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NYCTAGINEA. (FouR-o’cLocKk FAMILY.) 
Herbs, with mostly opposite and entire leaves, stems swollen at the 
joints, a delicate tubular or funnel-form corolla-like calyx, with its 
persistent base constricted above the 1-celled, 1-seeded ovary, which is 
indurated into a sort of nut-like pericarp, and a few slender hypogy- 
nous stamens, 
*Involucre calyx-like, of united bractlets, 1 to 12-flowered: stigma capitate, gran- 
wate. 
+ Involucre 5-lobed; fruit symmetrical, wingless, 
1. Mirabilis. Involucre not changed in fruit; fruit not angled and searcely or 
not at all ribbed; stamens usually 5. 
2. Allionia. Involucre 1 to5-flowered, becoming enlarged in fruit, thin and reticu- 
lated; fruit several-ribbed or angled; stamens usually 3. 
+ + Involucre deeply 3-lobed, 3-flowered, not scarious-dilated in fruit. 
3. Wedelia. Fruit with a double line of tubercles on the back, surrounded by a 
rigid winged margin, which is toothed and inflexed: stamens usually 3. 
* * Involucre of 5 or more distinct bracts, subtending a many-flowered head: 
stigma capitate or linear-clavate. 
4. Nyctaginia. Perianth tubular-funnelform, lobes entire: stamens long-ex- 
serted: fruit as in Mirabilis. 
5. Abronia. Perianth salverform, with obcordate lobes, including the stamens 
and style: fruit wing-angled. 
* * * Involucre imperfect, of 2 or 3 small bractlets to each flower or none: stigma 
smooth, peltate or cap-shaped. 
6. Selinocarpus. Flowers 1 to 3: fruit broadly winged. 
7. Acleisanthes. Flowers capitate: fruit ribbed. 
8. Boerhavia. Flowers in loose panicles, verticels, or spikes: fruit with 5 (some- 
times 10) ribs or angles. 
1. MIRABILIS L. (Four-o’ciock.) 
Perennial herbs, with opposite nearly equal leaves, peduncles solitary 
in the axils or paniculate, flowers nearly sessile in the 5-lobed involucre, 
stamens (nsually 5) as long as the perianth, filaments united at base, 
and fruit not angled but sometimes ribbed. 
* Involucre 1-flowered: calyx long-tubular or funnelform: flowers large. 
1. M. longiflora L. Viscid-pubescent (or nearly smooth), diffuse: flowers sessile, 
clustered: involucral lobes linear: calyx-tube (white, border more or less tinged 
with rose) very long (10 to 15 cm.): stamens and style much protruding.—From San 
Antonio (rare) to Limpia Cafion and New Mexico. To this species has been referred 
