Oeeer 22.— POETtrLACACE^. 263 



cauline opposite, the raminal alternate ; 2 pairs of scarious, subulate stipules at 

 each fork, which are shorter than the flower ; style none ; utricle equaling the 

 greenish sepals. — Hilly woods, Can. to Ga., W. to Ark. Hight 6 — 10 or 18', 

 often nearly smooth. Lvs. 4 — 10" long, somewhat stalked. Fls. J" long, some- 

 what pedicellate. Seed globular, rosin colored. Ja — Aug. (Queria, L. Anychiu 

 capillacea Nutt.) 



/?. PUMILA. DwarfJ a few inches (2 — 4') high, the lvs. reduced in proportion, 

 very pubescent ; stems short-jointed, tufted, fls. sessile, glomerate ; style as 

 lony as the ovary (at least in specimens from Md. sent by Mr. H. Shriver), 

 forked at apex. (A. diohotoma DC.) 



n. SIPHONYCHIA, Torr. and Gr. (Gr. ai(po)v, a tube, that is, Anyclu;- 

 witli a tubular calyx.) Sepals linear, petaloid above, coherent into u 

 tube below, unarmed ; petals 5 setas alternate with the stamens ; stylo 

 filiform, minutely bifid ; utricle included in the calyx. — (£) Procumbeni, 

 diffuse and widely spreading. Fls. in glomerate, terminal cymules. 

 S. Ameriodna Torr. and Gr. — S. Car. to Fla. Sts. 1 — 2f in length. Lvt.. 



oblanoeolate, much shorter than the internodes, 12 — 9 — 6" long, obtuse. Bracts, 



like the lvs., very small. Fls. very numerous, 1" or more in length, with hooked 



bristles below. Sep. white above. (Hemiaria Nutt.) 



18. SCLERANTHUS, L. Knawel. (Gr. artXripbg, hard, avdog ; when 

 in fruit the floral envelope appears hard and dry.) Sepals 6, united 

 below into a tube contracted at the orifice; petals 0; stamens 10, 

 rarely 5 or 2 ; styles 2, distinct; utricle very smooth, inclosed in thfi 

 hardened, calyx tube.^-® A prostrate, diffuse little weed, exstipulate. 

 S. dnnuus L. Dry fields and roadsides, N. Eng. and Mid. States. Sts. numerous, 



branching, decumbent, short (3 — 6'). Lvs. linear, acute, short, opposite, partially 

 united at their bases. Ms. very small, green, in axillary fascicles. Jl. 



19. MOLLUGO, L. Caepet-weed. Calyx of 5 sepals, inferior, united 

 at base, colored inside ; corolla ; stamens 5, sometimes 3 or 10 ; filar- 

 ments setaceous, shorter than and opposite to the sepals ; anthers simple ; 

 capsule 3-celled, 3-valved, many-seeded ; seeds reniform. — Lvs. at length 

 apparently verticillate, being clustered in the axils. 



M. verticillata L. Lvs. cuneiform, acute ; St. depressed, branched ; pedicels 

 1-flowered, subumbellate ; sta. mostly but S.-MJ) Dry places throughout N. 

 America. Sts. slender, jointed, branched, lying flat upon the ground, forming a 

 roundish patch. At every joint is a cluster of wedge-shaped or spatulato lvs. of 

 unequal size, usually 5 in number, and a few flowers, each ou a solitary stalk, 

 which is very slender, and shorter than the petioles. Fls. small, white. Jl. — Sept. 



Order XXII. PORTTJLACACE^. Phrselanes. 

 Serbs succulent or fleshy, with entire leaves, no stipules, and regular flowers. 

 Sepals 2, united at base, rarely 3 or 5. Petals 5, sometimes more or less imbrioatoJ 

 in sestivation. Sta. variable in number, but opposite the petals when ns many. 

 Ova. superior, l-celled. Sly. several, stigmatous along the inner surfeci?. Fr, a 

 pyxis, dehiscing by a lid, or a capsule, loculioidal, with as many valves as stigmas. 

 Seeds few or many, on long funiculi from the base, or on free central placenta?. 



Genera 27, epecia) 250, Inhabiting dry places in every quarter of the world. Thoy possess no, 

 remarkable properties. 



GENERA. 



I Sepals 5. Petals none. Frnit a pyxis Sbsctidm. 1 



§ Sepals 2.— Stamens 5, opposite the 5 petals Claytokia. 2 



— Stamens 7 to 80,— hypogynous, capsule 8-Talyed Talinitm. S 



— perigynons. Pyxis ojiening by 8 lid Poetttlaoa. i 



