158 PAEOKYCniE^. (WHITLOTV-WORT FAMILY.) 



usually glandless at base ; petals as long as calyx ; stamens 5-10 ; cap- 

 sule once and a half to twice as long as calyx; seeds rather smooth with 

 Iroad wings — Spring — Salt marshes ; coast and interior. 



Order XV. PAROXYCHIEiE. (Whitlow-wort Family). 



Differs from Alsinece chiefly in the more or less united 

 calyx^ in the generally smaller, often staminoid, petals (fre- 

 quently 0) . Stamens as many as calyx lobes or fewer, rare- 

 ly twice as many. Styles 2-3, separate or connected at base. 

 Frnit a l-celled," many-seeded, 3-valved capsule, or a 1-seeded, 

 indehiscent utricle. 



* Embryo peripheral, i,e., around the albumen. 

 TRIBE I. POIiYCARPEJE, Ovary oo-ovuled. Capsule free, oo-seeded, dehis- 

 cent by valves. Leaves stipulate, 



1. RGBBAIREA. Petals clawed, with ovate or cordate limb. 



2. POLYCARPON. Petals obcordate or oblong. 



3. POLYCARP^A. Petals lanceolate, half as long as calyx, 



TRIBE II. IliliECEBRE^. Ovary 1-ovuled. Utricle membranous, 1-seed- 

 ed, Leaves stipulate. 



4. HERNIARIA. Tufted, prostrate, grey or green herbs, 



5. PARONYCHA. Prostrate herbs with silvery, scarious bracts, 



6. GYMNOCARPUM. Branched, salsola-like bush, with cymose, reddish flowers. 



7. SCLEROCEPHALUS. Dwarf, desert herbs, with spiny fruiting heads, Petals 0. 



TRIBE III. CORRIGIOLilBiE. Ovary 1-ovuled. Fruit minute, nut-like. 



8. CORRIGIOLA. Herbs with filiform branches, and fleshy, stipulate leaves. 



TRIBE IV. SCIiERANTHKJE. Ovar}' 1-2-ovuled. Utricle membranous, 1- 

 seeded, included in calyx. Leaves opposite, exstipulate. 



9. SCLERANTHUS. Calyx-tube urn-shaped. Petals filiform or abortive 



10. HABROSIA. Calyx lobes slightly united, aristate. Petals obovate-spathulate. 



* * Embryo straight, lateral. 

 TRIBE V. PTERANTHE^. Ovary 1-ovuled. Utricle 1-seeded, membranous, 

 included in calyx. Leaves opposite, with minute stipules. Cymes 3-branched, the central 

 bearing one, fertile flower, the lateral sterile, with pinnate or plumose branches. 



11. PTERANTHUS. Sepals and stamens 4. Petals 0. Sterile branches of cyme pinnate. 



12. COMETES, Sepals, petals and stamens 5. Sterile branches of cyme plumose. 



1. ROBBAIREA, Boiss. Robbairea. GhahasM. 



Calyx lobes 5, plano-concave, with narrow, scarious margin. 

 Petals 5, short-clawed, limb cordate-ovate. Stamens 5, connate be- 

 low in a ring around the ovary. Style trifid at apex. Capsule 3-valved. 

 Seeds wedge-shaped, incurved, with grooved back — Herbs resem- 

 bling Polycarpon, . 



R. prostrata, Forsk. It Gliubeirah. Simsum. Fig. '72. 

 n/ifirahh. Uliarlihdr. Hhdr. Quleqaleh. .2 to .3, gla- 

 brous; stems numerous, filiform, prostrate, stifli-branch- 

 cd. Leaves oblong to linear ; stipules and bracts trian- 

 gular, with scarious margins. Cymes loose, clus- 

 tered , pedicels as long as calyx or longer ; sepals 

 ovate, obtuse ; petals pink, as long as calyx — Spring 

 — Hebron to Arabia Petraea. 



(a-) Flower of E. prostrata, (6) Capsule with style trifid at apex 



