NORTH AMERICAN EUPHORBIACE^. 221 



narrowing to the petiole, 2-7 cm. long, Ih cm. or less 

 broad; petiole about one-quarter the length of the blade. 

 Inflorescence in short, and at first dense axillary racemes, 

 the female flowers below; bracts more or less leafy, about 

 the length of the sepals. Male flowers : sepals 5 linear- 

 lanceolate, acute, green, 5 mm. long; petals 5, about the 

 length of tlie sepals, lanceolate membranaceous deeply 

 marked with purple veins, rose colored, with a greenish- 

 white hyaline tip; stamens 5, in a whorl near the summit of 

 the column of filaments which is terminated by a few rudi- 

 ments of stamens. Female flowers: sepals lanceolate, ser- 

 rate, acuminate, green, 8 mm. long; petals lanceolate, ser- 

 rate, purple-striate at the base, one-half the length of the 

 sepals; glands auriculate, entire, hypogynous; styles bifid 

 for over one-third their length; stigmas slightly clavate. 

 Capsule 8 mm. broad, smooth; carpels blackish purple, 

 ridged; seeds greenish, pyriform, ()-angled, (3 acute alter- 

 nating with 3 obtuse), apiculate, slightly reticulated near 

 the base, 5 mm. long, 3 mm. broad. — San Gregorio, Febru- 

 ary 1st. 



Argythamnia serrata Mlill. Arg. (Linnaea xxxiv 147). 

 A depauperate form, retainin,:^: however all the specific 

 characters. — San Pablo, April 17th, not in fruit. 



Argythamnia serrata, var. Magdalen.e var. nov. Stems 

 9-13 cm. long, leaves as in the species, petals straw-color, 

 styles parted to the middle, seeds smooth and somewhat 

 farinose. 



The vegetative characters and the seeds of this variety 

 plainly distinguish it from the species. — Magdalena Island, 

 January 13th. 



Argythamnia SERicoPHYLLAGray var. verrucosemina, var. 

 nov. Branches 1-2 dm. long; leaves sessile, 1J-3J cm. long, 

 the lower ovate to ovate lanceolate, racemes 1-2 flowered; 

 sepals lanceolate acuminate (4 mm. long), longer than the 

 broadly lanceolate petals; glands in the female flowers del- 



