Peplis Portula 
Water Purslane. 
PEPLIS Lin. Gen. PI. Hexandria monogynia. 
Perianth, campanulatum : ore 12-fido. Petala 6, calyci inferta. Cap/. 2-locularis. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 25. Herb;e hexapetalas et polypetal^e vasculifera:. 
PEPLIS Portula floribus apetalis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 283. Sp. PI. p. 474. FI. Suec. n. 31 1. 
PEPLIS petalis fenis, fepiffime apetala. Haller. Hifi. n. 856. 
ALSINE paluftris minor ferpyllifolia. Bauh.pin. 120. 
ANAGALLIS Serpyllifolia aquatica. 1. B. III. p. 372. 
GLAUX aquatica folio fubrotundo. Loefel. p. 106. ic. 20. 
GLAUX altera fubrotundo folio. Boccone t. 84. Vaillant. Boi. par. t. 15. f. 5. 
GLAUCOIDES paluftre portulacre folio, purpureo flore. Michel, p. 21. t. 18- 
PORTULA. Dillen. Nov. PI. Gen. p. 133. t. 7. 
ALSINE rotundifolia f. Portulaca aquatica. GV. em. 614. 
ALSINE aquatica minor folio oblongo f. Portulaca aquatica. Park. 1260. Raii Syn. p.368. Water 
Purflane. Hudfon. FI. Angl. ed. p. 147. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 187. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. 
CAULIS palmaris et ultra, tetragonus, repens, ramofus, 
laevis, rubicundus, geniculatus. 
FOLIA oppofita, fubrotunda, petiolata, integerrima, 
glabra, nervo medio rubicundo. 
FLORES oppofiti, axillares, fefliles, minimi. 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, campanula- 
tum, perfiftens, maximum, ore duodecimfido, 
denticulis alternis minoribus, reflexis, fig. 1. 
COROLLA : Petala raro fex, ovata, minutiffima, rofea, 
calycis fauci inferta, fig. 2. 
STAMINA : Filamenta fex, fubulata, brevia. An- 
thera: fubrotundae. fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovatum. Stylus breviffimus. 
Stigma orbiculatum, fig. 4. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula fubrotunda, bilocularis, 
tenuiflima, pellucida, fig. 5. 
SEMINA plurima, minima, albida, angulata, fig. 6. 
\ ■ ROOT annual and fibrous. 
:: STALK a hand’s breadth or more in length, fquare, 
; creeping, branched, fmooth and red. 
I LEAVES oppofite, roundifh, Handing on foot-ftalks, 
perfectly entire, fmooth and fhining, the mid- 
: rib reddifh. 
;; FLOWERS oppofite, in the alae of the leaves, feffilc 
; ; and very fmall. 
:: CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, bell-fhaped, 
permanent, very large (in proportion to the 
■: petals), the mouth cut into five fegments, of 
; ; which the alternate ones are leaft and turned 
• ■ back. fig. 1 . 
' ; COROLLA : Petals feldom fo many as fix, ovate, very 
fmall, rofe- coloured, inferted into the mouth 
of the calyx, fig. 2. 
;; STAMINA: fix Filaments, tapering and fhort. An- 
therje roundifh. fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovate. Style very fhort. 
Stigma round, fig. 4. 
: : SEED-VESSEL : a roundifh Capsule of two cavities 
extremely thin and pellucid, fig. 5. 
if SEEDS numerous, very minute, whitifh and angular. 
The numerous fynonyms prefixed to the defcription of this plant fhew in what a variety of lights it has been 
viewed by different Botanifts. Thole of early times called it A/fine, as they did almofl: every plant whofe parts of 
Iru&ifi cation were fmall, and which bore the moft diftant fimilitude to Chick-weed. 
Micheli and Dillenius in their refpe&ive Nova Genera wrought much reformation in thefe minute plants; and 
if they did not arrive at the ultimatum of defcription and figure, they paved the way to it. 
The Peplis Portula is a very common plant in pools of water that are apt to be dried up in the fummer, particu- 
larly on heaths. It flowers from June to Auguft. Its petals are very minute, and frequently fall fhort of their 
proper number. 
