POLYGON ACEAE. 103 



2. NEMACAULIS Nutt. 



Slender diffuse annuals with spatulate mostly radical 

 leaves and no stipules. Flowers capitate, each with a 

 free herbaceous bract, perfect. Calyx 6-cleft, colored, 

 enclosing the achene. Stamens 3. Styles 3; stigmas 

 capitate. Achene short-ovoid, obscurely 3-angled. 



1. N. denudata Nutt, Stems prostrate or ascending, 15-30 cm. 

 long, glabrate, reddish; leaves narrowly spatulate, 2-5 cm. long, 

 including the short petiole, densely tomentose-hairy on both sides; 

 bractlets of the flower clusters obovate-spatulate, 2 mm. long, the 

 outer flowerless, the inner smaller, woolly within and glabrous 

 without; flowers yellowish, scarcely 1 mm. long, short pedicellate, 

 glabrous; inner segments broadest; achene 0.7 mm. long. (N. 

 nuttallii Benth.) 



Occasional on sand-dunes along the seashore and in sandy soils 

 in interior valleys. 



3. LASTARRIAEA Remy. 



A small diffuse rigid fragile annual, with the aspect of 

 Chorizantlie. Involucre wanting. Perianth involucre- 

 like, coriaceous, tubular, 5-6-cleft to the middle; the 

 narrow teeth rigid, awned, recurved and uncinate. 

 Stamens 3, inserted on the throat; filaments very short, 

 with small membranous appendages intervening at their 

 insertions. Achene triangular; embryo curved, 



1, L. chilensis Remy. Branches procumbent or ascending, 

 5-15 cm. long, hirsute; lowest leaves linear, obtuse, hispid-ciliate, 

 1-2 cm. long, cauline in whorls of 4-5, unequal; bracts 3-6 mm. 

 long, concealing the flowers; perianth 2-3 mm. long, its tube tri- 

 quetrous; teeth 5, 3 long and 2 short; anthers small, orbicular; style 

 very short. 



Occasional on dry hillsides, especially in sandy soils. April. 



4. CHORIZANTHE R. Br. 



Low dichotomously branched annual herbs, with 

 rosulate basal leaves and opposite or ternate stem-leaves, 

 often reduced and bracteate. Involucre 1 -flowered, or 

 rarely 2-3-flowered, tubular or funnelform, sessile, 3-6- 

 angled or costate, 3-6-toothed or 3-6-cleft, its teeth 

 divaricate, cuspidate o/ awned. Flowers pedicellate or 

 nearly sessile, included within the involucre, or the seg- 

 ments protruding. Calyx 6-parted or 6-cleft, colored. 

 Stamens usually 9, rarely 3 or 6, adnate to the base of 

 the calyx-tube. Ovary glabrous. 



