PORTULACACE^. (PURSLANE FAMILY.) 97 



16. MOLLUGO, L. Indian-Chickweed. 



Sepals 5, white inside. Petals none. Stamens hypogynous, 5 and alternate 

 with the sepals, or 3 and alternate with the 3 cells of the ovary. Stigmas 3. 

 Pod 3-celled, 3-valved, loculicidal, the partitions breaking away from the many- 

 seeded axis. — Low homely annuals, much branched ; the stipules obsolete. 

 (An old Latin name for some soft plant.) 



1. M. verticill&ta, L. (Carpet-weed.) Prostrate, forming patches; 

 leaves spatulate, clustered in whorls at the joints, where the 1 -flowered pedicels 

 form a sort of sessile umbel ; stamens usually 3. — Sandy river-banks, and cul- 

 tivated grounds. June- Sept. (An immigrant from farther south.) 



Order 19. PORTULACACE^l. (Purslane Family.) 



Herbs, with succulent leaves, and regular but unsymmetrical flowers ; viz., 

 sepals usually fewer than the petals : the stamens opposite the petals when 

 of the same number, but often indefinite: otherwise nearly as Chickweeds. 

 — Sepals 2, rarely 3 or 5. Petals 5, or sometimes none. Stamens mostly 

 5 - 20. Styles 3-8, united below, or distinct, stigmatic along the inside. 

 Pod 1 - 5-celled, with few or many campylotropous seeds rising on stalks 

 from the base, or from a central placenta. Embryo curved around mealy 

 albumen. — Insipid and innocent herbs, with entire leaves. Corolla open- 

 ing only in sunshine, mostly ephemeral, then shrivelling. 



# ANOMALOUS PORTULACACE.E. Sepals 5, bearing the stamens. 



1. Sesuvium. Petals none. Stamens 5-60. Pod 3 -5-celled, opening across by a lid. 



* * TRUE PORTULACACE^. Sepals (2) fewer than the petals : pod 1 -celled. 



2. Portulaca. Stamens 7 - 20, on the partly adherent calyx. Pod opening by a lid. 



3. Tnlimuii. Stamens more numerous than the petals, hypogynous. Pod many-seeded. 



4. Claytonia. Stamens as many as the hypogynous petals, and attached to their base. 



Pod 3-6-seeded. 



1. SESUVIUM, L. Sea Purslane. 



Calyx 5-parted, purplish inside, persistent, free. Petals none. Stamens 5 - 

 60, inserted on the calyx. Styles 3-5, separate. Pod 3 - 5-celled, many-seeded, 

 circumscissile, the upper part falling off as a lid. — Prostrate maritime herbs, 

 with succulent stems, opposite leaves, and axillary or terminal flowers. (An 

 unexplained name.) 



1 • S. Portulacastrum, L. Root perennial ; leaves lanceolate-oblong, 

 flattish ; flowers sessile or short-peduncled ; stamens many. — Coast of New 

 Jersey and southward. July - Sept. 



2. PORTULACA, Tourn. Purslane. 



Calyx 2-cleft ; the tube cohering with the ovary below. Petals 5, rarely 6, 

 inserted on the calyx with the 7-20 stamens, fugacious. Style mostly 3-8- 

 parted. Pod 1 -celled, globular, many-seeded, opening transversely, the upper 

 part (with the upper part of the calyx) separating as a lid. — Fleshy annuals, 

 with mostly scattered leaves. (An old Latiu name, of unknown meaning.) 

 7 



