28G FLOIIA OF TEXAS. 



56. ORPINE FAMILY. Order, Crassulace^. 



Succulent herbs, with exstipulate leaves, and regular, 

 perfect and mostly cymose flowers; sejmls 3-20, more or 

 less united at the base, persistent; petals as many as the 

 sepals, inserted on the base of the calyx, imbricated in the 

 bud, rarely wanting ; stamens as many or twice as many, 

 inserted with the petals; ovaries as many as the sepals, 

 separate or united below ; carpels several- seeded, opening 

 along the inner suture; seeds anatropous; embryo straight, 

 in their albumen. 



SYNOPSIS. 



Carpels distinct. Sepals 4-5. Stamens 8-10 Sedum. 



united at the base. Sepals 4. Stamens 8 Diamorpha. 



united above the middle. Sepals 5. Stamens 10 Penthobum. 



SEDUM, L. Orpii^e ; Stone Crop. 



Seimls 4-5 ; stamens 8-10 ; carpels distinct, many-seeded, 

 ■vvith an entire scale at the base of each. — Herbs, smooth 

 and fleshy. 



S. PULCHELLUM. Stems ascending (4'-12' long) ; leaves 

 yery numerous, alternate, linear, obtuse; cyme composed 

 of several recurved or spreading branches; flotvers pale 

 purple ; sepals much shorter than the petals ; stamens 8, 

 those of the central flowers mostly 10; carpels tapering 

 into the long and slender style. 



PENTHORUM, Gron. 



Sepals 5 ; petals 5, often wanting ; stamens 10 ; carpels 

 5, united into a 5-celled capsule, spreading at the summit, 

 which falls away at maturity ; seeds numerous. — Perennial 

 herbs, witli alternate serrate leaves, and yellowish flowers 

 on one side of the revolute branches of the simple cyme. 



