BUCKWHEAT FAMILY 51 



Sesuvium Linne 1753 Sea Purslane 

 (Oi doubtful meaning; 



Sepals 5, united, pink or purplish, petals none, stamens 5-60, ovary 3-5- 

 celled, styles 3-5, waited along the inner side, capsule 3-5-celled oblong, 

 splitting circularly; flowers solitary or clustered in the axils; leaves oppo- 

 site; fleshy animal. 

 Stems spreading, 3-12 in. long; flowers 2 mm. wide S.maritimum 



Mollugo Linne 1753 Carpet-weed 



(I, at. mollis, soft) 



Sepals 5, greenish-white, united, petals none, stamens 3-5, ovary 3- 

 celled, globose or ovoid, capsule 3-celled, 3-valved ; flowers small, axillary ; 

 leaves in whorls ; annual. 

 Stems prostrate; leaves 1-3 cm. long; flowers 2 mm. 



wide M. verticilldta 



POLYGONACEAE BUCKWHEAT FAMILY 



Sepals 2-6, united, greenish or petal-like, often winged in fruit, petals 

 none, stamens 2-9, ovary 1 -celled, style 2-3-cleft, fruit an achene, usually 

 3-angled; flowers small, greenish or colored, perfect, monoecious or dioeci- 

 ous, in spikes, heads, racemes or panicles ; herbs or twining vines with alter- 

 nate rarely opposite or whorled simple leaves, and usually with boot-like 

 papery stipules or sheaths at the joints of the stem. 



1. Flower clusters with a toothed involucre; sta- 

 mens 9; stems without papery sheaths Lriogoxuai 



2. Flower clusters without involucre ; stamens 4-8 ; 

 stem with papery sheaths at the joints 



a. Calyx 6-parted : the 3 inner sepals usually 

 winged; stigmas tufted RuMEX 



b. Calyx 4-5-parted 

 ( 1 ) Stigmas tufted ; achene winged Oxvria 

 (2) Stigmas globose; achenes not winged Polygon um 



Eri6gonum Michaux 1803 Eriogoxi m 

 (Gr. erion, wool, gonn, knee, from the woolly jointed stems) 



PI. 8, fig. 5. 



Sepals 6, united, petal-like, white, pink, cr yellow to orange-red, petals 

 none, stamens 9, ovary 1-celled, style 3-parted, stigmas capitate, fruit a 3- 

 angled achene ; flowers in a 5-8-toothed top-shaped to cylindric involucre, 



