227 



Capsules sessile, subulate tapering from a broad base, quadran- 

 gular or strongly four-ridged, valves one-nerved, scabrulose and 

 strigulose puberulent, arcuately tortuous ; seeds oblong ascending. 



This plant belongs to the subdivision Siilioirostigma, and is closely 

 allied to (Enothera gaurcefiora ; but that has linear-lanceolate vein- 

 less leaves, and yellow flowers : the bracts, also, are shorter than 

 the ovary, and linear or subulate. The ovary, also, is said to be 

 glabrous. 



We have not seen the base of the stem ; the leaf only accompa- 

 nying the spike, as exhibited in the figure. 



(Enothera cruciformis. — (Kellogg.) Fig. 71. 



Stem perennial (?) leafy, erect, sub-glabrous or puberulent, de- 

 current angled, fistulous, succulent (?) sLx to eight inches in height, 

 many-flowered in a nodding somewhat secund terminal spike, elon- 

 gating m fruit. 



Leaves alternate, fleshy, veiny, glabrous, subcordate-ovate, acute, 

 or short acuminate, repand-denticulate, the lower ones on long peti- 

 oles ; the upper at length much shorter ; the uppermost bractoid 

 sub-sessile and sessile, obliquely ovate, acuminate, sometimes adher- 

 ing to the pedicels. 



Flowers a pure bright lemon or straw yellow unchanged in dry- 

 ing ; petals broadly obovate, entire, (or rarely sub-ocordate) longer 

 than the sepals, four in number (in one instance five, with ten sta- 

 mens) ; alternate stamens a little longer (as long or longer than 

 the petals) ; anthers linear oblong, (about two lines long) attached 

 below the middle, versatile ; style exsert, (viEous at the base,) 

 stigma capitate, calyx tube broadly obconic or funnel-form, early 

 deciduous, about half the length of the segments ; segments ovate 

 or oblong, acute, reflected, somewhat twisted, puberulent, colored 

 yellowish, capsules linear-oblong, sub-cylindrical or somewhat sub- 

 four obtuse angled and strongly four-nerved ; valves one-nerved, 

 membranaceous (similar to the cruciferse), apex sub-acute, base 

 acute, on spreadmg ascending pedicels about half an mch in length, 

 or about half as long as the capsules, bracted at the base, or the 

 pedicel bracteolate a little above by the aduate bract. 



A plant with mostly radical leaves ; in depauperated specimens 

 only a few small leaves are seen just above the base ; in its normal 

 state, however, the plant exliibits the leafy character seen in the 

 figure. 



Growing in beds of silicious deposit on the top of Steamboat 

 Springs, Nevada Territory. 



