[ 174 ] 314 



long. Leaves smooth ; the common petiole 1 — 2 inches long, and terminated 

 by a spinescent point ; leaflets from half an inch to an inch long, and 1 — 2 

 lines broad, somewhat coriaceous, sparingly but prominently veined un- 

 derneath. Spikes 2 — 4 inches long, and about one-third of an inch in di- 

 ameter. Flowers yellow, very fragrant, nearly sessile on the rachis. Calyx 

 campanulate, somewhat equally 5-toothed, smooth. Petals ovate-oblong, 

 hairy inside. Stamens 10, one-third longer than the corolla. Anthers tipped 

 "with a slightly stipitate gland. Ovary linear-oblong, villous ; style smooth ; 

 stigma capitate, concave at the extremity. Legumes clustered, spirally 

 twisted into a very close rigid cylinder, which is from an inch to an inch 

 and a half long, and about two lines in diameter, forming from ten to thir- 

 teen turns, many seeded. Sarcocarp pulpy ; the two opposite sides of the 

 firm endocarp are compressed together between the seeds, forming a lon- 

 gitudinal kind of septum, which divides the pulp into two parts. Seeds 

 ovate, kidney-form, compressed, very smooth and hard. Embryo yellow- 

 ish, surrounded with a thin albumen. 



A characteristic tree in the mountainous part of Northern California, 

 particularly along the Mohahve and Virgen rivers, flowering the lauerpart 

 of April. 



This species belongs to the section strombocarpa of Mr. Bentham,' 

 which includes the Jtcacia strombulifera of Wildenow. In the structure 

 of the pod it is so remarkable that we at one time regarded it as a distinct 

 genus, to which we gave the name of Spirolobium. 



There are numerous other Legumiiiosse in the collection, including, as 

 might be expected, many species of Lupinus, Astragalus, Oxytropis, and 

 Phaca, some of which are new ; also, Thermopsis rhombifolia and mon- 

 tana, and a beautiful shrubby Psoralea (or some allied genus) covered 

 with bright violet flowers. 



COWANIA PLICATA. D. Don. (?) 



Specimens of this plant, without a ticket, were in the collection ; doubt- 

 less obtained in California. It may prove to be a distinct species from the 

 Mexican plant, for the leaves are more divided than they are described by 

 Don, and the flowers are smaller. The genus Cowania is very nearly al- 

 lied to Cercocarpus and Purshia, notwithstanding its numerous ovaries. 

 The lobes of the calyx are imbricated, as in those genera, and not valvate, 

 as in Eudryadese, to which section it is referred by Endlicher. 



Purshia tridenlata formed a conspicuous object in several parts of the 

 route, not only east of the mountains, but in Oregon and California. It is 

 covered with a profusion of yellow flowers, and is quite ornamental. Some- 

 times it attains the height of twelve feet. 



Spirzea arisefolia, var. discolor, was found on the upper waters of the 

 Platte, holding its characters so well that it should perhaps be regarded as 

 a distinct species. 



QEnothera clavjeformis. Torr. and Frem. 

 Leaves ovate or oblong, denticulate or toothed, pinnatified at the base, 

 with a long naked petiole ■ scape with several small leaves, S— 12-flowered ; 

 segments of the calyx longer than the tube ; capsules clavate-cylmdrical, 

 nearly twice as long as the pedicel. Flowers about as large as in (E. pu- 

 mi/a. Grows with the preceding. . 



* In Hooker's Journal of Botany, iv, p. 351. 



