Genus 1, species 1. North Africa. (Theligonum L.) Cynocrambe Gaertn.
[FAMILY 71.] PHYTOLACCACEAE
Leaves alternate, entire, without stipules. Flowers in racemes or spikes, bracteolate. Perianth 4-5-parted, herbaceous or membranous, coloured, imbricate in bud, persistent in fruit. Stamens 3-33, hypogynous. Filaments free or united at the base. Anthers affixed at the back, opening by two longitudinal slits. Carpels superior. Ovules solitary in each ovary-cell or in each distinct carpel, basal, curved; micropyle turned downwards and outwards. Seed with an annular embryo surrounding the albumen.—Genera 5, species 15.
1. Style 1, undivided. Ovary 1-celled. Stamens 4. Anthers linear. Perianth
4-parted. Flowers in racemes. Leaves elliptical. Undershrubs.
[Tribe RIVINEAE.] 2
Styles 2 or more, free or nearly so. Perianth neatly always 5-parted. 3
2. Flowers irregular. Fruit nearly dry. Species 1. Tropics. Used medicinally. (Mohlana Mart.) Hilleria Vell.
Flowers regular. Fruit succulent. Species 1. Naturalized in the
tropics. Used as an ornamental and a dye-plant. Rivina Plum.
3. Ovary solitary, 1-celled. Stamens 3-5. Anthers ovate or globose.
Flowers in spikes. Leaves linear.—Species 4. South Africa and southern West Africa. (Including Lophiocarpus Turcz. and Wallinia
Moq.) Microtea Swartz
Ovary solitary, 2-16-celled, or several separate ovaries. Stamens 6-33.
Leaves lanceolate, elliptical, or ovate. [Tribe PHYTOLACCEAE.] 4
4. Carpels 2. Stamens numerous. Fruit dry, capsular. Climbing shrubs.—Species
1. Madagascar. Barbeuia Thouars
Carpels 5-16. Fruit succulent, baccate.—Species 8, five of them spontaneous in tropical and South Africa, the others cultivated and sometimes naturalized in various regions. They yield vegetables, dyes (chiefly from Ph. decandra L.), a substitute for soap, and medicaments; some are poisonous. “Poke.” (Including Pircunia Moq.) Phytolacca L.
[FAMILY 72.] AIZOACEAE
Herbs or undershrubs, rarely shrubs. Leaves entire, toothed, or lobed. Flowers regular. Perianth usually simple. Stamens 3 or more. Ovary usually several-celled. Ovules curved or inverted. Fruit dry. Seeds with a curved embryo and a usually mealy albumen.—Genera 20, species 480. (FICOIDEAE or MESEMBRIACEAE). (Plate 43.)
1. Perianth divided to the base or nearly so, free from the ovary. [Subfamily
MOLLUGINOIDEAE.] 2
Perianth with a distinct tube sometimes adnate to the ovary, simple.
[Subfamily FICOIDEAE.] 11
2. Ovary solitary, 1-celled. Ovule 1, suspended from a basal funicle. Style 1.
Stamens 5. Perianth simple. Flowers in panicles. Leaves whorled.—Species
7. South Africa. Adenogramma Reichb.
Ovary solitary but 2- or more-celled, or several separate ovaries. 3
3. Ovary 2-celled. Style 2-cleft. Inflorescence cymose. [Tribe LIMEAE.] 4
Ovary 3-7-celled, or 3-5 separate ovaries. 5
4. Perianth of 4 thin-membranous, fringed segments, surrounded by bracts.
Stamens 4, much exceeding the perianth. Fruit capsular. Flowers in false spikes. Leaves stipulate.—Species 1. South Africa. Polpoda Presl
Perianth of 5 herbaceous entire segments, to which 3-5 petals are sometimes added. Stamens 5-10, not or scarcely exceeding the perianth.
Fruit separating in two nutlets. Leaves exstipulate.—Species 15.
South and Central Africa. (Including Semonvillea Gay). Limeum L.
5. Carpels separate. Ovules solitary. Perianth simple. Flowers in cymes.
Leaves opposite.—Species 5. Some of them are used as vegetables or in medicine. Giesekia L.
Carpels united in the ovarial portion. 6
6. Ovary-cells one-ovuled. Stamens 5. Perianth simple. Flowers in panicles.—Species
5. South Africa and southern West Africa. Psammatropha Eckl. & Zeyh.
Ovary-cells several- or many-ovuled. 7
7. Petals or petaloid staminodes numerous, united at the base. Stamens numerous. Flowers conspicuous. Leaves exstipulate, fleshy.—Species
1 Orygia Forsk.
Petals none, but the stamens sometimes intermixed with staminodes.
