450 Nash : Revision of the Family Fouquieriaceae 



ovary, the more or less united styles and the gamopetalous tubu- 

 lar corolla, to the base of which the filaments are slightly adnate, 

 all markedly point in this direction. The spongy central column 

 found in the dehiscing capsules would indicate that the inner edges 

 of the septa unite. A transverse section of the ovary made at this 

 time, and before the septa break away from the walls, would much 

 resemble the condition of things existing in the genus Gilia, also 

 found in the same region. The general resemblance of the flow- 

 ers to those of some of the large-flowered red Gilias is perhaps the 

 most striking feature of the plants. It is true that the sepals in 

 this are distinct, while in Gilia they are more or less united, but 

 this is but one character weighing against many others. It would 

 seem to me that the ovarian, placental, style and corolla charac- 

 ters indicate a strong affinity with that family, much stronger than 

 with the Tamaricaceae, to which family, polypetalous in all its 

 other forms as are its immediate relatives, the gamopetalous corolla 

 of Fouquieriaceae does violence. 



FOUQUIERIACEAE DC. Prod. 3 : 349. 1828. 



Shrubs or trees, the trunks simple, columnar and stout, or 

 much branched : branches spine-branching. Spines developed 

 within the petioles of the leaves on the new growth and becoming 

 apparent when these fall. Leaves with the blades flat, entire, or 

 rarely obcordate or emarginate : those on the young growth 

 petioled, the petioles from one half as long as to equalling the 

 blade. Secondary leaves borne in fascicles in the axils of the 

 spines and sessile or nearly so. Inflorescence spicate to paniculate, 

 terminal. Flowers sessile or pedicelled. Calyx of five free im- 

 bricated sepals. Corolla yellow or red, hypogynous, the segments 

 united for one half their length or more : tube cylindric, some- 

 times broadened toward the apex : lobes flat or concave, imbri- 

 cated in the bud, incurved, erect, spreading, reflexed or enrolled. 

 Stamens ten to fifteen, of unequal length, exserted from the corolla- 

 tube, and adnate to it at the very base : filaments subulate, usually 

 broadened and compressed dorsally at the more or less pubescent 

 base where they are sometimes coherent, sometimes provided 

 with a scale-like appendage near the base : anthers acute at the 

 apex, cordate at the base, elliptic to nearly ovate, introrse, versa- 

 tile, attached below the middle, 2-celled, the cells opening longi- 

 tudinally. Ovary 3-celled, the inner edges of the septa united at 

 the base and at the very apex, free in middle, the septa finally 



