SPURGE FAMILY 425 



Note on variation. — In this widely distributed species the interlocking of variable char- 

 acters renders unprofitable any effort to establish a series of well-marked local races or varieties. 

 The plants are usually prostrate in habit but specimens with the branches diffuse to ascending 

 are not uncommon. The form Euphorbia consanguinea Engelm. is based upon red coloration of the 

 herbage, more sharply serrate obtuse (not truncate) leaflets, and in part upon a more erect habit; 

 but these three characters are only rarely associated, so that this form is too indefinite. The gla- 

 brous condition of E. serpyllifolia seems a constant character. The leaves, although character- 

 istically serrate at the apex, vary considerably as to the amount of toothing and plants with 

 some or most leaves entire are not uncommon, especially in Humboldt and adjoining counties. 

 The seeds, as in the case of most California species of Euphorbia, are at maturity covered mth 

 a waxy coating which is at first white or ashy gray, later, apparently, becoming a light tan or 

 clay color. When the coating is removed, or before maturity, the seed color is reddish ; when 

 still thin the color may be shell pink. The shape of the seeds in E. serpyllifolia varies from 

 rather narrowly quadrate-oblong to quadrate-ovoid and the surface of the facets from smooth 

 to rugulose. The var. rugulosa Engelm. represents a local race of San Bernardino and Los 

 Angeles counties with the seed surface very minutely vermicular-rugulose. In northern California 

 seeds with smooth as well as very rugulose facets are common, especially in Humboldt County 

 and the lower Sacramento region. The surface rugosities are, however, coarser than in typical 

 specimens of the var. rugulosa from the south. Taking the group as a whole no satisfactory 

 segregation is possible on the basis of seed rugosity. It has therefore seemed advisable to retain 

 within the species proper all those forms which do not exhibit the distinctive surface of var. 

 rugulosa. 



Locs. — Coast Eanges: Yreka, Butler 70; Sisson, Siskiyou Co., Geo. B. Grant 5068; Trinity 

 Eiver Valley near the South Fork, Tracy 6555 ; South Fork Eel Eiver (near mouth), Tracy 4769; 

 Hyampum, Humboldt Co., Chesnut 4" Drew (type collection of E. occidentalis Drew) ; Covelo 

 ranger sta., ne. Mendocino Co., Cronemillcr 663 ; Hopland, Mendocino Co., Jepson 9436 ; Putah 

 Creek near Middleton, Lake Co., M. S. Baker 2320a; Healdsburg, M. S. Baker; St. Helena, Jep- 

 son 13,929; Napa, Jepson 13,928; Benicia, Jepson 13,931; Olema, Marin Co., Curran; Stanford, 

 C. F. Baker 195. Great Valley: Princeton, Colusa Co., Chandler; Putah Creek near Winters, 

 Jepson 13,933; Elmira, Solano Co., Jepson 12,379; Stockton, Davy 1174; Lathrop, H. A. Walker 

 910 (leaves entire) ; Union Isl., San Joaquin Co., Jepson 10,274. Sierra Nevada: Egg Lake, 

 Modoc Co., M. S. Baker; upper Fall River Valley, ne. Shasta Co., Jepson 5760; Montgomery 

 Creek, Shasta Co., M. S. Baker; Martin Sprs., Eagle Lake, Brown 4" Wieslander 90; Bucks Valley, 

 Plumas Co., Jepson 10,643; Bear Valley, Nevada Co., Jepson 13,927; Conner Lake, Seller 6935 

 lone, Amador Co., Braunton 1128 (plants erect) ; Dorrington, Calaveras Co., Jepson 10,112 

 Deadman Creek, Tuolumne Co., Jepson 6559 ; Hetch-Hetchy, Jepson 3480 ; Yosemite, Jepson 8362 

 Fresno Big Trees, Jepson 15,985; Kings Canon, Jepson 171. Southern California: North Fork 

 San Gabriel Eiver, Peirson 2445; Lytle Creek, Parish; Strawberry Valley, Eiverside Co., Hall 

 2532 (intermediate toward var. rugulosa) ; Newport, Alice King. The following spms. from 

 northerly localities have seeds quite as rugulose but more coarsely so than those of typical var. 

 rugulosa: Fall Eiver, Shasta Co., Hall 4" Babcock 4212; Lathrop, San Joaquin Co., Bioletti; 

 Del Mar, Santa Cruz Co., E. Brandegee. The following spms. with ascending branches and 

 leaves with sharply serrate rounded apex represent the state described as E. consanguinea 

 Engelm.: Eastberne, San Bernardino Co., H. S. Budd (seeds very rugulose); Yreka, Siskiyou 

 Co., Butler 445 (seeds shallowly wrinkle-pitted). 



Var. rugulosa Engelm. Plants often erect; herbage often reddish; leaves usually more 

 serrate on the larger side of the blade; seeds minutely vermicular-rugulose. — Dry valleys or 

 mesas, 900 to 1000 feet: cismontane in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Cos. May -Nov. 



Locs. — Santa Catalina Isl., K. Brandegee; Pomona, Davy; Bloomington, San Bernardino 

 Valley, Parish 10,289. 



Eefs. — Euphorbia serpyllifolia Pers. Syn. 2:14 (1807), type from "Mexico" (at that 

 time extending north to the forty-second parallel) ; Jepson, Fl. W. Mid. Cal. 262 (1901), ed. 2, 246 

 (1911), Man. 599, fig. 592, (1925). Chamaesyce serpyllifolia Small, Fl. Se. U. S. 712, 1333 (1903) 

 E. serpyllifolia var. consanguinea Boiss. ; DC. Prod. 15-: 43 (1862), type loc. Lake Winnipeg, 

 Bourgeau (Engelmann's spms., however, came from "Kansas and Texas" or California) ; Jep 

 son, Fl. W. Mid. Cal. I.e., ed. 2, I.e. E. inaequilatera Engelm. Bot. Mex, Bound. 2:187 (1859) 

 not E. inaequilatera Sender (1850). E. consanguinea, E. suhserrata, E. notata Engelm.; Boiss 

 I.e., as synonyms. E. sanguinea Greene, BuU. Cal. Acad. 2:56 (1886) ; not E. sanguinea Hochst 

 & Steud. (1862). Chamaesyce consanguinea Millsp. Field Mus. Publ. Bot. 2:408 (1916). E 

 occidentalis Drew, Bull. Torr. Club 16:152 (1889), type loc. Hyampum Valley, Humboldt Co., 

 Chesnut 4' Drew; Jepson, Man. 599 (1925). E. serpyllifolia var. occidentalis Jepson, Fl. W. 

 Mid. Cal. 262 (1901), ed. 2, 246 (1911). Chamaesyce occidentalis Millsp. I.e. 410. Var. rugulosa 

 Engelm.; Millsp. Pitt. 2:85 (1890), type loc. San Bernardino, S. B. ^ W. F. Parish; Jepson, Fl. 

 W. Mid. Cal. I.e., ed. 2, I.e., Man. I.e. E. rugulosa Greene, Fl. Fr. 92 (1891). Chamaesyce rugu- 

 losa Eydb. Bull. Torr. Club 33:145 (1906). 



