140 Portulacaceae 



3. M. nodiflorum Haw. A prostrate branching annual with 

 rather slender terete leaves; flowers white or whitish, small, 

 about 1 cm. broad. 



Not known within our limits, but occurring on Catalina Island and along 

 the shore of the mainland from near Capistrano south. Abundant about 

 San Diego. 



Family 28. PORTULACACEAE. PURSLANE 

 FAMILY. 



Herbs generally fleshy or succulent, with alternate or 

 opposite leaves and regular but unsymmetrical per- 

 fect flowers. Sepals commonly 2. Petals 4 or 5, rarely 

 more, hypogynous, equal in number to the petals and 

 opposite them or fewer ; anthers 2-celled, longitudinally 

 dehiscent. Ovary 1-celled ; styles 2-3-cleft or divided ; 

 ovules 2-many, amphitropous. Capsule membranous or 

 crustaceous, circumscissile or 3-valved. Seeds 2-many, 

 reniform-globose or compressed ; embryo curved ; endo- 

 sperm farinaceous. 



Sepals 2, distinct, free from the ovary, persistent. 

 Ovary 3-valved. 



Styles 2-cleft; sepals unequal, hyaline. 2. CALYPTRIDIUM. 



Styles 3-cleft; sepals equal, herbaceous. 



Stamens more than 5; seeds many, smooth. I. CALANDRINIA. 

 Stamens usually 3; seeds few, tuberculate. 3. MONTIA. 

 Sepals 2, united at the base, adnate to the ovary; ovary circumscissile. 



4. PORTULACA. 



1. CALANDBINIA H. B. K. 



Low succulent herbs with alternate or radical leaves, 

 and purplish flowers in bracteolate racemes. Sepals 2, 

 green and persistent. Petals mostly 5. Stamens 5-15 

 or sometimes only 3. Ovary free, many-ovuled, style 

 3-cleft, short. Capsule ovoid, membranous, 3-valved. 

 Seeds smooth or minutely tuberculate. 



1. C. caulescens Menziesii (Hook.) Gray. Stems decumbent 

 or ascending, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, 10-30 cm. long, leafy ; 



