124 
fruit is dehiscent; attached to a central placenta; albumen farinaceous; embryo curved 
round the circumference of the albumen, with a long radicle. — Succulent shrubs or herbs. 
Leaves alternate, seldom opposite, entire, without stipules, or sometimes with membra- 
nous ones. Flowers axillary or terminal, usually ephemeral, expanding only in bright sun- 
shine. 
Anomalies. Sepals 5 in Trianthema and Cypselea. Petals sometimes wanting. Ovary 
half-inferior in some Portulacas. 
Affinities. Related in every point of view to Alsinacese, from which 
they scarcely differ except in their perigynous stamens, which are opposite the 
petals when equal to them in number, and their two sepals ; the latter charac- 
ter is not, however, absolutely constant. The presence of scarious stipules in 
several Portulacese, although perhaps an anomaly in the order, indicates their 
affinity with Illecebracese, from which the monospermous genera of Portiila- 
cacese are distinguished by the want of symmetry in their flowers, and by the 
stamens being opposite the petals instead of the sepals. So close is the rela- 
tionship between these orders, that several of the genus Ginginsia in Portula- 
cacese have been referred to Pharnaceum in Illecebraceae. De Candolle re- 
marks, that his Ginginsia brevicaulis resembles certain species of Androsace, 
and that Portulacaceae have been more than once compared to Primulacese 
{Mem. p. 14.) ; and the same author states, in another place {Prodr. 3. 351.), 
that the genera with indefinite stamens and hairy axils approach Cactaceae, 
while the apetalous genera tend towards apetalous Ficoidese (Tetragoniacese). 
Geography. A fourth of the order inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, ra- 
ther more than another fourth is found in South America, 1 species only in 
Guinea, 2 in New Holland, 1 in Europe, and the remainder in various parts of 
the world. They are always found in dry parched places. 
Properties. Insipidity, want of smell, and dull green colour, are the 
usual qualities of this order, of which the only species of any known use are 
common Purslane and Claytonia perfoliata, which, resemble each other in pro- 
perty ; and Talinum patens which is used in Brazil for the same purposes as 
Purslane in Europe. FI. Bras. Merid. 2. 193. 
GENERA. 
Portulaca, L. 
Meridiana, L. 
Lemia, Vand. 
Meridia, Neck. 
Anacampseros, Sims. 
Rulingia, Ehrh. 
Talinum, Adans. 
Phemeranthus, Rafin. 
Calaridrinia, H. B. K. 
Cosrnia, Bomb. 
Phacosperma, Haw. 
Portulacaria, Jacq. 
Hcenkea, Salisb. 
Ullucus, Lozan. 
Claytonia, L. 
Limnia, L. 
|.Montia, L. 
Leptrina, Rafin. 
Grahamia, Hooker. 
Order. XCIV. SILENACEHE. The Dianthus Tribe. 
Caryophylle^, § 5 et 6, Juss. Gen. 299. (1789). — Silenea!, DC. Prodr. 1. 351. (1824) ; 
Lindl. Synops.p. 43. (1829). — Silene^, Bartl. Ord. Nat. 305. (1830). 
Essential Character. — Sepals 4-5, continuous with the peduncle ; cohering in a 
tube, persistent. Petals 4-5, hypogynous, unguiculate, inserted upon the pedicel of the 
ovary ; occasionally wanting. Stamens twice as many as the petals, inserted upon the 
pedicel of the ovary along with the petals ; filaments subulate, sometimes monadelphous ; 
anthers innate. Ovary stipitate on the apex of a pedicel (called the gynophore) ; stigmas 
2-5, sessile, filiform, papillose on the inner surface. Capsule 2-5-valved, either 1 -celled or 
2-5 -celled, in the latter case with aloculicidal dehiscence. Placenta central, in the 1 -celled 
capsules distinct, in the 2-5-celled capsules adhering to the edge of the dissepiments. Seeds 
indefinite in number, rarely definite ; albumen mealy ; embryo curved round the albumen. 
