(19G.) 
MO'NTIA* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Tria'-Ndria-J-, Trigy'nia. 
Natural Order. Portula'ceas, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 312. — Sm. 
Gram, of Bot. p. 164. — Lindl. Syn. p. 62. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of 
Bot p. 159. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 510. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 516. 
— Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. iii. p. 71. — Rosales; 
section, CrassuliNjE ; type, Portula'ceas; Burn. Outl. of Bot. 
pp. 614, 730, & 739. — Succulents, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (tig. 1.) inferior, of 2, sometimes of 3, egg- 
shaped, blunt, concave, upright, permanent sepals. Corolla (figs. 
2 & 3.) of 1 petal, in 5 deep spreading segments, 3 of which are 
rather smaller than the other 2. Filaments (see fig. 2.) 3, some- 
times 5, as in fig. 3, inserted into the tube of the corolla, and, 
when 3 only, opposite to its 3 smaller segments. Jlntliers of two 
round lobes. Germen (fig. 4.) superior, top-shaped (turbinate), 
3-lobed. Style (see fig. 4.) very short. Stigmas 3, oblong, spread- 
ing, downy on their upper side. Capsule turbinate, of 1 cell, with 
3 valves (fig. 6.), and 3 seeds. Seeds (fig. 7.) roundish-kidney- 
shaped, dotted. 
The 2- or 3-sepaled calyx ; the monopetalous, deeply 5-cleft 
corolla; and the 3-valved, 3-seeded capsule ; will distinguish this 
from other genera in the same class and order. 
One species British. 
MO'NTIA FONTANA. Fountain Chickweed. Water Blinks. 
Water Purslane. 
Spec. Char. Plant creeping, much branched, fleshy. Leaves 
subspathulate, entire. Peduncle 1-flowered. (M. minor et rivu- 
laris, Gmel ) Sprengel. 
Engl. Bot. t. 1206. —Curt. FI. Lond. 1. 188. Curt. Br. Entomol. v.x. t. 456. — 
Linn. Sp. FI. p. 129 — Huds. FI Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 60. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 
161. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 187. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 208. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. 
ii. p. 543 — Lindl. Syn p. 63. — Hook. Br. FI. p. 58. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v.i. p. 110. 
— Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 53. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 28.— Davies’ Welsh. Bot. p. 14. — 
Furt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 91. — Relh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 52. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 
47. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 33. — Spreng. Linn. Syst. Veg. v. i. p. 363. — FI. Devon, 
pp. 24 & 185. — Johnst. FI. of Berw. v. i. p. 32. — Rev. G. E. Smith’s FI. of S. 
Kent, p. 8. — Winch’s FI. of North, and Durham, p. 9. — Walk. FI. of Oxf p. 
34. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. iii. p. 82.— Perry’s PL Varvic. Se- 
lects, p. 10. — Illust. of Woicest. p. 152. — Mack. Catal. of PI. of Iiel. p. 17. — 
The Irish FI. p. 27. — Montia minor, Gmel. FI. Badensis-Alsatica. v.i. p. 301. 
— Montia aquatica minor , Mich. Gen. p. 18. 1. 13. f. 2. — Alsine parva palus- 
tris tricoccos, portulaccc aquaticce similis, Ray’s Syn. p. 352. — Cameraria 
arvensis et minor. Dill. Giss. p. 46. Append, p. 114. t. 6. 
Localities. — By the sides of little clear rills, and in watery places, especially 
on a sandy or gravelly soil ; frequent. 
Annual. — Flowers in April, May, and June. 
Fig. 1. The Calyx. — Fig. 2. The Corolla opened virtically to show the Sta- 
mens. — Fig. 3. A flower with 5 stamens. — Fig. 4. The Germen, Style, and 
Stigmas. — Fig. 5. The Capsule, invested by the permanent Calyx. — Fig. 6. The 
3 valves of the Capsule after the seeds are discharged. — Fig. 7. A Seed.— All 
more or less magnified. 
* So named by Micheli, in honour of Joseph Monti, Doctor of Philosophy, 
Professor of Botany, and Perfect of the Medical Garden at Bologna. Author 
of Agri Bononiensis Stirpium Catalogi Prodromus, 1719, 4to. ; and other 
works on Medicine and Botany. 
*" i — ,<■ ranariensis, folio 56, note +. 
