VOL, §| Forms of Phacelia circinata. 9 
not seen it—which means, I suppose, that the type was not pre- 
served. 
M. fragilis, S.-D. Prince Salm-Dyck, having noted that this 
familiar little plant did not agree with the description of JZ. 
gracilis Pfr., suggested 7. fragilis as a highly appropriate name 
for a plant which sheds its multitudinous offsets on the slightest 
provocation. The original description of J/. gracilis reads : 
‘Cylindrical, slender, proliferous; axils naked; tubercles short, 
obtusely conical, areole nearly naked; radial spines 16, bristle- 
like, white; central 2 more rigid.’’ The type presumably was 
not preserved. Certainly no one will argue that this description 
could apply to J/. gracilis, and if investigation shows that no 
type is in existence the unmistakable name proposed by Prince 
Salm-Dyck should be adopted. 
M. BRANDEGEI Coult. 4/7. Gadbit Engelm. in Coult. Prof. 
Schumann includes these in the synonomy of MZ. Leydert 
Miihlpf., but they seem to me, from the description, nearer 47. 
simplex Haw. A large amount of material brought by Mr. C. A. 
Purpus from the vicinity of Calmalli, Baja California, shows the 
species to be quite variable in form, color and spines, while agree- 
ing in flower and fruit. The plants are usually globose-flattened 
or short cylindrical, commonly single, often double sometimes 
dichtomous, and occasionally in clusters of 8 or more. In color 
the spines vary from nearly white to dark brown; the radials 9-16, 
centrals 1-4, most commonly 2, all the number variations often 
found on the same plant. Flowers greenish-yellow, about 15 
mm. long, tubular, hardly expanded above. Fruit white, more 
or less tinged with lilac, commonly bearing 1-5 fringed scales, 
with sometimes a tuft of weak spines in the axils. 
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FORMS OF PHACELIA 
CIRCINATA JACQ. 
S. B. PARISH. 
It would readily be inferred from the extensive geographical 
distribution of Phacelia circinata that it would present marked 
