PORTULACACEAE 199 



1. M. LOTOIDES (L.) O. Kuntze (M. hirta Thunb.) Lobio (Tag.) 



A spreading or prostrate, much branched, annual herb, the branches 20 

 to 50 cm long, all parts densely stellate-pubescent with short gray hairs. 

 Leaves broadly obovate, rounded, opposite or whorled, 1 to 3 cm long. 

 E;iowers fascicled, sessile or shortly pedicelled, greenish, about 5 mm long, 

 the sepals densely pubescent outside. Stamens about 10, sometimes more, 

 or less numerous. Capsule ovoid, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Seeds 

 small, brown or black, very numerous, appendaged at the hilum. 



In waste places, fl. Jan.-May; widely distributed in the Philippines. 

 Tropics generally. 



2. M. OPPOSITIFOLIA L. (M. spergula L.). 



A slender, spreading or ascending, glabrous, branched, annual herb, the 

 branches 10 to 40 era in length. Leaves opposite or whorled, spatulate, 

 oblanceolate, to oblong-obovate, 1 to 3 cm long. Flowers white, fascicled, 

 the pedicels slender, up to 1 cm in length. Sepals 3 to 3.5 mm long. Sta- 

 mens 5 to 10. 



In open waste places, etc., fl. all the year; throughout the Philippines, 

 but certainly introduced. Tropics generally. 



47. PORTULACACEA^ (PURSLANE OR GoLASiMAN Family) 



Diffuse, succulent, annual or perennial, prostrate or erect herbs. Leaves 

 opposite or alternate, or the upper ones whorled, entire, terete or flat, the 

 nodes with scale-like or hairy appendages, rarely naked. Flowers terminal 

 often surrounded by a whorl of leaves, Solitary or clustered. Sepals 2, 

 connate below, the free parts deciduous. Petals 4 to 6. Stamens 5 or 

 more, inserted with the petals. Ovary partly or quite inferior, 1-celled; 

 style 3- to 8-fid; ovules numerous. Capsule crustaceous, circumsciss. Seed 

 many, small, reniform. 



Genera 18, species 200, in most warm and tropical countries, most abun- 

 dant in tropical America, a single genus and 3 or 4 species in the Phil- 

 ippines. 



1. PORTULACA Linnaeus 



Characters of the Family as given above. (An old Latin name of un- 

 certain meaning.) 



Species about 30 in temperate and tropical regions, 3 or 4 in the Phil- 

 ippines, mostly introduced. 



1. Leaves nearly terete; flowers pink or red 7. l.P. pilosa 



1. Leaves flat; flowers yellow. 



2. 'Glabrous; nodal appendages none or very small; flowers 5-merous, 



capitate i 2. P. oleracea 



2. Pilose; nodal appendages pilose; flowers 4-merous, solitary. 



3. P. quadrifida 



1. P. PILOSA L.~^ 



An erect or spreading, branched herb 10 to 30 cm high. Leaves alternate, 

 linear, nearly terete, 1 to 2 cm long, pilose in the axils, those subtending 

 the flowers in whorls of 6 to 9. Flowers few, sessile, surrounded at the 

 base by numerous pilose appendages. Petals 5, red or pink. Stamens 

 20 to 25. Capsule ovoid. 



In open dry places, San Juan del Monte, fl. July-Oct.; of local occurrence 

 in the Philippines. A native of tropical America, introduced and natural- 

 ized here. 



