TALINUM TERETIFOI.IUM. TERETE TAI.INUM. 55 



classification was erroneous, since the difference between tiie 

 Portnlacaccr, to which Talinum belongs, and the Crassulacac, 

 in which Scduni will be found, is easily recognized when once 

 known. In addition to these scientific distinctions there is 

 also another, which might be called a popular one. Scdimis 

 are generally evergreen, their winter freshness being, indeed, 

 quite characteristic ; but the foliage of this Talinum dies away 

 entirely in the fall, and nothing remains but a short, thick, suc- 

 culent root-stock, from which new plants start the coming year. 

 These root-stocks are so much like the color of the earth that, 

 unless one looks for them very closely in the early spring, they 

 may not be found; but the tuberous appearance is lost in the 

 summer growth. By the middle of April the cylindrical, succu- 

 lent leaves begin to appear, forming very pretty tufts in the clefts 

 of the rocks on which (near West Chester, Pa.) the plant grows. 

 The flowers first come out in the month of June, and continue 

 into August, and are sure to attract attention by their fine pur- 

 ple color, which is so rare among our native flowers. They 

 must be looked for at midday, between twelve and two o'clock, 

 at least according to the experience of the writer, who has never 

 been able to find any of them open at any other time. In most 

 cases within his observation the flowers remained expanded only 

 for an hour. 



In the progress of botany Talinum has had given to it sev- 

 eral names, all of which are now regarded as synonyms. Thus 

 Rafinesque proposed to call it Phcmcranthcs, or " Fame-Flower." 

 To name it from the ephemeral character of its blossoms would 

 certainly have been much more appropriate, but Rafinesque s 

 name is still used by botanists as a convenient term to designate 

 a section of the genus Talinum. The other synonyms are not 

 important. 



In view of the name Fame-Flower, and of the ei^hemeral char- 

 acter of the blossoms, we are tempted to imagine that the poet 

 thought of our species when he sang : — 



