PURSLANE FAMILY 87 



17. Polycarpon (All-seed). — Annual herbs with flat leaves; 

 membranous stipules ; minute flowers in crowded, bracteate cymes ; 

 sepals keeled ; petals emarginate ; stamens 3 — 5 ; styles 3 ; ovules 

 many. (Name from the Greek polus, many, kdrpos, fruit.) 



1. P. tetraphyllum (Four-leaved All-seed). — A small prostrate 

 branched plant ; lower leaves in whorls of 4, upper opposite ; 



flowers many, minute, greenish-white ; stamens 3. — On the south- 

 west coast ; rare. — Fl. June, July. Annual. 



ORD. XIII. PORTULACE^E. — THE PURSLANE FAMILY 



Smooth, succulent herbs or shrubs with simple, entire leaves ; 

 and monosy mmctnc flowers opening only during sunshine. Sepals 

 2, united at the base ; petals usually 5 ; stamens 3 — 5 j carpels 3, 

 united into a 1 -chambered ovary, with a style usually 3-fid, few 

 ovules and basal placentation. The capsules open either trans- 

 versely or by 3 valves. Many species have large showy flowers ; 

 but those of the British representatives of the Order are small and 

 white. The common Purslane (Portuldca olerdcea) has been cul- 

 tivated in warm countries as a pot-herb from very early times, and 

 occurs as a weed at Richmond, Surrey. 



*i. Claytonia. — Petals free ; stamens 5. 



2. Montia. — Petals united at the base; stamens 3. 



*i. Claytonia. — Naturalised North American plants with 

 stalked radical leaves, exstipulate ; flowers in terminal cymes ; 

 sepals 2, united at the base, persistent ; petals 5, not united ; 

 stamens 5, epipetalous ; capsule 3-valved, 3-seeded. (Named in 

 honour of John Clayton, an early 

 collector in Virginia.) 



1.* C. sibirica. — Often a foot 

 high ; radical leaves ovate, acumin- 

 ate ; cauli?ie leaves opposite, sessile; 

 petals lilac, bifid. — A garden 

 escape. — Fl. April— July. Annual 

 or perennial. 



2* C. per/olid ta. — 4 — 12 in 

 high ; radical leaves rhomboid, 

 fleshy ; cauline leaves connate ; 

 petals nearly or quite entire, white. 

 — A garden escape. — Fl. April — 



Tulv. Annual. m6ntia fontAna (Water Blinks). 



2. Montia (Blinks). A small annual herb ; leaves opposite, 

 or nearly so ; flowers solitary or in few-flowered cymes ; sepals 2, 

 united at the base, persistent ; corolla of 5 united petals, 3 smaller 

 than the rest, tube split to the base in front ; stamens 3, inserted in 



