90 PORTULACACE E. PORTULACA. 
OrvER XIII. PORTULACACEZ Reichb. Consp. 161. 
More or less succulent herbs with simple entire leaves and 
regular perfect flowers. Sepals only 2 (sometimes more in 
Lewisia). Petals 5 and definite or indefinite, imbricated in #s- 
tivation. Stamens opposite the petals when of the same num- 
ber or fewer; filaments all fertile, distinct; anthers fixed by 
the middle, versatile or introse. Ovary 1-celled by the obliter- 
ation of the dissepiments, with few or many campylotropous or 
amphitropous cvules ona free central placenta, in fruit be- 
coming a capsule with transverse or loculicidal dehiscence. 
Embryo curved or coiled on the outside of mealy albumen. 
Flowers axillary or terminal, mostly ephemeral. 
* Capsule dehiscing transversely near the middle: sepals united to 
near the middle, and in ours adnate to the ovary, the upper portion at 
length deciduous. 
1. Portulaca. Petals 4-6 periginous: stamens 9-20. 
* * Capsule dehiscing transversely at the very base: sepals per- 
sistent. 
%. Lewisia. Sepals 6-8; marcescent-persistent : poe 10-16: scapes 1- 
flowered, jointed and bracteolate near the middle. 
3. Oreobroma. Sepals 2: petals 3-10, usually 7; stems scape-like with a 
pair of (at least when young) opposite bracts below the inflorescence, 
l-many-flowered. 
* * * Capsule loculicidally 3-valved: sepals 2, ovary several- 
ovuled: petals 3-several. * 
4. Calandrinia. Sepais 2, persistent: petals 3-7: staméns 3-10, seldom 
' of the same number as the petals. 
5. Talinum. Sepals 2, deciduous: petals 5. 
* * * * Capsule loculicidally 3-valved: sepals 2, persistent: petals 5. 
6. Claytonia. Capsule several-seeded: stamens 10, inserted on the claw 
of the free and equal petals. 
7. Montia. Petals 5, more or less distinctly: united at the base, un- 
equal: stamens mostly 3, inserted on the claws of the 3 smaller petals. 
* * * ** Capsule 2- valved: sepals 2, broad, more or less scarious, — 
persistent. 
8. Spraguea. Sepals emarginate at base and apex: petals 4: stamens 3, 
exserted, opposite the 3 larger petals. 
9. Calyptridium. Sepals mostly unequal, petals 2-4; stamens 1, 2 or 3, 
shorter than the petals and alternate with them. 
§ 1 Capsule circumscissile. 
1 PORTULACA Tourn. Inst. 236. 
Low succulent diffuse or ascending herbs with alternate or op- 
posite leaves scarious or setaceous stipules and axillary or ter- 
minal ephermal yellow or rose-color flowers in summer. Sepals 
2, coherent at base into a tube and adnate’ to the base of the 
ovary, the free upper portion at length deciduous. Petals 4—6. 
Stamens 4—20, perigynous with the petals. Style 1, deeply 3—8- 
cleft. Capsule cireumscissile near the middle, many-seeded. 
