264 Oedbr 22.— POETULACACEjE. 



1. SESlfVIUM, L. Ska Pdkselane. Sepals 5, united below, colored 

 inside; petals 0; stamens few or many, always more than the sepals, 

 and inserted on them ; capsules (pyxis) few, 3-celled, opening trans- 

 versely like a lid ; seeds oo minute. — Succulent sea-side herbs, with 

 opposite Ivs. and axillary, solitary fls. 



S portulaodstnim Tourn. Lvs. linear-spatulate ; fla. sessile or short-peduncled ; 

 atam. cx>- — Sea-ooast, in sand, N. J. to Fla. St. round, branching, smooth, thick,- 

 a foot or more in length. Lvs. obtuse, tapering at base to a petiole, very thick 

 and smooth. Ped. mvich shorter than the leaves. Sep. rose-whita inside, exceed- 

 ing the rose-colored stamens. Jl., Nov. 



2. CLAYTbniA, L. Spring Bkautv. Fig. 383, 384. (In memory 

 of John Clayton, one of the earliest botanists of Virginia.) Sepals 2, 

 ovate or roundish, petals 5, emargined or obtuse, stamens 5, inserted 

 on the claws of the petals ; stigmas 3-oleft ; capsule 3-valved, 2 to 

 5-seeded. — Small, fleshj', early flowering plants, arising from a small 

 tuber. 



1 C. Carolini^a Mx. Lvs. ovate-lanceolate; sep. and pet. dbtvse. — 'Ji- A delicate 

 little plant, common in woods and rooky hills, Can. to N. Car. "W. to the Miss. 

 Pit. a compressed, brown tuber, buried at a depth in the ground equal to the 

 hight of the plant. Root lvs. very few if any, spatulato. St. weak, 2 to 3' higli, 

 with a pair of opposite leaves half way up, which are 1 to 2' by 4 to 8", entire, 

 tapering at base into the petiole. Fls. in a terminal cluster, white with a tinge 

 of red, and beautifully penciled with purple lines. Apr., May. 



2 C Virglnica L. Lvs. linear or lance-linear; sep. rather acute, pet. obovate, 

 mostly emarginate or retuse ; psd. slender, nodding. — % In low, moist grounds, 

 Mid. and S. States, "W. to Mo., rare in N. Eng. Tuber as large as a hazel nnt, 

 deep in the ground. St. 6 to 10' long, weak, with a pair of opposite, very narrow 

 Ivs. 3 to 5' long. Fla. 5 — 10, rose-colored, with deeper colored veins, in. a ter- 

 minal, finally elongated raceme. Apr., May. 



3. TALiNUM, Adans. Sepals 2, ovate, concave, deciduous ; petals 

 5, sessile; stamens 10 to 20, inserted with the petals into the torus ; 

 style trifid ; capsule subglobous, 3-valved, many-seeded. 



T. teretifolium L. St. simple or branched, short and thick; lvs. linear, 

 crowded at the summit of the stem, on short branches ; ped. elongated ; fls. in a 

 diohotomous cyme. — % An interesting plant on rocks, Penn. to Ga. and west- 

 ward. Rhizome or perennial stem firm and fleshy, with fibrous roots. Branches 

 1 to 3' long. Lvs. 1 to 2' long, incurved, fleshy. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, min- 

 ute. Ped. 5 to 8' high, very straight, slender, and smooth. Fls. 8" broad, 

 purple, ephemeral. Stam. about 20. Caps, globular, with 35 seeds. Jn., 

 Aug. 



4. PORTULACA, Tourn. Purslanes. Sepals 2, the upper portion 

 deciduous; petals 5 (4 to 6), equal; stamens 8 to 20 ; styles 3 to 6- 

 oleft or parted ; pyxis subglobous, dehiscing near the middle, many- 

 seeded. — Low, herbaceous, fleshy. Fls. expanding only in sunshine. 



1 P. oler^cea L. Lvs. cuneate ; fls. sessile. — (D A prostrate, fleshy weed; more 

 common in our gardens than desirable. St. thick and succulent, much branched 

 and spreading, smooth. Lvs. fleshy, sessile, rounded at the end. Fls. yellow. 

 The herbage of the plant is of a reddish-green color. Sometimes used as a pot- 

 herb. Jn., Aug. §. 



2 P. grandifidra Hook. Sts. ascending, much branched, branches suberoct, 

 enlarged upwards ; lvs. linear, acute, the axils villous, with long, woolly hairs ; 

 fls. terminal, sessile, 1 or few together, surrounded by an irregular circle of leaivea 



