186 



PORTUL ACACE 3E, 



Leaves all radical, except a sessile and often united opposite cauline pair 

 under the inflorescence; petals 5, retuse or notched, equal. 



Cauline pair of leaves distinct; perennial 1. M. Sibirica. 



Cauline pair connate-perfoliate into a roundish or angular disk; petals white, 



little surpassing the calyx; rather coarse annual ... 2. M. perjoliata. 

 Cauline pair partially joined on one side, rarely on both; petals pink, about 3 

 times the length of the calyx; rather slender annual . 3. JIT. gypsophiloides. 

 Cauline pair broadly to narrowly lanceolate, distinct or connate on one side; 

 petals white, 1 to 2 lines long; dwarfish annual ... 4. M. spathulata. 

 Stems bearing many alternate small leaves; petals 5, notched, often somewhat 

 unequal. 



Perennial by stolons or bulblets; stems simple and peduncle-like 



5. M. parvifolia. 



Annual; stems diffuse and dichotomous 6. M. diffusa. 



Stems bearing opposite leaves; petals 3, unequal, connate at base into a 

 sympetalous corolla which is split down one side ... 7. M.fontana. 



1. M. Sibirica (L.) Howell. Erect, 9 to 18 in. high; radical 

 leaves long-petioled, blades ovate, acuminate or barely acute, 1 to 2 

 in. long; cauline pair ovate or obovate to almost orbicular, distinct 

 and sessile, or short-petioled; raceme very lax, the flowers on long (2£ 

 in. or less) pedicels; sepals ovate, obtusish; petals pink with 5 longi- 

 tudinal rose-purple lines, emarginate at apex, 4 lines long, narrowed 

 at base into a distinct claw. — (Claytonia Sibirica L.) 



Swampy places along the coast. Marin Co., northward to Men- 

 docino. Feb. 



2. M. perfoliata (Donn.) How-ell. Miner's Lettuce. Usually 

 4 to 10 (sometimes 16) in. high; radical leaves long-petioled, the 

 earliest narrowly linear, the later ones ovate, rhomboidal or deltoid; 

 cauline pair completely united into a round and entire or angulately 

 2-lobed disk, .} to 4 in. broad; flowers in pairs, threes or fascicles, in a 

 short-peduncled or sessile more or less interrupted raceme; petals 

 white, little surpassing the calyx. — (Claytonia perfoliata Donn.) 



Every where common in orchards or vineyards and in the shade of 

 Oak and other trees in the foothills and canons. Feb. -June. 



Var. nubigena (Claytonia nubigena Greene). Compact plant 

 with glaucescent herbage, and numerous stems; leaves linear or a few 

 spatulate at apex; racemes dense; flowers white or pinkish, twice as 

 large as in the species. — Marin Co.; Mt. Diablo. 



3. M. gypsophiloides (F. & M.) Howell. Slender, 2 to 9 in. 

 high, the branches erect or ascending; herbage very pale and glau- 

 cous; radical leaves linear or filiform, the flowering stems 2 to several 

 times as long; cauline pair ovate to linear-lanceolate, partially united 

 on one side; raceme slender, elongated; flowers for their size showy 

 and most delicately beautiful; petals pink, cuneate-obovate, retuse, 

 about 3 times as long as the sepals. — (Claytonia gvpsophiloides 

 F. & M.) 



Northward slopes and summits of the Coast Ranges from ^\It. 

 Diablo, Bi<i m\ MacLean, to Mt. Tamalpais; Napa Co.; Healdsburg 

 and northward. Last of Mar. to early May. 



4. M. spathulata (Dougl.) Howell. Densely ca'spitose, 1 to 21 in. 

 high, the herbage glaucous and very fleshy; leaves linear or slightly 

 dilated above, nearly terete; cauline leaves lanceolate, nearly dis- 



