COULTER AND ROSE—NORTH AMERICAN UMBELLIFERAE. 203 
In Mr. Leiberg’s field notes is the following interesting description of the habitat: 
“The species was found on the high basaltic table-lands which form the western 
spurs of the Blue Mountains in Gilliam and Morrow counties, Oregon, at altitudes 
varying from 900 to 1,200 meters. It is a very striking and peculiar plant in the 
flora of that region, owing partly to its aspect and partly to the close limitation of 
its habitat. On the summits of the plateaus and along the upper slopes where they 
break off to the great canyons that cut them, are found in large numbers long, sinu- 
ous, narrow lines of basaltic talus that meander in all directions through the other- 
wise grassy or turfy plateau. These lines of talus mark the existence of shallow 
depressions in the lava sheet, and form the drainage channels of the more level por- 
tion of the table-lands. Among the loose rocks of these drainage channels grows 
the plant. The large starchy roots lie horizontally and rather loosely among the 
rocks at a depth varying from about 5 to 12cm, There is no soil about them except 
a slight covering of closely adhering mud deposited by the percolating waters.’ 
Mr. Howell also writes that this species is very local, “probably not growing out- 
side of a district 50 miles square.”’ 
12. Leptotaenia californica Nutt. in Torr. & Gray, Fl. 1: 630, 1840. 
Ferula californica Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 73 348, 1868. 
About 6 dm. high, glabrous throughout, with 1 or 2 stem leaves; 
leaves ternate and pinnate or twice ternate; leaflets cuneate-obovate, 
2.5 to 5 em. long, usually 3-lobed, voursely toothed above; umbel 15 
to 20-rayed, with involucre of 1 or 2 narrow bracts or none, and no 
involucels; rays 5 to 10 em. long; pedicels 4 to 8 mm. long; flowers 
yellow; fruit 10 to 14 mm. long, 6 to 8 mm. broad, with narrower lat- 
erals than in any other species; dorsal and intermediate ribs indistinct; 
oil tubes 3 or 4 in the intervals, 6 on the commissural side. 
Type locality, ‘Santa Barbara, Upper California;” collected by 
Nuttall, 
California and adjacent Oregon. 
Specimens examimed: 
CALiForNIA: Borax Lake, Torrey 168, in 1865; Kellogg & Harford 318, in 
1868-69; near Fort Tejon, Kern County, altitude 1,000 meters, Coville & 
Funston 1162, July 2, 1891; Pah-Ute Peak, southeastern California, altitude 
1,800 to 2,100 meters, Purpus 5092, April-September, 1897. 
Orecon: Graye Creek, Howell, May 21, 1884; Rogue River Valley, Howell, April 
15, 1887; near Little KKlamath Lake, Klamath County, altitude 1,290 meters, 
Applegate 2033, May 11, 1898. 
The specimens of Oregon differ somewhat from the Californian forms, being more 
glaucous, with larger fruit (14 mm.) : and broader laterals. 
Leptotaenia californica platycarpa Jepson, Erythea 1: 1893. 
Caulescent, 12 dm. high; leaves biternate then inate with dilated 
petioles; leaflets cuneate- obovate, 3-lobed or the terminal 3-parted, 
the lobes coarsely toothed; rays equal, 5 to 7.5 em. long; pedicels 10 
mm. long; fruit oblong-ov oid, 14 mm. long, 10 mm. broad, broadly 
winged, emarginate at both ends; oil tubes 3 in the intervals, 6 on the 
commissural side. 
Type locality, ** Gates Canyon, Vaca Mountains,” California, altt- 
