PORTULACACEAE. 1 41 



Claytonia diffusa Nutt. Annual, the whole plant usually reddish, much 

 branched, 5-10 cm. high; leaves all alternate or a few of the lower ones opposite, 

 the blades ovate, 1-2 cm. long, abruptly narrowed into petioles of equal 

 length; racemes numerous; pedicels of the lower flowers elongate, sometimes 

 bracted; petals white or pale pink, emarginate, longer than the calyx; seeds 

 sculptured with fine longitudinal and transverse striae. 



In open coniferous woods, not common. 



Claytonia dichotoma Nutt. Very similar to C. linearis but smaller in every 

 way, 2-8 cm. tall; calyx 2 mm. long; petals scarcely exceeding the calyx; 

 seeds 1 mm. broad, dull. 



Rare in our limits, but common east of the Cascade Mountains. First 

 found by Nuttall at the mouth of the Willamette River. 



Claytonia linearis Dougl. Annual, branched below, 5-15 cm. tall; leaves 

 linear, succulent, all alternate, 2-5 cm. long, scarious-margined at base; 

 raceme 4-10-flowered, one-sided, the pedicels curving downward; sepals 4 mm. 

 long; capsule shorter than the sepals; seeds shiny, 2 mm. broad. 



In moist open places. 



Claytonia howellii (Wats.) Piper. Annual, very small and slender, rooting 

 at the nodes, 2-5 cm. high; leaves linear-spatulate, 10-20 mm. long, the foliar 

 ones alternate; racemes few-flowered from the axils of ovate bract-like leaves 

 opposite the foliar ones; pedicels reflexed in fruit; flowers very small, close- 

 pollinated; petals minute, white, 2-5 or wanting. 



In wet places in early spring. Victoria, Macoun; Seattle, Piper; Sauvies 

 Island, Oregon, where first found by Howell. 



Family 39. CARYOPHYLLACEAE. Pink Family. 



Annual or perennial herbs; stems often swollen at the nodes; 

 leaves opposite, entire, with or without stipules; flowers regular 

 and perfect; sepals 4 or 5, separate or united into a calyx-tube; 

 petals equal in number to the sepals or none; stamens not more 

 than twice as many as the sepals, hypogynous or perigynous; 

 styles 2-5; ovary 1-celled, rarely 3-5-celled; ovules several or 

 many, basal or attached to a central column; fruit a capsule, 

 akene or utricle; endosperm mealy. 



Sepals united; petals long-clawed. 



Styles 2; capsule with 4 teeth. 175. Dianthus, 142. 



Styles more than 2; capsule not with 4 teeth. 

 Styks 3, rarely 4 or 5; capsule with 3 or 6 



teeth. 176. Silene, 142. 



Styles always 5; capsule with 5 or 10 teeth. 177. Lychnis, 144. 

 Sepals free to the base or nearly so. 

 Stipules present, scarious. 



Sepals spine-tipped; fruit a 1 -seeded utricle. 178. Pentacaena, 144. 

 Sepals not spine-tipped; fruit a capsule. 



Styles and valves of the capsule 3. 179. TissA, 145. 



Styles and valves of the capsule 5. 180. Spergula, 145. 



Stipules wanting. 

 Petals none. 



Styles as many as the sepals and alter- 

 nate with them. 183. Sagina, 148. 



