II. MONTIA. MONTIA. 



Flowers minute, with the 5 petals united into one corolla, split open 

 in front. Stamens 3. Stigmas 3. Capsule opening in 3 valves, and 

 containing 3 seeds. 



The genus consists but of one species. 



1. M. fontana, Linn. (fig. 175). Blinks, or Water ChicJcweed.A. 

 little, glabrous, green, somewhat succulent annual, forming dense tufts, 

 from 1 to 4 or 5 inches in height, the stems becoming longer and weaker 

 in more watery situations. Leaves opposite or nearly so, obovate or 

 spathulate, from 3 to 6 lines long. Flowers solitary or in little drooping 

 racemes of 2 or 3, in the axils of the upper leaves ; the petals of a pure 

 white, but very little longer than the calyx. Capsules small and globular. 



On the edges of rills, and springy, wet places, where the water is not 

 stagnant, throughout Europe, in north Russian Asia, in North America, 

 and down the Andes to the southern extremity, in Australia and New 

 Zealand, but not in central Asia. Extends over the whole of Britain. 

 PL spring and summer. 



XIV. TAMARISCINE^. THE TAMARISC FAMILY. 

 A very small European, North African, and central Asiatic 

 family, with one Mexican genus, all differing from Caryophyl- 

 lacece in their frequently shrubby habit, alternate leaves, and the 

 ovules and seeds inserted on 3 distinct placentas, arising 

 from the base of the cavity of the ovary, and adhering some- 

 times to its sides, forming incomplete dissepiments, almost as 

 in FranJieniacece. A single species claims admission into a 

 British Flora, but only as a naturalised plant. 



I. TAMARIX. TAMARISO. 



Maritime shrubs, with slender, twiggy branches, covered with small, 

 green, alternate, scale-like leaves ; the flowers small, in terminal spikes 

 or racemes. Sepals 4 or 5. Petals as many. Stamens as many, or twice 

 as many, hypogynous. Ovary free, with 3, rarely 2 or 4 styles. Capsule 

 1 -celled, opening in as many valves an styles. Seeds several, erect, 

 crowned each with a tuft of cottony hairs. No albumen. 



1. T. gallica, Linn. (fig. 176). Common T.An *legant shrub of 8 



