Sesuvium.] Ficoidetz. 267 



Epiphytic on the trunks of trees, also on rocks, in the moist region up 

 to 4000 ft.; common. Fl. Aug., Sept.; greenish-white. 



Also in Mauritius, Madagascar, Trop. Africa, W. Indies, and Trop. 

 America ; but nowhere else in Asia. It is, however, without doubt a 

 native in Ceylon. 



Sometimes called ' Mistletoe ' by the English in Ceylon, from a slight 

 resemblance in general appearance and berries to Viscum album of 

 Europe ; but it is not truly parasitic, having very long fibrous roots, 

 which spread over the surface of the wood or rock on which the plant 

 grows. When quite young, the plant is set with stellate tufts of bristles. 



Opuntia Dillenii, Haw., is the common ' Cactus ' met with on waste 

 ground and by roadsides in the low country, rarely in the moist region, 

 but in great abundance near the coast in the dry ; called ' Katu-patuk' by 

 the Sinhalese and ' Naka-kalli ' by the Tamils. It is figured in Wight, 

 111. t. 114, and is an old introduction, now quite naturalised, and indeed a 

 great nuisance in parts of the Northern Prov. The plant is S. AmericaR 

 in origin. No other species is naturalised here. 



LXII.— FICOIDE/E. 



Annual or perennial herbs, 1. simple, opp. or alt., without 

 stip., fl. small, regular, bisexual, usually apetalous, sep. 5, 

 distinct or more or less connate (in Sesuvium slightly adnate 

 to ov.), pet. o (rarely 5); stam. def. or indef., perigynous or 

 hypogynous ; ov. superior or nearly so, 2-5 -celled, with few 

 or numerous ovules in each cell (in Gisekia of 5 separate carp, 

 each with 1 ovule) ; fruit a thin capsule, transversely or locu- 

 licidally dehiscent (in Gisekia separate coccij; seed more or 

 less reniform, embryo curved round the farinaceous endo- 

 sperm. 



A somewhat ill-defined Order. The 2 first genera are allied to Portu- 

 lacacecB ; Mollugo to Caryophyllacece ; and Gisekia to Phytolaccacece. 



Stam. inserted on cal.-tube {Aizoidecr). 



Styles 3 1. Sesuvium. 



Styles 1 or 2 2. Trianthema. 



Starn. hypogynous (Afolluginea) 



Fruit a loculicidal capsule 3. Mollugo. 



Fruit of separate carpels 4. GlSEKIA. 



Eleven species, all found in low country only, and usually weeds. 

 Sesuvium is a seashore plant. 



r. SESUVIUM, L. 



A fleshy prostrate herb, 1. opp., without stip., fl. solitary v 

 axillary; cal.-tube very short, adnate to base of ov., segm. 5, 



