176 



THE FLORA. 



1. CLAYTO'NIA. Spring Beauty. 



Sepals 2, ovate. Petals 5, emarginate or obtuse. Stamens 5, inserted 

 on the claws of the petals. Stigmas 3, on 1 long style. Capsule 3-valved, 

 2-5-seeded. — They are small, fleshy, 2(, early-flowering herbs, arising 

 •from a small tuber. 



1 O. Carolinia''na. Leaves ovate-lanceolate. Sepals and petals obtuse. 



2 C. Virgin 'ica. Lcavt s linear or lance-Unear. Sepals acute, petals obovate. 



2. POETULA'OA. Purselanes. 



Sepals 2. Petals 5, equal. Stamens 8-20. Styles 3-6. Pyxis lid 

 opening off near the middle. — ^Low and fleshy herbs. 



1 P. olera'cea. Common P. Leaves thick, wedge-shaped. Stem fleshy, reddish, 



prostrate. Flowers sessile, small, yellow, A common weed. Summ^er. 



2 P. grandillo'ra. Gi'eat P. Leaves cjiindric and fleshy. Stems ascending. Fls. 



large, red or scarlet. Cultivated. June. 



Order XXIV. MALVACE^. The Mallows. . 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with alternate, stipulate, divided leaves, with the 

 flowers showy, axillary, regular, often with an involuoel at the base ; 

 5 sepals valvate and the 5 petals convolute in the bud, hypogynous ; 

 stamens indefinite and monadelphous, the anthers splitting across; 

 carpels several, united into a ring or forming a several-ceL'ed capsule ; 

 seeds with a curved embryo in a little albumen. 



Fig. 411. Hibiscus Trionum (Flower-of-an-bour) ; 2, cross-section of the flower, showing 

 the arrangement of its parts; 8, cross-section of the S-celled capsule; 4, capsule open by its five 

 valves ; .'), Malva sylvestris; 6, its fruit, consisting of 10 carpels arranged in a circle ; 7, section of 

 one of the carpels, showing the curved embryo. 



