412 TRELEASE— THE DESERT GROUP XOLIXE.^. [April 21, 



Garden, is rich in representatives of this, as of other groups char- 

 acteristic of that arid region, — as herbarium representation of such 

 plants goes : and in it, as well as in the herbarium of the New York 

 Botanical Garden and in the National Herbarium, have been found 

 types or cotypes of the species of Scheele and Torrey. 



I do not venture to think that anything like the last word 

 on the group is here said, — the sparse occurrence of the representa- 

 tives of admitted species through a vast and greatly diversified area, 

 as shown by the distribution map, would speak against such a view ; 

 but the following rather tersely cast synopsis is published in the 

 hope that it may render the work of filling gaps in both range and 

 forms easier than it has proved in the past. Space is not taken for 

 a full bibliography, — though this would not have been very exten- 

 sive; but the principal revisions of each genus are noted, as well as 

 the various names under which a species has appeared ; and refer- 

 ences are given to all illustrations that have been found. 



Synopsis of Genera. 



Ovary 3-celled. Fruit wingless. 



Fruit deeply 3-lobed, often inflated : seed nearly globose, rather fleshy- 

 walled. Pedicels articulated rather far below the flowers. Perianth 

 segments entire, papillate-pointed. Leaves strongly ribbed with usually 

 papillate grooves, at most serrulately roughened on the margin. In- 

 florescence a panicle (or racemosely reduced). Nolina. 



Fruit globose-triangular, not lobed or inflated ; seed melon-shaped, thin- 

 walled, occluding the sterile cells. Pedicels articulated close to the 

 flowers. Perianth segments nearly entire, rounded. Leaves as in Nolina. 

 Inflorescence a panicle. Calib.^nus. 



Ovary i-celled. Fruit 3-sided and 3-winged, not lobed or inflated. 



Pedicels articulated somewhat below the flowers. Perianth segments 

 entire, acute. Seeds 3-grooved or 3-lobed. Leaves somewhat ribbed, 

 the grooves not usually papillate, at most serrulately roughened on the 

 margin. Inflorescence a panicle. Beaucarnea. 



Pedicels articulated close to the flowers. Perianth segments denticulated, 

 rather obtuse. Seeds 3-grooved or 3-sided. Leaves not ribbed, their 

 margin (in al] except one sc|uare-leaved species) armed with strong 

 prickles and usually also serrulate-roughened. Inflorescence a stout 

 compound spike. Dasvlirion. 



NoLIXA. 

 Michaux, Fl. P.or.-Amer. i: 208. 1803. — Watson. Proc. Amer. 

 Acad. 14: 246-8. 1879. — Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 10: 92. 



