256 NYCTAGINACEAE 



Wings completely encircling the fruit. 2. TRIPTEROCALYX. 



Bracts inconspicuous or lacking. 3. SELINOCARPUS. 



Fruit globular, neither crested nor winged; bracts attached each to a pedicel of the 



umbel-like or corymbose inflorescence; perianth funnelform. 4. HERMIDIUM. 

 Bracts united. 



Fruit neither strongly tubercled nor winged. 



Fruit not ribbed; involucre herbaceous, little if at all enlarging in fruit, not be- 

 coming membranous. 

 Stamens usually 5; involucre campanulate, not enlarged in fruit. 



Flowers seyeral in each involucre. 5. QUAMOCLIDION. 



Flowers solitary in each involucre. 6. HESPERONIA. 



Stamens 3 ; involucre rotate, somewhat enlarged in fruit in the manner of the 



next genus, but not membranous. 7. ALLIONIELLA. 



Fruit ribbed; involucre rotate, in fruit becoming much enlarged and membranous. 



8. ALLIONIA. 



Fruit with two rows of strong tubercles on the back and surrounded by two-toothed 

 inflexed wings. 9. WEDELIELLA. 



1. ABRONIA Juss. SAND VERBENA, SAND PUFFS. 



Annual or perennial herbs, with opposite petioled leaves. Leaf -blades entire 

 and oblique at the base. Flowers several in heads, surrounded by five or more 

 distinct bracts. Perianth colored and corolla-like, salver-shaped, with an elongated 

 tube, and expanding above into a 5-lobed limb. Stamens 3-5, included. Fruit 

 leathery, 3-5-winged, or 3-5-ribbed. Seed filling the pericarp and adherent to it. 



Fruit biturbinate, i. e., tapering at both ends, irregularly ridged or crested. 

 Flowers about 2 cm. long; limb 5-10 mm. wide. 



Bracts broadly obovate, over 1 cm. long. 1. A. frac/rans. 



Bracts ovate-lanceolate, less than 1 cm. long. 2. A. nuclata. 



Flowers about 1 cm. long; limb 3-5 mm. wide; bracts ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 5-8 



mm. long. 

 Petioles of the stem-leaves shorter than the very thick blades ; plant low, about 1 



dm. high. 3. A. pumila. 



Petioles of the stem-leaves much longer than the moderately thick blades ; plant 

 slender, 2-4 dm. high. 4. A. ammophila. 



Fruit turbinate or obpyramidal, i. e., almost truncate above, distinctly winged, the 



wings very broad above. 

 Plant almost acaulescent; stem and leaves greatly surpassed by the long peduncles. 



5. A. nana. 

 Plant with an elongated stem. 



Bracts broadly ovate or obovate, acute or obtusish. 



Stem distinctly viscid-pubescent; leaves scabrous-puberulent ; bracts 1-1.5 cm. 



long. 

 Blades of the stem-leaves elliptic; bracts broadly obovate, 12-15 mm. wide, 



obtusish. 6. A. salsa. 



Blades of the stem-leaves lanceolate; bracts oval, acute, about 6-7 mm. 



wide. 7. A. fallax. 



Stem finely puberulent or glabrous; leaves glabrous; bracts 5-8 mm. long. 

 Stem puberulent; leaves long-petioled ; bracts 8-15 mm. long. 



8. A. elliptica. 



Stem glabrous; leaves short-petioled; bracts 5 mm. long. 9. A. glabra. 

 Bracts oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, attenuate or cuspidate. 



Stem glabrous. 10. A. lanceolata. 



Stem more or less pubescent. 



Stem puberulent; wings with double lamina, coriaceous. 



11. A. Carletoni. 

 Stem villous; wings with single lamina, membranous. 12. A. villosa. 



1. A. fragrans Nutt. Perennial; stems several; branches erect, 15-25 dm. 

 high, glabrous below, puberulent and sub viscid above; leaves glabrous or nearly 

 so, petioled; blades oval, ovate, or elliptic, rounded at the apex, 3-6 cm. long; 

 fruit about 8 mm. long, 4 mm. broad, one-third from the apex. Dry soil: S.D. 



-la. Kans. N.M. Ida. Mont. Plain Submont. My-Jl. 



2. A. nudata Rydb. Perennial; stems very long and decumbent, sparingly 

 hispidulous; leaf-blades broadly lanceolate, thick, glabrous, 2-5 cm. long; flowers 

 many, about 2 cm. long; limb 5-6 mm. wide; achenes thickest a little above the 

 middle, crested, 8-10 mm. long, those of the marginal flowers very obliquely 

 ovoid-fusiform, scarcely at all crested. Barren hills: e Mont. Plain. S. 



3. A. pumila Rydb. Perennial, caespitose; stems ascending, about 1 dm. 

 long, puberulent; leaf-blades 1.5-3 cm. long, thick, minutely puberulent, oval, 

 elliptic or somewhat ovate; fruit bipyramidal, broadest one-third from the apex, 

 merely crested or the inner ones somewhat winged. Canons: Utah. Je-Jl. 



