106 POLYGONACEAE. 



6. OXYTHECA Nutt. 



Slender clichotomously branched annuals, stipitate- 

 glandular at the nodes. Leaves in a rosette at base. 

 Bracts foliaceous and more or less united, usually ter- 

 nate. Involucres few-flowered, more or less distinctly 

 pedicellate, campanulate or turbinate, 3-5-cleft, the 

 teeth bearing an awn or awnless. Flowers equal, glandu- 

 lar-pubescent on the outside. Stamens 9. 



1. O. trilobata Gray. Much branched from the base, 1 dm. 

 high or less; leaves somewhat villous, oblanceolate, 2-3 cm. long; 

 bracts ternate, oblong-lanceolate, awned, not reflexed; involucres 

 broadly turbinate, 5-parted nearly to the base, strongly nerved, 

 3-4 mm. long, with awns slightly shorter than the lobes; pedicels 

 spreading, 4-10 mm. long; flowers 3-5 in each involucre, light rose 

 color, 2 mm. long; segments ligulate-oblong, 3-cleft, the lobes lance- 

 olate, acuminate, slightly erose on the sides; ovary triangular. 



Not common within our limits, but found on dry plains in San 

 Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties. 



7. ERIOGONUM Michx. 



Annual or perennial herbs or rarely shrubs, with 

 basal, alternate or verticillate leaves, without stipules, 

 and perfect involucrate flowers. Involucre campanulate, 

 turbinate or oblong, 4-8-toothed or 4-8-lobed, awnless, 

 usually many-flowered; the more or less exserted pedi- 

 cels intermixed with scarious narrow setaceous bracts or 

 bractlets. Perianth 6-parted or deeply 6-cleft, petaloid. 

 Stamens 9, inserted on the base of the perianth. Styles 

 3 ; stigmas capitate. Achene triangular, rarely lenticular. 



Perianth not stipe-like at base. 



Involucres nerveless, pedicellate; perianth- 

 lobes unequal. 1. E. thurberi. 

 Involucres 5-6-nerved, mostly sessile; peri- 

 anth-lobes similar. 

 Involucres capitate or fascicled; peren- 

 nials. 

 Plants not caespitose. 



Perennials with short woody cau- 

 dex. 

 Bractlets densely villous- 



tomentose. 2. E. latifolium. 



Bractlets glabrous. 3. E. nudum. 



Shrubs. 



Leaves rounded to oblong; 

 maritime species. 

 Perianth villous. 4. E. cinereum. 



