PORTULACACE^-PURSLANE FAMILY 



PORTULACA 



Portuldca grandifldra. 



Name of Latin origin and uncertain history. 



A prostrate or ascending plant, six to ten inches high, thriving in the 

 hottest exposure and producing beds of briUiant flowers. Brazil and 

 southward. 



Stem.— Fleshy, terete, trailing or ascending, hairy at the joints, ruddy 

 in color. 

 ieovM.— Scattered or somewhat clustered, fleshy, terete. 



Flower. — A cup formed of five over- 

 lapping petals borne at the summit of the 

 stem and subtended by a cluster of leaves; 

 one and a half to two inches across. 



Petals. — Five, heart-shaped, brilliantly 

 colored. 



Sepals. — Two, united at the base. 



Stamens. — Many; filaments of varying 

 lengths, frequently taking on the color of 

 the petals. 



Ovary. — One-celled; style three to sev- 

 eral-parted, extending considerably be- 

 yond the stamens. 



Capsule. — Opening bv a lid: seeds 

 small, many. 



Portulaca is a lovable little creature, 



living in the sand and the sun. When 



the day is gray the flowers furl close to 



disappearance, but when the warm 



sunshine beats full upon them "a myriad of little fleshy arms 



stretch out, each holding a colored bowl to catch the sunbeams." 



The plant is native to the hot plains of southern Brazil and was 



148 



Portulaca. Portuldca grandifldra 



