6oo 



OXAGRACEAE. 



Vol. 11. 



I. Kneiffia linifolia (Xutt.) Sijacli. 

 Thrcad-k'.'ned Sumlrops. Fig. 3049. 



Oenothera linifolia Nuit. Journ. Acad. Phila. 2: 



120. i8ii. 

 Kneiffia linifolia Spach. Nouv. Ann. Miis. Par. 4: 



368. 1835. 



Erect, very slender, simple or branched, 

 6'-i8' high, glabrous or nearly so below, finely 

 pubescent above. Stem-leaves filiform-linear, 

 entire, crowded, 6"-ls" long; basal leaves 

 tufted, oblanceolate or spatulate, petioled, 

 about i' long; flowers in loose spike-like ra- 

 cemes, yellow, diurnal, 3"-4" broad ; calyx- 

 lobes short, reflexed, tlie tube about i" long, 

 rather shorter than the ovary ; stigma-lobes 

 very short ; capsule obovoid, sessile or very 

 nearly so, puberulent, sharply 4-sided but not 

 winged, 2"-i" long. 



In dry soil, Illinois to Kansas, south to Geor- 

 gia, Louisiana and Texas. May-July. 



2. Kneiffia Alleni (Britton) Small. Allen's 

 Sundrops. Fig. 3050. 



Oenothera fruticosa var. hitinifusa Allen, Bull. Torr. 



Club I: 3. 1870. Not Oe. humifiisa Nutt. iSi8. 

 Kneiffia linearis Alleni Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5 : 235. 



1894. 

 Kneiffia Alleni Small, Bull. Torr. Club 23: 177. 1896. 



Low, perennial, finely appressed-pubescent, stems 

 decumbent, at length diiifusely branched, $'-2 long, 

 wiry and zigzag. Leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, 

 i'-ii' long, usually obtuse, undulate, sessile or short- 

 pelioled ; flowers yellow, about 5'-i' broad : racemes 

 i'-2' long, usually interrupted; calyx villous, its tube 

 2"-3" long, striate, its segments linear-oblong, as 

 long as the tube ; petals orbicular-obovate, notched 

 at the apex : capsules club-shaped, 3"-4" long, winged, 

 shorter than the pedicels ; seeds obovoid, to oblong, 

 i" long, minutely pitted in rows. 



In sand, eastern Long Island. Probably a decumbent 

 race of K, linearis. June-Aug. 



3. Kneiffia longipedicellata Small. Long- 

 stemmed Sundrops. Fig. 3051. 



Kneiffia longipedieellata Small. Bull. Torr. Club 23 : 



178. 1896. 

 Oenothera longipedieellata Robinson, Rhodora 10 : 



34. 1908. 



Perennial, slender, more or less puberulent; 

 stems erect or assurgent, i-2i tall, red, sim- 

 ple or sparingly branched above. Basal leaves 

 spatulate or obovate-spatulate, li'-3' long; stem- 

 leaves few, linear-lanceolate i'-24' long, obtuse 

 or acutish, entire, sometimes undulate, short- 

 petioled ; flowers yellow, I'-a' broad ; racemes 

 i'-4'.long; calyx hirsute, its tube slender, s"-/" 

 long, its segments nearly linear, longer than the 

 tube, the tips free in the bud : petals obovate, 

 emarginate ; capsules narrowly obovoid, the bodies 

 about 5" long, their angles with stout pubescent 

 wings, their faces ridged, the pubescent pedicel 

 longer than the body : seeds irregular, less than 

 ' long, minutely papillose. 



Moist soil. Connecticut to West Virginia and Flor- 

 ida. May-Aug. 