Leaves stipulate. 8
8. Styles linear or slightly club-shaped. Stipules membranous, entire. 9
Styles obovate or wedge-shaped. Stipules fringed or sheath-like. 10
9. Ovules with a long funicle. Seeds crowned by an appendage of the funicle.
Pericarp firm.—Species 3. Used in medicine. Glinus L.
Ovules with a short funicle. Seeds without an appendage of the funicle.
Pericarp thin. Stamens 3-10. Glabrous herbs with narrow leaves.—Species
10. Tropical and South Africa. Some species are used in medicine. Mollugo L.
10. Disc cup-shaped, lobed or divided. Stamens 3-5. Stipules fringed.—Species
17. South Africa, Madagascar, St. Helena. Pharnaceum L.
Disc none. Stipules sheath-like. Leaves thread-shaped.—Species 4.
South Africa. Hyperstelis E. Mey.
11. (1.) Ovary superior. Petals none. 12
Ovary inferior. [Tribe MESEMBRIANTHEMEAE.] 18
12. Fruit transversely dehiscent, circumscissile. Leaves opposite. [Tribe
SESUVIEAE.] 13
Fruit longitudinally dehiscent, loculicidal or septicidal. [Tribe AIZOEAE.] 14
13. Ovary 1-2-celled. Ovules solitary or few, basal or subbasal. Pericarp thick in the upper part. Seed-coat wrinkled.—Species 10. Some of them are used as vegetables or in medicine. (Plate 43.) Trianthema L.
Ovary 3-5- rarely 2-celled. Ovules numerous, axile. Pericarp thin.
Seed-coat smooth. Flowers red.—Species 6. Tropical and South
Africa. Some of them have edible seeds, or serve as vegetables. (Including
Diplochonium Fenzl and Halimus Rumph.) Sesuvium L.
14. Stamens 4-5. Ovary-cells and styles 3. 15
Stamens 8 or more. 16
15. Ovary-cells 1-ovuled. Filaments long. Fruit roundish. Shrubs with silky hairs. Leaves all cauline, opposite or alternate, imbricate, triangular-ovate, without stipules. Flowers axillary, yellowish.—Species
1. South Africa (Cape Colony). Plinthus Fenzl
Ovary-cells several-ovuled. Filaments short. Fruit linear-oblong. Glabrous herbs. Radical leaves lanceolate to ovate, with fringed stipules; cauline leaves whorled, filiform. Flowers in cymes, whitish-green.—Species
2. South Africa. Coelanthum E. Mey.
16. Stamens numerous. Ovary 4-5-celled. Styles 4-5. Ovules 2 or more in each cell. Flowers yellow.—Species 12. Some of them have edible seeds. Aizoon L.
Stamens 8-10, rarely more, but then ovary 2-celled and styles 2. Ovules
1 or 2 in each cell. 17
17. Stamens 10 or more. Ovary 2-celled. Styles 2. Ovules basal. Stem glabrous.—Species 4. South Africa. Acrosanthes Eckl. & Zeyh.
Stamens 8, rarely 10, but then ovary 3-5-celled, styles 3-5, and stem hairy or warty. Ovules pendulous, 1 in each cell.—Species 20. South
Africa to Angola. Galenia L.
18. (11.) Petals (or petaloid staminodes) numerous. Stamens numerous.
Ovary 4-20-celled, with many basal or parietal ovules. Fruit a capsule.—Species 330. Some of them have edible fruits or seeds or serve as vegetables, as ornamental or medicinal plants, or for making soda. Mesembrianthemum L.
Petals (or petaloid staminodes) none. Ovary 2-8-celled with one pendulous ovule in each cell, or ovary 1-celled. Fruit a nut or drupe.
Leaves alternate. 19
19. Ovary 1-celled. Styles 4, two of them shorter than the others and without
a stigma.—Species 1. South-west Africa (Namaland). Anisostigma Schinz
Ovary 2-8-, very rarely 1-celled. Styles as many as ovary-cells.—Species
35. Southern and Central Africa. One species (T. expansa Murr., New
Zealand spinach) is cultivated as a vegetable in various regions. Tetragonia L.
SUBORDER PORTULACINEAE
[FAMILY 73.] PORTULACACEAE
Herbs or undershrubs, rarely shrubs. Flowers regular or nearly so, hermaphrodite. Sepals 2, free or united at the base, imbricate in the bud. Petals 4-6, free or united at the base, falling off very early. Stamens as many as and opposite the petals, or fewer, or more numerous. Ovary usually superior and 1-celled. Ovules basal or affixed to a free central placenta, curved, the micropyle lateral or inferior. Style 2-8-cleft or parted, rarely (Portulaca) undivided. Fruit a capsule or a nut. Seeds albuminous; embryo more or less curved.—Genera 6, species 35. (Plate 44.)