88 PORTULACACEAE (PURSLANE FAMILY) 



Style 3-cleft. Seeds not more than 6. — (Honor of J. Clayton, an American 

 botanist.) 



A. Flowers yellow. E. C. aurea 



AA. Flowers white or pink, with pink or purple veins. 



B. Stems and leaves from a deep-seated corm; stem leaves opposite, 2. 



C. Stem 7.5-15 cm. high; stem leaves sessile, narrowly lanceolate to oblong; 



corm globose. W. C. E. C. lanceolata (pigeon-root) 



CC. Stem 2-5 cm. high; stem leaves petioled, ovate to orbicular; corm oblong or 



fusiform. E. C. umbellata 



BB. Stems and leaves from the top of a fleshy root; stem leaves usually alternate. 



1-3- E. C. megarrhlza (purple-root) 



MONTIA (Miner's Lettuce) 



Annual or perennial, glabrous. ^ Flowers pale or white, delicate, in racemes ; 

 racemes axillary or terminal, simple or compound, loose. Sepals 2-3. 

 Petals 0-5, more or less united at base, usually unequal, 3 a little smaller 

 than the other 2. Stamens 3-5, on the very base of the corolla, opposite 

 the petals. Seeds 3. — (Honor of G. Monti, an Italian botanist.) 



A. Stem leaves opposite. 

 B. Stem leaves i pair, often united into a disk. 

 C. Stem leaves not united. 

 D. Plants with creeping rhizomes; most of the pedicels not subtended by bracts. 

 W. C. E. M. asarifolia 



DD. Plants without rhizomes; most of the pedicels subtended by bracts. 

 E. Basal leaves ovate. W. C. E. M. sibirica 



EE. Basal leaves narrower than ovate. 

 F. Stem leaves all quite separate; inflorescence 12-50 mm. long; petals 6 mm. 

 long. E. M. arenicola 



FF. Stem leaves somewhat united; inflorescence 6-12 mm. long; petals 2-4 mm. 

 long. (See G.) 

 CC. Stem leaves united at least at base. 

 G. Stem leaves terete to ovate-lanceolate, not united into a disk but usually 

 somewhat united at base at one or both sides. W. E. M. spathulata 



GG. Stem leaves wide, united into a disk which may however be lobed. 

 H. Calyx 4 mm. long; seed 2 mm. wide; pedicels in fruit rarely longer than 

 the calyx; basal leaves from spatulalje-obovate to reniform. W. C. E. 



M. perfoliata 

 HH. Calyx 2 ram. long; seed i mm. wide; pedicels in fruit 2-6 times as long as 

 the calyx; basal leaves various. W. C. E. M. parviflora 



BB, Stem leaves several pairs, not united. 



I. Plant perennial, with filiform runners; petals 6 mm. long, pale rose color; leaves 

 25-50 mm. lonff including the petiole. W. E. M. chamissonis (toad-lily) 



II. Plant annual, without runners; petals 2 mm. long, white; leaves 1.5-13 mm. 

 long including the petiole. W. E. M. fontana (blinks) 



AA. Stem leaves alternate. 

 J. Annual, without stolons; leaves not very flesty; petals 5 mm. long or shorter; 

 sepals 4 mm. long or shorter, a little shorter than the petals. 

 K. Leaves narrow, sessile, clasping at base; stamens 2-5; seed quite smooth. 

 L. Leaves linear, 12-75 inni. long; petals s- 

 M. Leaves 2.5-7.5 cm. long; racemes dense; sepals about 4 mm. long; petals 

 4-5 mm. long; seed about 2 mm. wide. W. E. M. linearis 



