70 PORTULACE^. [Poetflaca. 



the sepals, very delicate andisoon falling. Stamens 8-12. Style 3-5-fid. 

 Seeds many, dark brown, nmriculate. 



Abundant as a weed in cultivated ground, flowering for the greater 

 part of the year. Disteib.: Throughout India, and on the Himalaya up 

 to 5,000 ft. Common in all warm countries. According to DeCandoUe 

 this species may he considered to be indigenous in the whole of the region 

 which extends from the W. Himalaya to S. Eussia and Greece. A variety 

 with erect stems and brighter green foliage (var. erecta, F B. I. I.e.) is 

 largely cultivated in native gardens as a potherb during the rainy season. 

 The plant is well-known in India for its medicinal properties. 



2. P. quadrifida, Linn. Mant. i, 73 ; Boxh. Fl. Ind. ii, 464 ; Boyle III. 



221 ; D. Sf G. Bomb Fl. 15 ; F.B.Li, 217 ; Watt E. D.; P. meridiana,Linn.; 



Boxb. I.e. 463. .P geniculata, Boijle I.e. 



-A prostrate annual, with numerous slender glabrous stems rooting at the 

 nodes. Leaves-^ in. long, opposite, sessile, flat, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 

 very fleshy. Stipular appendages a ring of long white hairs. Flowers 

 solitary, terminal, surrounded by a 4-5-Jeaved involucre and long silky 

 hairs. Caii/a; ^-immersed in the extremity of the axis. Peta/s 4, yellow. 

 Stamens about 8. Style filiform, 4-fid. Seeds twice as large as those of 

 P. oleracea. 



A common weed throughout the area. In dry places it becomes very 

 stunted, with the stipular hairs long and shaggy. Disteib. :iCommon all 

 over Indiai; also in Trop. Asia and Africa. It is much used as a potherb 

 by the poorer classes, a.nd is occasionally cultivated. Its flowers open at 

 noon and close again at 2 p.m. 



XVII.-TAMARISCINE^. 



Shbubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, minnte, often scale-like, 

 exstipulate, rarely sheathing, sometimes fleshy and impressed-punctate. 

 Flowers solitary or in spiked or panicled racemes, regular, rarely 1- 

 sexnal. Sepals and petals 5, rarely 4i, imbricate, free or connate 

 below. Anthers versatile. Bisk hypogynous or subperigynous, 10- 

 glandular. Ovary free, 1-celled, or imperfectly septate ; styles 2-5, 

 free or connate, or stigmas 3-5, sessile ; ovules 2-mauy on each basal 

 placenta. Capsule 3-valved. Seeds erect, plumed or winged, with 

 or without albumen. 



TAMARIX. Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. i. 248, 



Leaves scale-like, amplexicaul or sheathing. Mowers in lateral or 

 terminal spikes or dense racemes, white or pink. Stamens 4, 5, 8 or 

 10; aw^Aer* apieulate. Z)i?X; more or less lobed. Ovary narrowed 



