Portulaca .] xv. portulacace^e. 151 
Flowers in terminal heads; petals 5 . . . . (1) P. oleracea 
Flower solitary terminal; petals 4 . . . . (2) P. quadrifida 
(1) P. oleracea Linn. Sp. PL 445; Dyer in Hook. fil. F.B.I. i. 
246; King, l.c. 144. 
Annual fleshy, 6 to 12 in. long, nodal appendages scarious. 
Leaves cuneate oblong obtuse, often purplish or red, -25 in. to 
1-25 in. long, petiolate. Flowers in few-flowered and terminal 
heads or dichotomous cymes, sessile, surrounded by scarious bracts. 
Petals 5, yellow. Stamens 8 to 12. Style 3- to 8-fid. Seed punctate. 
Hab. A common weed of cultivation, or in waste grounds all over 
the peninsula from Singapore to Perlis. Distrib. All warm countries. 
Native name : Segan. Use : As a pot-herb. 
(2) P. quadrifida Linn. Mantissa, i. 73; Wight, III. ii. t. 109; 
King, l.c. 145. P. geniculata Royle, III. 221. 
Annual, stems diffuse, rooting at nodes, nodal appendages pilose. 
Leaves ovate to lanceolate acute, sub-sessile *2 to -35 in. long. 
Flower solitary, terminal. Calyx-tube partly immersed in top of 
axis, surrounded by long silky hairs and 4 bracteoles. Petals 4, 
yellow. Stamens 8 to 12. Style 4-fid. Seeds tuberculate. Hab. 
A weed in towns and garden paths and sandy places by the sea. 
Singapore, Town; Changi. Malacca. Penang Fort. Pulau 
Redang (Yapp). Distrib. Tropics of Africa and Asia. Native 
name: Rumput Segan. 
Order XYI. H YPERIC ACE/E. 
Herbs, shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite, often gland-dotted. 
Stipules o. Flowers solitary or cymose, terminal (rarely axillary). 
Sepals 5. Petals 5, rarely 4. Stamens indefinite (rarely definite), 
3- to 5-adelphous, rarely free, or all connate. Ovary 3- to 5-car- 
pellary, 3- to 5-celled; styles as many, filiform. Ovules few or 
many on parietal or axile placentas. Fruit capsular, rarely baccate. 
Seeds exalbuminous, sometimes winged. Warm and temperate 
regions of whole world, species about 200. 
Herb with yellow flowers . . . . . .1. Hypericum. 
Shrubs or trees; flowers pink or white . . .2. Cratoxylon. 
1 . HYPERICUM, Linn. 
Herbs or small shrubs. Leaves opposite, usually sub-sessile 
and punctate. Flowers solitary, cymose or panicled, yellow (rarely 
white). Sepals and petals 5 each. Stamens free or connate in 
3 bundles, alternating with hypogynous glands. Ovary carpels 1 or 
more, perfectly 3- to 5-locular. Ovules many, rarely few Capsule 
septicidally dehiscing. Seeds very small not winged. Species 
160, whole world, chiefly in temperate regions. 
