Herbs, with succulent leaves, and regular but unsymmetrical flowers; viz., sepals fewer than the petals; the stamens opposite the petals when of the same number, but often indefinite, otherwise nearly as Chickweeds.—Sepals 2. Petals 5, or sometimes none. Stamens mostly 5–20. Styles 2–8, united below, or distinct, stigmatic along the inside. Pod 1-celled, with few or many campylotropous seeds rising on stalks from the base. Embryo curved around mealy albumen.—Insipid and innocent herbs, with entire leaves. Corolla opening only in sunshine, mostly ephemeral, then shrivelling.
1. Portulaca. Stamens 7–20, on the partly adherent calyx. Pod opening by a lid.
2. Talinum. Stamens more numerous than the petals, hypogynous. Calyx deciduous. Pod many-seeded.
3. Claytonia. Stamens as many as the hypogynous petals, and attached to their base. Calyx persistent. Pod 3–6-seeded.
1. PORTULÀCA, Tourn. Purslane.
Calyx 2-cleft; the tube cohering with the ovary below. Petals 5, rarely 6, inserted on the calyx with the 7–20 stamens, fugacious. Style mostly 3–8-parted. Pod 1-celled, globular, many-seeded, opening transversely, the upper part (with the upper part of the calyx) separating as a lid.—Fleshy annuals, with mostly scattered leaves. (An old Latin name, of unknown meaning.)
P. oleràcea, L. (Common Purslane.) Prostrate, very smooth; leaves obovate or wedge-form; flowers sessile (opening only in sunny mornings); sepals keeled; petals pale yellow; stamens 7–12; style deeply 5–6-parted; flower-bud flat and acute.—Cultivated and waste grounds; common. Seemingly indigenous west and southwestward. (Nat. from Eu.)
1. P. retùsa, Engelm. Leaves often retuse; calyx-lobes obtuse in the bud; petals small or minute; style shorter, 3–4-cleft; seeds larger, sharply tuberculate; otherwise like the last.—Ark. to Tex. and westward; reported from Kan., Iowa, and Minn.
2. P. pilòsa, L. Ascending or spreading, copiously hairy in the axils; leaves linear-subulate, nearly terete, 3–6´´ long; petals red or purple.—Kan. to Tex., etc.
2. TALÌNUM, Adans.