68 G. King — Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. [No. 1, 



Perak ; at an elevation of 7,000 feet on Gunong Brumber Pahang, 

 Wray 1567 ; also on Gunong Batu Puleh, Wray 316. 



This resembles the Indian species B. Thomsonii, DC, but differs in being 

 caulescent, in having shorter hairs on leaves and petioles, and in the posterior 

 wing of the capsule being much larger. I have named the species after Sir Hugh 

 Low, late British resident at Malacca, to commemorate his many services towards 

 the botanical exploration of the Province of Perak. 



Order LIV. FICOIDE^E. 



Herbs. Leaves simple, often fleshy, usually opposite or whorled; 

 stipules or scarious. Flowers usually in cymes or clusters, rarely 

 solitary, regular, hermaphrodite rarely polygamous. Calyx of 4-5 seg- 

 ments, united into a tube or nearly distinct, free from the ovary in the 

 Indian genera, often persistent. Petals usually wanting, when pi*esent 

 small. Stamens perigynous or hypogynous, definite or indefinite ; sta- 

 minodes sometimes present. Ovary free (except in Mesembryanthemum), 

 2-5-celled, syncarpous (except in Gisekia) ; styles as many as the car- 

 pels : ovules numerous in each carpel and axile or solitary and basal. 

 Fruit usually capsular, splitting dorsally or circumsciss, more rarely 

 the carpels separate into cocci. Seeds many or 1 in each carpel, usually 

 reniform, compressed ; embryo curved or annular, surrounding the fari- 

 naceous albumen, radicle next the hilum. — Distrib. Species 450, chiefly 

 African, a few are scattered through most tropical and subtropical 

 regions. 



Capsule with circumscissile dehiscence ... ... 1. Sesdvium. 



Capsule with dorsal dehiscence ... ... 2. Mollugo. 



1. Sesdvium, Linn. 



Succulent branching herbs. Leaves opposite, fleshy ; stipules 0. 

 Flowers axillary, sessile or peduncled, solitary, rarely in cymes. Calyx- 

 tube short ; lobes 5, triangular-lanceolate, persistent, often coloured. 

 Petals 0. Stamens many or 5, inserted round the summit of the calyx- 

 tube. Ovary free, 3-5-celled ; styles 3-5 ; ovules many, axile. Capsule 

 ovate-oblong, membranous, 3-5-celled, circumsciss. Seeds many in each 

 cell, reniform; embryo annular. — Distrib. Species 4, littoral in warm 

 climates. 



Sesuvium Portulacastrum, Linn. Syst. ed. 10, 1058. Creeping and 

 rooting in the sand, glabrous. Leaves linear-spathulate almost cylindric, 

 sometimes sub-obovate : gradually narrowed into a short petiole with 

 dilated scariously margined base. Flowers solitary, axillary, their pedicels 

 "25 in. long. Calyx rose-coloured inside. Stamens 15 to 40, free or almost 

 free. Styles 3 to 5. Capsule 2 in. across. Seeds black, shining, 

 smooth, not numerous. Roxb, Fl. Ind, II, 509 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. 



