198 



CAPPARIDACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



2. CRIST ATELLA Nutt. Journ. Acad. Phil. 7: 85. pi. 9. 1834. 



Annual viscid glandular-pubescent herbs, with digitately 3-foliolate leaves, and small 

 white or yellowish flowers in terminal bracted racemes. Sepals spreading, slightly united 

 at the base. Petals 4, laciniate or fimbriate at the summit, borne on long slender claws, the 

 2 lower smaller than the 2 upper. Receptacle short, with a short petaloid nectary between 

 the ovary and the upper sepal. Stamens 6-14; filaments slender, declined. Ovary stalked, 

 also declined. Capsule linear, nearly terete, many-seeded. [Diminutive of cristatus, crested, 

 referring to the lacinitale petals.] 



A genus of 2 species natives of the south-central United States. Type species : Cnstatclla 

 erosa Nutt. 



i. Cristatella Jamesii T. & G. James' 

 Cristatella. Fig. 2116. 



Cristatella Jamesii T. & G. Fl. N. A. i : 124. 1838. 



Erect, slender, branching, 6'-is' high. Leaves 

 slender-petioled; leaflets nearly sessile, linear or 

 linear-oblong, longer than the petiole, entire, 

 obtuse, 4"-i2" long; flowers slender-pedicelled, 

 whitish or yellowish, the pedicels diverging; 

 bracts mostly 3-foliolate ; claws of the larger 

 petals \V'-2\" long; sepals acute or obtusish; 

 pod ascending, much longer than its stipe and 

 somewhat longer than the pedicel. 



In dry soil, Iowa to Nebraska, Colorado, Louisi- 

 ana and Texas. Reported from Illinois. June-Dec. 



3. CLEOMELLA DC. Prodr. i : 237. 

 1824. 



Annual glabrous branching erect or diffuse herbs, with small yellow flowers and 3-folio- 

 late leaves. Calyx of 4 sepals. Petals 4, sessile, not clawed. Receptacle short, glandless. 

 Stamens 6, inserted on the receptacle. Ovary short, long-stalked. Capsule short, rhomboid 

 or trapezoid, often broader than long, 4-io-seeded. [Diminutive of Cleome.] 



A genus of about 8 species, natives of southwestern North America, extending into Mexico. 

 Type species : Cleomella mexicana DC. 



i. Cleomella angustifolia Torr. Northern Cleo- 

 mella. Fig. 2117. 



Cleomella angustifolia Torr.; A. Gray, PI. Wright, i: 12. 

 1852. 



Generally erect, i-ii high, branching above. Leaf- 

 lets linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, longer than the 

 petiole; bracts linear, simple; flowers yellow, 2"-$" 

 broad; pedicels very slender, \' long in fruit; pod 

 flattened, rhomboid, 2"-3" broad, about 2" high, pointed, 

 raised on a very slender stipe 2"-^" long, its valves 

 almost conic; placentae persistent after the valves fall 

 away, each bearing about 3 seeds. 



Plains, Nebraska and Colorado to Texas and New Mexico. 

 Summer. 



