50 - Portulacaceae
from Division 5 - Magnoliophyta
Summary
Annual to perennial herbs, sometimes subshrubs, usually glabrous, often fleshy. Leaves alternate or opposite and decussate and then sometimes connate, simple and entire; stipules scarious, bristle-like or absent. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous or half-epigynous. Sepals usually 2, free or united below. Petals 2–6(–18), free or united below, sometimes minute or absent. Stamens (1–)3–20 or rarely more, opposite the petals when equalling them in number. Style simple or with two or more branches. Ovary superior or semi-inferior, usually 1-celled, with one to many ovules on a basal placenta. Fruit a capsule, opening by valves or transversely; seeds one to many, with a curved embryo surrounding the mealy perisperm.
Contains some 20 genera with about 500 species mainly in temperate and subtropical regions.
Cauline leaves spirally arranged; petals purple or reddishpurple 2. Calandrinia
At least the upper cauline leaves opposite or subopposite; petals white, yellowish or pink 2.
Stamens 6–15; ovary semi-inferior; capsules opening by a lid 1. Portulaca
Stamens 3 or 5; ovary superior; capsules opening by 3 valves 3.
Plant with a basal rosette and one pair of cauline leaves; stamens 5 3. Claytonia
Plant without a basal rosette but with several pairs of cauline leaves; stamens 3 4. Montia
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- Information
- Flora of Great Britain and Ireland , pp. 430 - 434Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018