64 VII. POETULACEAE. [Cluytonia. 



Oedee VII.— PORTULACEAE. 



Sepals 2, free or barely adnate to the ovary, imbi-icate. Petals 4 or 5, 

 hypogynous or rarely perigynous, free or connate at the base, imbricate. 

 Stamens l-oo, often adherent with the base of the petals. Ovary 1-celled, 

 free or half inferior. Style divided into 2 or 3 or more stigmatose branches. 

 Ovules few or many. Capsule with as many valves as styles. Seeds few or 

 many, with mealy endosperm. Embryo usually curved or annular. Herbs, 

 usually glabrous and fleshy, rarely hirsute, with mostly exstipulate entire 

 opposite or alternate leaves and hermaphrodite flowers. 



A small order, most plentiful in South America, but extending to South Africa, Australia, 

 New Zealand, and other countries. Geneba, 15. Species, 130. 



* PORTULACA, Linn. 

 Sepals 2, united, adherent to the base of ovary. Petals usually 5, 

 perigynous. Stamens 6-20, perigynous. Style 2-8-parted. Ovary half inferior ; 

 ovules several. Capsule globular, membranous, dehiscing transversely, the free 

 portion forming a lid. Seeds reniform, shining. Leaves alternate or opposite, 

 sometimes forming an involucre round the flowers. Stipules scarious or reduced 

 to hairs. 



*P. oleracea, L., Sp. PI. 445. A prostrate rather fleshy glabrous annual. 

 Stems branched, 3in.-10in. long. Leaves cuneate-oblong or almost obovate, shortly 

 petioled. Flowers terminal and sessile, solitary or forming small dichotomous 

 cymes; floral leaves orbicular-truncate. Sepals 2-3 lines long, keeled. Petals 5, 

 slightly coherent at the base, fugacious, bright-yellow. Stamens 7-12. Style short ; 

 stigmatic branches 5 or 6. Seeds minutely punctulate. 



NOBTH Island: naturalised in cultivated land and by roadsides, especially in the Auck- 

 land District. Purslane. Nov. to Jan. Tropical and warm temperate countries. 



•CALANDRINA, H.B. and K. 

 Sepals 2, usually persistent. Petals 6 or more, hypogynous. Stamens many 

 or few, free or the base united with the petals. Styles 3 or 4, free or forming a single 

 3- or 4-lobed or cleft style. Capsule globose or oblong, almost indehiscent or 3-4- 

 valved. Seeds reniform, shining, granulate. Embryo annular. Annual or perennial 

 herbs. Leaves alternate, exstipulate. Flowers solitary, racemose or capitate. 



•■= C. caulescens, H. B. and K., Nov. Gen. et Sp. vi. 78, t. 526. A small annual 

 with petiolate linear-oblong radical and cauline leaves. Bracts foliaceous. Sepals 

 ovate-acuminate. Petals 5, soon withering, but forming a persistent covering to the 

 young fruit. Stamens 5, free. Stigmatic branches 3. Capsule exceeding the calyx, 

 3-valved. 



NORTH Island : naturalised at Otahuhu, Cheeseman I SOUTH Island : near Christohurch, 

 T.K. 



1. CLAYTON I A, Gronor. 

 Sepals 3, free, persistent. Petals 5, coherent at the base, hypogynous. 

 Stamens 5, adhering to the base of the petals. Ovary superior, ovules few ; 

 style 3-cleft at the apex. Capsule globular or ovoid, 3-valved. Seeds reniform 

 or orbicular. Embryo annular. Annual or perennial herbs with exstipulate 

 leaves. 



