POLYCARPON.] CARYOPHYLLE^E. 69 



Petals 5, small. Stamens 3-5. Ovary 1 -celled ; style short, 3-fid ; ovules 

 many. Capsule 3-valved. DISTRIB. Various warm and temp, regions ; 

 species 6. ETYM. ir6\vs and Kapiros, from the abundant capsules. 



P. tetraphyl'lum, L. ; lower leaves in whorls of 4, flowers 3-androus. 

 Channel Islands, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, in sandy and waste places ; fl. 

 June-July. Stems 3-6 in., prostrate. Leaves % in., obovate, upper opposite. 

 Flowers f in. diam. DISTRIB. Europe, Asia, Africa, &c. 



ORDER XIII. PORTULA'CE-ffi. 



Herbs, rarely small shrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate, quite entire ; 

 stipules scarious. Inflorescence various. Sepals 2, imbricate in bud. Petals 

 4 or more, distinct or united at the base, imbricate in bud. Stamens 4 or 

 more, free or adnate to the petals, filaments filiform. Disk small or 0. 

 Ovary usually free, 1 -celled ; style simple or 3-fid, branches stigmatose all 

 over ; ovules 2 or more, on long often connate basal funicles, amphitropal, 

 ascending, micropyle inferior or transverse. Capsule dehiscing transversely 

 or 2-3-valved.i Seeds 1 or more, compressed, hilum marginal ; embryo 

 terete, hooked or annular and coiled round the mealy albumen. DISTRIB. 

 Cosmopolitan, but chiefly American ; genera 15 ; species 125. AFFINITIES. 

 Close to Caryophyllece, Ficoidece, and Molluginece. PROPERTIES. Purslane 

 is a good salad and a potherb. 



Petals united at the base. Stamens 3 1. Montia. 



Petals distinct. Stamens 5 1*. Claytonia. 



l. MON'TIA, L. BLINKS. 



A small, annual, glabrous herb. Leaves usually opposite. Flowers 

 minute, solitary or few and shortly cymose, white. Petals 5, hypogynous, 

 connate at the base. Disk small, hypogynous. Stamens hypogynous, 

 usually 3, opposite and attached to the base of the petals. Ovary free ; 

 styles short, 3-fid ; ovules 3. Capsule globose, 3-valved. Seeds 1-3, com- 

 pressed ; embryo annular. DISTRIB. N. and S. temperate Arctic and cold 

 regions. ETYM. J. de Monti, an Italian botanist. 



M. fonta'na, L. ; leaves spathulate, flowers drooping then erect. 

 Brooks and marshes, N. to Shetland ; ascends to 3,200 ft. in the Highlands ; 



Ireland ; Channel Islands ; fl. May- Aug. Pale-green, 1-5 in., usually 



flaccid, branched, tufted. Leaves J-J in., sub-opposite. Flowers ^ in. 



diam. Bracts scarious. Petals a little longer than the obtuse sepals. 



Capsule obovoid. Seeds shining. 

 VAR. M. mi' nor, Gmel. ; stem short, cymes terminal and axillary, tubercles of 



seed conical. YAB. M. rivula'ris, Gmel. ; stem elongate flaccid, cymes all 



axillary, tubercles of seeds flattened. 



I*. CLAYTO'NIA, L. 



Glabrous succulent herbs. Radical leaves petioled, cauline alternate and 

 opposite, exstipulate. Flowers in terminal cymes. Petals 5. Stamens 5, 



