MIGNONETTE FAMILY 327 



Wislizenia divaricata Greene, loc. cit. A closely related plant of doubtful rank, distinguished by its more 

 divaricate branches, and 1-foliolate leaves on the branches. Originally collected at Borego Springs, on the west- 

 ern border of the Colorado Desert, southern California. 



2. Wislizenia Palmeri A. Gray. Palmer's Stink-weed. Fig. 2164. 



Wislizenia Palmeri A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. 8: 622. 1873. 



Erect widely branching glabrous annual. Leaves, at least those of the branches, 1-foliolate; 

 leaflets linear-lanceolate, 3-5 cm. long ; nutlets 3-4 mm. long with prominent longitudinal ridges, 

 at the summit encircled by a row of prominent elongated tubercles. 



Sandy soil, Lower Sonoran Zone; lower Colorado River, California and Arizona, extending to the Gulf of 

 California. Type locality: "Lower Colorado River." April-July. 



5. OXYSTYLIS Torr. & Frem. in Frem. Second Rep. 312. 1845. 



A smooth branching annual with 3-foliolate leaves, and dense head-like axillary 

 racemes. Sepals linear-lanceolate. Petals yellow; stamens exserted. Ovary didymous, 

 each valve closely constricted over its solitary ovule and closed at the scar ; style subulate 

 becoming spinescent. Fruit composed of 2 1-seeded nutlets, raised on a very short stout 

 stipe. [Greek, referring to the spinescent style.] 



A monotypic genus of the arid Southwest. 



1. Oxystylis lutea Torr. & Frem. Spiny Caper. Fig. 2165. 



Oxystylis lutea Torr. & Frem. in Frem. Second Rep. 313. 1845. 



Stems stout, simple or more or less branched, 3-5 dm. high. Petioles 3-4 cm. long; leaflets 

 15-25 mm. long, oblong-obovate, obtuse; racemes axillary, dense and head-like, not elongating 

 in fruit; petals 4 mm. long; fruiting pedicels recurved, 3-5 mm. long; stipe about 2 mm. long; 

 nutlets ovoid-globose, faintly reticulate; style spinescent, 4-6 mm. long. 



Dry washes, Lower Sonoran Zone; southwestern Nevada and Inyo County, California, south to the 

 Colorado Desert, California. Type locality: "on the Margoza [Amargosa] river, at the foot of a sandy hill; 

 only seen in one place, but abundant there." April-May. 



6. POLANISIA Raf. Journ. Phys. 89:98. 1819. 



Viscid-pubescent branching annuals, with a strong disagreeable odor. Leaves pal- 

 mately 3-5-foliolate or rarely simple. Flowers in simple terminal racemes, bracteate. Sepals 

 4, deciduous. Petals 4, slender or clawed. Stamens 8-32, unequal. Receptacle bearing 

 a gland at the base of the ovary on the upper side. Pod sessile or subsessile, elongated, 

 cylindric or compressed, 2-valved from the summit. Seeds many, rugose or reticulate. 

 [Name Greek, meaning very unequal, in reference to the stamens.] 



A genus of about 30 species, natives of temperate and tropical regions. Type species, Polanisia graveolens 

 Raf. 



1. Polanisia trachysperma Torr. & Gray. Western Clammy-weed. Fig. 2166. 



Polanisia trachysperma Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 659. 1840. 

 Jacksonia trachysperma Greene, Pittonia 2: 174. 1891. 



Stems usually branched, 3-8 dm. high. Leaves 3-foliolate, with petioles 15-45 mm. long; 

 leaflets oblanceolate to narrowly ovate, 15-25 mm. long; sepals lanceolate, tinged with purple; 

 petals 8-12 mm. long, notched at the apex, tapering below to a slender claw, yellowish-white; 

 stamens well exserted, the longest about twice the length of the petals, purple ; pods cylindric, 3-5 

 cm. long, narrowed at the base to a very short stipe. 



Sandy or gravelly soils, Upper Sonoran and Arid Transition Zones; British Columbia south through east- 

 ern Washington and Oregon to northeastern California, east to Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona. 

 Type locality : Texas. June— Oct. 



Family 54. RESEDACEAE. 



Mignonette Family. 



Annual or perennial, herbaceous or rarely partially woody plants. Leaves alter- 

 nate or fascicled, with gland-like stipules. Flowers racemose or spicate, bracteate, 

 more or less dimorphic. Calyx 4— 7-parted. Petals generally as many as calyx- 

 segments, cleft or entire, hypogynous. Receptacle usually with a fleshy hypogynous 

 1-sided disk. Stamens 3 to many, inserted on the disk, usually of unequal length. 

 Pistil of 3-6 carpels ; styles and stigmas 3 or the former absent ; ovules numerous. 

 Fruit generally a capsule. Seeds reniform ; endosperm none ; cotyledons incumbent. 



A family of 6 genera and about 65 species, mainly natives of the Mediterranean region. 



Petals 4-7; disk present. 1. Reseda. 



Petals 2; disk absent. 2. Oligomeris. 



