PORTULACACE^. 37 



ovate. Leaves terete. Sepals a little shorter than the pod. 



Petals pale. Seeds usually roughened -with points. — Sea- 



ooast, Atl. Prov. 



3. B. borea'lis, "Watson. [Spergularia me'dia, Presl.) 



Much branched, glabrous. Petals white. Pod about twice 



as long as the sepals, nearly or quite smooth. — Sea-coast, 



and N. W. 



9. SPER'GUIA, L. Spurbet. 



S. arven'sis, L. (Corn SptrKHEY.) An annual herb re- 

 sembling a Buda, with numerous thread-like leaves in 

 whorls. Flowers white in panicled cymes. Pod 5-valved. 

 — Grain fields, Atl. Prov. (Int. from Eu.) 



Obdeb. XVII. PORTULACA'CEiG. (Pubslaite F.) 



Herbs with fleshy entire exstipulate leaves, and regular 

 ^ypogynous or perigynous flowers. Sepals 2. Petals 5. 

 iStamens 5-20. Styles 3-8, united below. Pod 1-oeUed, few 

 or many-seeded. 



Synopsis of tbe Cieuera. 

 1. Portnla'ca. Stamens 8-20. Podopenlngby alid(Fig.207, Parti.), 



many-seeded. 

 2- Clayto'uiai. Stamens 5. Pod 3-valved, 3-6-seeded. 

 3 JHon'llR. Stamens usually 3. Petals 5, three of them somewhat 



smaller. Pod 3-valved and 3-seeded. 



1. PORTIIIA'CA, Tourn. Pubslame. 

 P. olera'eea, L. (Commos Ptjkslane.) A low fleshy herb, 

 very smooth, with obovate or wedge-shaped leaves. Calyx 

 2-cleft, the sepals keeled. Petals yellow, fugacious. — A 

 common pest in gardens. 



a. ciArro'jriA, l. speins-beautt. 



1. C. Virgin'iea, L. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 3-6 inches 

 long. 



2. C. CaFOlinia'na, Miohx. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or 

 oblong, tapering at the base. In both species the corolla is 

 rose-coloured, with dark veins. The stem springs from a 

 small tuber and bears two opposite leaves and a loose raceme 

 of flowers. — Eioh woods in early spring. 



