POLYAXDUIA MONOGYNIA 315 



246. TALINUM. Adam. JSTutt. Gen. 458. 

 [Perhaps from the Gr. thullo, to be green ; from the verdant habit of the j 1 int.] 



Cahjx of 2 opposite ovate deciduous sepals. Petals 5, hypogyn >us, 

 distinct, or slightly connected at base. Stigma trilid. Capsule 1- 

 celled, 3-vaIved, many-seeded. 



Herbaceous, or Bvffruticose : leaves alternate, entire, fleshy ; flowers terminal, 

 or axillary, cymose,or racem <se. Nat. Ord. 144. Limll. Forjvlacejz. 



1. T. teretifolium, Jfuhl. Leaves terete, subulate, fleshy ; pedun- 

 cles elongated, naked; cyme terminal, somewhat dichotomous and 

 corymbose. Beck, Bot. p. 130. Icox, Florul. Cestr. tab. 3. 



CrLIXDTUCAL-LEAVED TaLIXU^I, 



Root perennial,— a few coarse fibres from the base of ashort thick firm but rone* 

 what ileshy perennial stem (or kind of exposed rhizoma) which is half an inch to 

 an inch or more in length, often branched, and mostly of a purplish brown col< v. 

 Annual slan 1 to 3 or 1 inches long, thick, fleshy, smooth and green, sometim. s 

 dichot unously branched. Leaves 1 to •- inches lonar, and about a line in diamefc r. 

 nearly cylindrical, acute, sessile and slightly produced at base, succ Jlent, sm » oih 

 an ! green, rather crowded above, and mostly a little incurved. Peduncles term- 

 inal and dich uomal, 3 to 6 >r S inches long, slender, naked, terete and sm> ah, 

 subumbellate at summit, with subdivisions somewhat dichotomousiy cym >se ; 

 brandies of the cyme 1 to 2 inches long, bracteate at base ; bracts small, scarious, 

 lancc-ovate, acuminate, keeled, produced at base; pedicels about 1 third ef an 

 inch long, terete, clavate, mostly a central one in the bosom of the primary bra - 

 ches, and ;i dich »t-unal one in the f>rks of the principal subdivisions. Sepal* 

 ovate, acute. Petals bright purple, obovate-oblong, obtuse, narrowed and so ne- 

 tunes cuneate at base, nearly 3 limes as long as the sepals, expanding for one d iy, 

 then cl >sing an 1 shrivelling on the ovary. Stamens about 2 thirds the length of 

 the petals. Style KB long as the stamens; stigma trifid. Capsule trigonous-ovoid, 

 or often trigonous-turbinate, smooth, 3-valved, each valve with a central ridge. - r 

 rudiment of a dissepiment, within. Seeds sub-renif>rm, dark purple, minutely 

 punctate, slightly coated with a thin membranaceous arillus before maturity. 



J fab. Serpentine rock: not common. Fl. June— Aug. Fr. Aug— Sep*. 



Obs. I have never met with this interesting little plant in any other situation 

 than on the m>st naked and sterile banks of serpentine rock; but wherever sixh 

 banks occur, the Talinum may alnvst certainly be found. In my Catalogue, 1 

 have said that the seeds arc "nctarillate ; " but there if, in fact, a slight menttratf- 

 aceous covering (especially on the young seeds) which may perhaps be considered 

 as a kind of arillus. This is the only known species in the U. States. 



247. CIIELIDONIUM. L. Mutt. Gen. 459. 

 [Qr» C.'jj7«V/, a swoll >w ; its dowers appearing at the same time with that blr !. 1 



Calyx of 2 caducous sepals. Petals 4. Capsule elongated (resem- 

 bling a eIUqne) 9 1 -celled, 2-valved ; valves opening from the base to tin* 

 apex. Seeds numerous, with a glandular crest on one side. 

 Herba-eous: with a saTron colored sap ; leaves alternate, pinnately dissects! ; 

 luacles Umbellate, terminal and axillary. Nat. Ord. 4. Lindl. Papaver ace JB. 



1. C. ma jus, />. Leaves pseudo-pinnate, glaucous, segments ovate. 

 crenate-lobed ; potals elliptic, entire. Beck, Bot. p. 21. 

 Gasatbb Chbli noxiLM. Vulgd — Celandine. 



Call.*- Grande Eclairc. Germ. — Das Schoellkraut. Ilisp. — C.'iid^nm. 



