198 A FLORA OP MANILA 



1. SESUVIUM Linnaeus 



Prostrate or spreading, succulent, branched herbs. Leaves opposite, very 

 fleshy, entire. Flowers small, , axillary, solitary. Calyx-tube short, the 

 lobes 5, persistent. Stamens few or many, inserted near the^top of the 

 calyx-tube. Ovary free, 3- to 5-celled; styles 3 to 5; ovules many. Fruit 

 an ovate-oblong, membranaceous, 3- to 5-celled, circumscissly dehiscent cap- 

 sule. (An unexplained name.) 



Species 4, along the seashores of warm countries, 1 in the Philippines. 



1. S. portulacastrum L. Dampalit (Tag.). - 



A fleshy, prostrate, spreading, branched herb, the stems rooting at the 

 nodes, often reddish, 20 to 50 cm in length, with short ascending branches. 

 Leaves oblong-linear to linear, green, fleshy, very thick, 2 to 4 cm long, 

 the petioles short, dilated below artd clasping the stems by their thin margins. 

 Flowers small, shortly pedicelled. Calyx pink or red within, the segments 

 5 to 6 mm long, cuspidate. Capsule, about 5 mm long. 



Along the banks of tidal streams, etc., Maypajo, fl.- May and probably in 

 other months; along the seashore throu^out the Philippines. Most tropical 

 and subtro](>ical seashores.' 



2. TRI ANTHEM A Linnaeus 



Prostrate, glabrous or slightly hairy, succulent, branched, annual herbs. 

 Leaves petioled, opposite, in unequal pairs, entire, ovate to obovate, their 

 petioles dilated at the base and connected by their thin margins. Flowers 

 axillary, small, solitary, sessile or pedicelled. Calyx-tube short or long, 

 5-lobed, often colored within. Stamens 5 or more, inserted near the top 

 of the calyx-tube. Ovary free, 1- or 2-celled; styles 1 or 2; ovules 1 to 

 many. Capsule thin or coriaceous, clavate to obovate, circumsciss. (Greek 

 "three" and "flower," from the arrangement of the flowers in some species.) 



Species about 10, trtpical and subtropical, a single one in the Philippines. 



1. T. PORTULACASTRUM L. (T. monogyna L.). Toston (Tag.) ; Ayam (Vis.). 



Glabrous or nearly so, the branches up to 60 cm or more in length. 

 Leaves obovate, 1 to 5 cm long. Flowers axillary, solitary, sessile, the 

 calyx-lobes oblong, mucronate, 4 to 6 mm long, pink, imbricate. Stamens 

 about 15. Style simple. Capsule 5 to 6 mm long, truncate; seeds about 10, 

 small. (Fl. Filip. pi. 165, T. obcordata.) 



In open waste places, cultivated lands etc., fl. Aug.-M,ar.; in and about 

 towns in the Philippines. All tropical countries. 



3. MOLLUGO Linnaeus 



Spreading or ascending branched herbs, the leaves entire, alternate, 

 opposite, or whorled, fleshy. Flowers small, axillary, sessile or pedicelled, 

 in clusters, cyn?es, or racemes. Sepals 5, persistent. Stamens 3 to 5, 

 rarely many, the staminodes small or none. Ovary free, 3- to 5-celled; 

 ovules many, axillary; styles 3 to 5. Capsule enclosed by the sepals, 

 membranaceous, loculicidally 3- to 5-valved. (Old Latin name for some 

 soft plant.) 



Species about 12 in tropical and subtropical countries, 3 in the Philip- 

 pines. 



Densely pubescent 1. M. lotoides 



Glabrous 2. M. oppositifolia 



