418 PORTULACACEAE. [Claytonia. 
or in distant pairs, narrow-linear or linear-spathulate, obtuse, dilated into 
broad membranous sheaths at the base. Flowers large, $41in. diam., 
white or rose, terminal or leaf-opposed, solitary or in few-flowered lax 
racemes; pedicels long, slender. Sepals small, broadly orbicular. Petals 
much longer, broad-obovate. Capsule globose, mucronate, usually slightly 
exceeding the sepals. Seeds generally 3, black, smooth and shining.— 
Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 73; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 26; Benth. Fl. Austral. i 
(1863) 177; 2. Kirk Students’ Fl, (1899) 65; Cheesem. Man. N.Z, FI. 
(1906) 71. 
Nortru Istanp: Common on the high mountains of the interior; from Mount 
Egmont and Ruapehu southwards, ascending to over 6500 it., 7’. F. C. and many others. 
SoutrH Istanp, Stewart Istanp: Common in mountain districts throughout, 
descending to sea-level in Otago and Stewart Island. An abundant plant in the 
mountains of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. 
A yariable plant. When growing in dry or exposed places it is often very small 
and densely tufted ; but in watery situations the stems lengthen out considerably and 
the leaves become longer. Mr. Buchanan (Trans. N.Z. Inst. i (1871) 210) has 
described two varieties characterized by the peduncles in one being 2-flowered, and 
in the other racemose ; but I find the number of flowers to be very inconstant. 
2. MONTIA Linn. 
A small glabrous herb. Leaves opposite, slightly fleshy. Flowers 
small, axillary or shortly racemose. Sepals 2, ovate, persistent. Petals 5, 
united at the base into a 5-lobed corolla, split open on one side. Stamens 3, 
rarely 5, inserted on the petals. .Ovary free; ovules 3. Capsule globose, 
3-valved, 3-seeded. Seeds nearly orbicular. _ 
| ar 
A monotypic genus, widely distributed in the Worth and South Temperate Zones. 
am \, 
1. M. fontana Linn. Sp. Plant. (1753) 87—A slender perfectly glabrous 
branching herb, forming dense tufts 1-5in. high, sometimes longer 
and weaker when growing in water. Leaves opposite, 4-1 in. long, linear- 
lanceolate or spathulate, acute or subacute, quite entire. Flowers minute, 
solitary or in 2-3-flowered racemes, drooping. Petals slightly longer than 
the sepals. Capsules small—Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i (1844) 13; Fl. Nov. 
Zel. i (1853) 74; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 27; 7. Kirk Students’ Fl. (1899) 
65; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 72. 
Norru anp SoutH IsiANDS, STEWART ISLAND, AUCKLAND, CAMPBELL, ANTIPODES, 
AND Macquarin Isnanps: Abundant in watery places, from Rotorua and Taranaki 
southwards. Altitudinal range from sea-level to 5000 ft. 
Family XXXIX. CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 
Herbs, very rarely woody at the base ; branches usually swollen at 
the nodes. Leaves opposite, quite entire or minutely serrulate, often 
united at the base; stipules searious or wanting. Flowers regular, 
hermaphrodite. Sepals 4-5, free or cohering into a tubular calyx, imbricate. 
Petals 4-5 or occasionally absent, hypogynous or rarely perigynous, entire 
or lobed. Stamens 8-10, rarely fewer, inserted with the petals. Ovary 
free, 1-celled or imperfectly 3-5-celled at the base; styles 2-5, free or 
more or less connate into a single style; ovules 2 to many, attached to 
a free central or basal placenta. Fruit usually capsular, splitting into as 
Decale mk Noe. 1G Ba 2 9h7 oes eer 
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