Porlulaca. I'OK 'n'LACACK.E. 263 



4. LEWISIA. Sepals 2 to 8. often glandular-denticulate. Petalu .3 to 16. Anthorn obloujf 

 to linear. Style-brain lies .'J to 8, .slender. CapKulc giolxwt-ovate, tliiu-cluirtaceom. ; weds 

 several to niany, lenticular, nio.Htly Minooth and nhining. 



= .== Stylo-braucliefl 3 : cajwule 3-viilved from the apex : hopalu 2. 



5. CALANDRINIA. Petals 3 to 7. Stamcnu (rarely 3) 5 to 12. wldoin of the naina 

 nunil.ir a.-; tlie petals. SeecLs usually numerous, small, Mack, finely fjninulated. Fle»hv 

 spreailini,' aiiiiu.ils with alternate leaves. 



6. CLAYTONIA. I'etal.-i defmitely .'i, free, equal, con.ipicuuus. Stamens as manv. (»vule« 

 few, al.Mut G. Seeds dark and shining. Perennials from thick roots or conns.' Cauliue 

 leaves ojipijsite. 



7. MONTIA. Petals 5 or fewer, usually .somewhat unecjual, and sometimes mor* or 1pm 

 coherent or connate at the base. Stamens 3 to 5. Ovules very few, niostlv 3. Seeds 2 or 3. 

 == = == Gyna-cium dimerous, i. e. sti^ina-s and valves only 2 : sepals orbiculate, whidiv 



or partly siarious and accrescent, mostly plane and as it were bivalvular in fruit : lejives 

 all alternate : capsule membranaceous ; seeds reniform-lenticular, not strophiolate : anthesis 

 epliemeral : inflorescence usually secund. 



8. SPRAGUEA. Sepals wholly scarious (or with mere greenish centre), emarginale at 

 apex and base, equal. Petals 4, obovate. Stamens 3, twice the length of the j)eUils; fila- 

 ments filiform ; anthers linear-oblong. Style very long, filiform ; stigma 2 lobed. Capsule 

 globose-ovate, few-seeded. 



9. CALYPTRIDIUM. Sej>als .scarious-margincd or largely scarions, usuallv iine<|nal. 

 Petals 2 to 4, small (distinct), obovate. Stamens I, 2, or 3. shorter than the jK-tals ; fila- 

 ments subulate ; anthers oval or oblong. Stvle short or hnnilvanv; stignnus 2 fa'psule 

 linear t.) oval, G-24-secil.'(l. 



1. PORTULACA. Tourn. Pikslank. (Latin name of Pur.<;Iane, of 

 uncertain derivation.) — Low herbs, flesliy, with h'lives alternate or partly oppo- 

 site, and stipules scarious or none, or reduced to hairy tufts ; the flowers terminal 

 and sessile, expanding in direct sun.'^hiiie before mid-day, .soon closing, and the 

 petals by evening colliquescent. Pyxis membranaceous to coriaceous. — Inst. 

 236, t. 118 ; L. Gen. no. 341 ; Gray, Gen. III. i. t. Ol).' 



♦ Leaves flat, naked in the axils or very nearly .so: very glabrous animals. 

 ■i— Stems terete : calyx-lobes dorsally carinate : no calycine border around the month of the 

 persistent part of the dehiscent capsule; lid high-conical and with acute tip: p«-tal8 

 yellow, emarginate. 



P. oleracea, L. (Common PtnsLAKE.) Mostly prostrate: leaves cuneate- or spatulate- 

 obovate, with very obtuse or nearly truncate apex: calyx-lolics ovate, in bud ."omewhat 

 pointed l>y the ])rnjecting keel : stamens 7 to 12 : style-lobes 5 or 6: .seeds black, obtuselv 

 granulate. — Spec. i. 445; Kngelm. in (Jray, PI. Lindh. pt. 2. l.'J4 ; (iray. 1. c. — Common in 

 cult, grounds around dwellings, ami, as is thought, indigenous on the plains of Arkan.<i.s 

 Texas, and westward. (Cosmoj)olite.) 



P. retlisa, Enoelm. Ascending, greener: leaves .somewhat more cnneate, often retu.se: 

 calyx lobes in bud obtuse, strongly carinate: jietals small or minute: stamens 7 to 19: st\le- 

 lobes 3 or 4 and shorter: .seeds larger and echinate-tulK'rculate. — Kngelm. in (Jrav. PI. 

 Lindh. pt. 2, l.'>4,& PI. Wright, i. 13; Hrew. & Wats. Bot. Calif, i. 74. — Plains of Texas 

 and Arkansas to Arizona ^ and to the Colorado. 



-t- Stem angled: petals acuti.sh or pointed: calyx-lobes ol>scurely carinate: a wingliko 

 iMirder around orifice of dehiscent capsule; lid dej)re!*.sed-conic.il. 

 P. lanceoldta, Engklm. 1. c. Erect or ascending : lower leaves spatnl.ite and obtuse ; 

 upi)er oblanceolate or narrower, sometimes acute: petals spatulate or oliovntc, yellow or 



1 Add Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. xxii. 274. 



2 S. \V. Colorado, ace. to Coulter. Man. Hocky Mt. Rofj. 37; also roportcil from KanNU. Iowa, and 

 Minnesota, but perhaps confu.sed with the preceding nearly related ^pecie.'>. 



