OF ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. 
101 
OTHER SPECIES OF ANNUAL MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 
There are many other species of annual Mescmbryanthemum mentioned in books ; but as we know nothing of 
them except their specific characters, we have not thought it necessary to give even their names. The colours 
of their flowers are stated to be purple, white, rose-colour, and yellow; and many of them are said to have been 
introduced. 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
-♦- 
PORTULACEJ5. 
Essential Character.— Calyx usually of two sepals. Petals sule 5-celled, opening by a lid or 3 valves. Placenta central. Seeds 
usually 5, seldom more or less. Stamens variable in number, peri- winged._ (G. Don.) 
gynous. Anthers appendiculate. Style one. Stigmas many. Cap- 
Description, &c. —Succulent plants, many of which have thick, fleshy leaves, and bright-coloured flowers. 
Some of the kinds, however, are British weeds, such are the watcr-chickweed, and the common purslane, the 
latter of which was formerly eaten as a salad. All the plants belonging to this order thrive best in hot dry 
exposed places. The only genera that contain ornamental annuals are Calandrinia and Claytonia. 
GENUS I. 
CALANDRINIA, Kunth. THE CALANDRINIA. 
Lin. Syst. DODECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character _Calyx ‘2-parted. Petals 3—5, free or rather connate at the base. Stamens 4—15. Style one, very short, tripartite 
at the apex. Lobes clavate. Capsule oblong-elliptic, 3-valved. Seeds wingless—(G. Don.) 
Description, &c. —The ornamental species belonging to this genus are mostly natives of South America, and 
like the mignonette and many other plants, shrubby there, though in Britain they are treated as annuals. There 
are some of the South American species that are positively annuals, as they can never be preserved through the- 
winter; and this is also the case with C. spcciosa, which is a native of North America. A great degree of 
confusion exists as to the names ; the Calandrinias of the Bot. Mag. being quite different from those bearing the 
same names in the London gardens, and figured by Dr. Lindley in the Bot. Reg. We, however, have adopted 
the names and descriptions given in the latter work. The name of Calandrinia was given to this genus by Kunth, 
in honour of L. Calandrini, an Italian botanist, who lived in the beginning of the eighteenth century. 
1.—CALANDRINIA PILOSIUSCULA, Dec. THE HAIRY CALANDRINIA. 
Synonymes.— Talinium ciliatum, Ilook. T. liueare, Hoff. C'alan- ) Leaves liuear-spatulate, rather pilose. Pedicels axillary, 1-flowered, 
drinia compressa, Schrad. C. tenella, Hook and Amb. i rather adnate to the floral leaves, constituting a terminal or sub- 
Specific Character. —Stems erectish, angular, rather pilose, i terminal panicle.—(G. Don.) 
Description, &c. — This was the first species of the genus known in England; and it was introduced under 
the name of Talinium ciliatum ; the difference indeed between the two genera is very slight, the principal distinc¬ 
tion being, that the style in Calandrinia is very short, while in Talinium the style is filiform. The hairy Calan¬ 
drinia has small flowers of a purplish crimson. Its stem is short, and partly procumbent, and its leaves are long 
