328 RESEDACEAE 



1. RESEDA [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 448. 1753. 



Annual or perennial herbs, with erect or decumbent stems, and entire, lobed or pin- 

 natifid leaves. Flowers small, spicate or narrowly racemose. Petals 4-7, toothed or cleft. 

 Stamens 8-20, inserted on one side of the flower. Capsule 3-6-lobed, horned, opening 

 at the top during anthesis or before the seeds mature. [The ancient Latin name, in 

 reference to the supposed sedative effect of some of the species.] 



A genus of about 55 species, all natives of the Old World. Type species, Reseda lutea L. 



Capsule globose; leaves entire, linear-oblong. 1. R. Luteola. 

 Capsule oblong; leaves lobed or divided. 



Flowers greenish yellow; all but the lowest petal cleft. 2. R. lutea. 



Flowers white; all the petals cleft. 3. R. alba. 



1. Reseda Luteola L. Dyer's Mignonette. Fig. 2167. 



Reseda Luteola L. Sp. PI. 448. 1753. 



Plants glabrous, the stems erect, simple or sparingly branched, 3-8 dm. high. Leaves linear 

 to lanceolate, sessile or the lowest narrowed to a short petiole, entire ; flowers greenish-yellow, in 

 narrow at length much elongated racemes ; petals 4 or 5, very unequal, 2-4 mm. long, the lower 

 one linear, entire, the upper ones lobed; capsule globose, 4-6 mm. in diameter, with 3-4 apical 

 teeth and 6-8 lateral ridges. 



Adventive from Europe, and sparingly established in the Pacific States. Cultivated for its yellow dye, 

 and known as Dyer's-weed or Dyer's Rocket. May-Oct. 



2. Reseda lutea L. Yellow Mignonette. Fig. 2168. 



Reseda lutea L. Sp. PI. 449. 1753. 



Plants pubescent or nearly glabrous, the stems ascending or decumbent. Leaves 5-10 cm. 

 long, broadly ovate-oblong in outline, deeply lobed or pinnatifid, the segments linear or oblong ; 

 racemes narrow, becoming elongated ; pedicels 4-5 mm. long in fruit, ascending ; petals 6 or 

 sometimes 5, 3-4 mm. long, all but the lowest one irregularly cleft; capsule oblong, 7-8 mm. 

 long, with 3 or 4 short terminal teeth. 



Waste places, bparingly established in the Pacific States. Adventive from Europe. May-Sept. 



3. Reseda alba L. White Mignonette. Fig. 2169. 



Reseda alba L. Sp. PI. 449. 1753. 



Plants glabrous and somewhat glaucous, with erect stems, 3-6 dm. high. Leaves 4-8 cm. 



long, oblong in outline, pinnatifid, the segments linear-oblong ; racemes narrow, densely flowered ; 



petals 6 or sometimes 5, white. 4-5 mm. long, all 3-cleft at the summit; capsule ovoid-oblong, 



10-12 mm. long, usually 4-toothed at the apex. 



In waste places, sparingly established in the Pacific States, especially in seaports. Adventive from southern 

 Europe. May-Sept. 



Reseda odorata L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 1046. 1858-59. The common fragrant mignonette of the gardens 

 has cuneate, entire or 3-lobed leaves, fragrant flowers and deeply cleft petals. It is occasionally found as an 

 escape in the Pacific States. 



2. OLIGOMERIS Camb. in Jacquemont Voy. Ind. Bot. 23: pi. 25. 1841-44. 



Low glaucous annual or perennial herbs, with linear entire leaves, and small greenish 

 flowers in terminal spikes. Sepals 4. Petals 2, posterior, free or united at the base, entire 

 or 2-3-lobed, persistent. Disk none. Stamens 3—10. Ovary 4-angled and 4-beaked. Cap- 

 sule 4-sulcate, opening at the summit. Seeds numerous. [Name Greek, meaning small and 

 parts, in reference to the minute flowers.] 



A genus of about 5 species, natives of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico; also Africa 

 and Asia. Type species, Oligomeris glaucescens Camb. 



1. Oligomeris linifolia (Vahl) J. F. Macbride. Oligomeris. Fig. 2170. 



Reseda subulata Delile, Fl. Aegypt. 111. 15. 1813. Nomen nudum. 



Reseda linifolia Vahl, in Hornem. Hort. Hafn. 501. 1815. 



Ellimia ruderalis Nutt. in Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 125. 1838. 



Oligomeris glaucescens Camb. in Jacquemont, Voy. Ind. Bot. 23: pi. 25. 1841-44. 



Oligomeris subulata Webb, Fragm. Aethiop. 26. 1854. 



Oligomeris linifolia ]. F. Macbride, Contr. Gray Herb. 53: 13. 1918. 



Glabrous and somewhat fleshy annual, the stems branching at the base, ascending, 10-25 cm. 

 high. Leaves often fascicled, narrowly linear, 1-2 cm. long ; spikes terminating the branches, 

 bracteate, densely flowered ; flowers about 1 mm. long ; petals 3, oblong, obscurely lobed, white ; 

 stamens 3 ; capsule depressed-globose, 3 mm. in diameter, 4-cuspidate ; seeds smooth. 



Usually in saline soils, Sonoran Zones; coastal and desert regions, southern California, east to Nevada and 

 western Texas, and south to Mexico. Type locality: Canary Islands. Jan.-Sept. 



