Portulaca.} xix. PORTULACE^:. (W. T. Thiselton t)yer.) 247 



2. P. Wig-htiana, Wall. Cat. 6S45 ; nodal appendages whorled sca- 

 rious, leaves oblong or ovate-lanceolate. W. & A. Prodr. 356. 



WESTERN PENINSULA ; in the Carnatic, and CEYLON. 



Stems much branched, prostrate, stunted ; the approximate joints naked below, 

 clothed with scarious appendages, and sparingly leafy above. Leaves ^ in., alternate, 

 acute, margins recurved; nodal appendages about six in a whorl, equalling the leaves, 

 iaibricate, lanceolate, acute, persistent. Flowers terminal, solitary, sessile, surrounded 

 by a few leaves and tufted appendages. Sepals about r \ in., broadly ovate-lanceolate. 

 Petals 5, obovate, with netted veins. Stamens 5 (or more?) shorter than the petals. 

 Style filiform, 4-fid to its length. Seeds numerous, granulate. 



3. P. quadrifida, Linn.; annual, nodal appendages pilose, leaves ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate. Wight III. ii. t. 109 ; Wall. Cat. 6843. P. meridiana, 

 Linn. ; Roach. Fl. Ind. ii. 463. P. geniculata, Royle III. 221. Illecebrum 

 verticillatum, Burm. Ind. 66 ; Rheede Hort. Mai. x. t. 31. 



'Throughout the warmer parts of INDIA and CEYLON. DIBTRIB. Tropical Asia and 

 Africa. 



Stems diffuse,. filiform, rooting at the nodes. Leaves \-\ in., opposite, very shortly 

 petioled ; nodal appendages more or less copious. Flowers terminal, solitary. Calyx- 

 tube ^-immersed in the extremity of the axis, surrounded by a 4-leaved involucre and 

 long silky hairs. Petals 4 (yellow). (Stamens 8-12.) Style filiform, 4-fid to the 

 middle. Seeds minutely tubercled. Stunted specimens have the habit of Polyyonum 

 herniarioides which has been mistaken for this species. 



** Leaves terete. 



4. P. tuberosa, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 91 ; Fl. Ind. ii. 464 ; perennial stems 

 short spreading from a tuberous root. P. cristata, Ham. and pilosa, Hb. 

 Madr. in Wall. Cat. 6844, not of Linn. 



BEHAR, Hamilton ; SINDH, Stocks ; WESTERN PENINSULA ; CEYLON. 



Root 2-3 in , slightly fusiform, with a few branches towards the extremity, villous. 

 Stcufs 2-3 in., spreading. Leaves -| in., alternate, fleshy, linear ; nodal appendages 

 in., of sparingly tufted brown hairs. Flowers (yellow) in small terminal clusters, sur- 

 rounded by about 8 leaves and tufted hairs. Stamens 20-oo . Style filiform, 5-cleft. 

 black, granular. Closely allied to the Australian P. napiformis, F. Muell. 



5. P. suffruticosa, Wight in Wall. Cat. 6842 ; annual, stems erect. 

 jr. <('.A. Prodr. 356. 



WESTERN PENINSULA, Wight. 



Hoot annual, woody, divided. Stem about 1 ft., subligneous at the base, breaking up 

 into numerous ascending branches. Leaves about ^ in., acute ; nodal appendages 

 setose, scanty, very short, brown. Flowers in small terminal clusters, surrounded by 

 about 8 leaves, and setose appendages equalling about \ the base of the capsule. 

 (Stamens about 16. Style 5-cleft to the middle, W. & A.). Seeds very small, with con- 

 centric rows of minute tubercles. Allied to the tropical African P.foliosa, Ker, which 

 differs chiefly in habit, from the production of lateral flower-bearing shoots overtopping 

 the primary terminal heads. 



2. TALINUBX, Adans. 



Succulent herbs or shrubs. Leaves flat, exstipulate. Flowers racemed or 

 panicled. Petals 5, hypogynous. Stamens QO. Ovary superior; style 3-fid ; 

 ovules QO . Capsule globose or ovoid, 2-3 valved. Seeds subglobose or com- 

 pressed, strophiolate. DISTRIB. Warm countries throughout the world. 



1. T. cuneifolium, Willd. ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 465. T. indicum.TF. & A. 

 Pfodr. 356 ; Wall. Cat. 6847. 



NIPAL, Wallich; WESTERN PENINSULA, Wight. DJSTRIB. Arabia, Africa. 



