PORTULACACE^. (PURSLANH FAMILY.) 



Order 12. PORTULACACE.K. (Pirslaxe Family.) 



More or less succulent herbs, with simple and entire leaves (tithpr 

 opposite or alternate) and regular but unsyniinetrical perfect fii)\ver.s; 

 sepals (except in Lewisid) 2; petals 2 to 5 or more; staniens <»pposite 

 the petals or numerous ; ovary one-celled, in fruit becoming capsular ; 

 style 2 to 8-cleft; stipules none or scarious or reduced to hairs. Flowera 

 open only in sunshine or bright daylight. 



• Sepals 2, united below aud adherent to the ovary, the free upper portion at lenj^'th 



deciduous. 

 1. Portulaca. Stamens 7 to 20. Flowers solitary, yellow (in ours^ Capsule opening by 

 a lid. 



• ♦ Sepals 2, distinct, persistent (deciduous in Talinum) : ovary free, 

 ■t- Style 3-cleft: capsule 3-valved : sepals equal 

 '2. Talinum. Stamens 10 to 30. Petals 5. Seeds numerous. 



3. Calandrinia. Stamens more than 5. Petals 6 or more. Seeds mostly smooth and 



shining. 



4. Claytonla. Stamens 5. Petals .5. Seeds smooth and shining. 



•*- •*- Style 2-cleft : capsule i-valved : sepals unequal, hyaline. 



5. Spraguea. Stamens 3. Petals 4. Stems simple, scape-like. 



6. Calyptridium. Stamen 1. Petiils 2. Stems branching, leafy. 



* * * Sepals 4 to 8, distinct, much imbricated. 



7. Lewlsla. Stamens many. Style 3- to S-cleft. Petals 8 to la Scapes 1-flowered. 



1. PORTULACA, Tonrn. Purslane. 



Petals 4 to 6. Style deeply 3- to 8-cleft. — Fleshy diffuse or a.scending 

 annuals, with axillary or terminal epliemeral yellow (in ours) Howers. 



1. P. retusa,^ Mngelm. Stems somewhat ascemling, sometimes covering 

 a space several feet in diameter: leaves flat, obovate to spatuhite : sepals 

 obtuse, broadly carinate-winged : sejds tubercnlate. — S. W. Colorado aud 

 southward. 



2. TALINUM, Adans. 



Distinguished from Culnudrinla by the deciduous sepals, tlie style le.ss deeply 

 3-cleft, the cap.sule 3-celled at base when young, aud the seeds on a globular 

 stalked placenta. 



1. T. teretifolium, Pursh. Leafy sten)s low. tuberous at tho b:vso . 

 leaves linear, cylindrical : jioduncle long and naked, bearing an open cyme of 

 pink flowers. — In tlie mountains of Coh.railo and ea.stward. 



3. CALANDRINIA, IIBK. 



Low succulent herbs, with radical leaves (in ours) and white to rodilish 

 ephemeral flowers in bracteate racemes or panicles, or few uj)on short scajK*- 

 like stems. 



' P. olerarea, L., is prostrate, not so preen, with hrjjer leaves, .nrnto Rfp-ils. fti:d needs 

 more finely tubercnlate. —Common Purslane or Pig-weed ; naturalized near dwelling*. 



