142 BERBERIDACEAE. 



the leaflets laciniately cut into 3-7, usually linear lobes; flowers 

 1-2 cm. broad; petals 7-15; achenes 3.5 mm. long, flattened, slightly 

 margined, beaked with the short straight or slightly curved style. 



Frequent on the mesas and in open places in the foothills. Febru- 

 ary-April. 



2. R. hebecarpus H. & A. Slender, 15-30 cm. high, branched, 

 pilose-pubescent; leaves of rounded outline, deeply lobed or cleft, 

 the segments 3-lobed; flowers minute, on filiform pedicels; achenes 

 few in a globose head, rounded and flattened, papillose and pubes- 

 cent; beak short, recurved. 



Growing in moist shady places, not common. Oak Knoll; Santa 

 Monica Mountains. March-May. 



3. R. trichophyllus Chaix. Submerged; stems branching, usually 

 3 dm. long or more; leaves petioled, 2.5-5 cm. long, flaccid and 

 collapsing when withdrawn from the water, repeatedly forked with 

 capillary divisions; flowers white, 12-18 mm. broad, on stout pe- 

 duncles 2.5-5 cm. long; achenes transversely wrinkled. 



Occasional in ponds and slow-running streams. May-August. 



7. THALICTRUM L. Meadow-rue. 



Erect perennial herbs with ternately decompound 

 leaves and (ours) with small greenish dioecious panicled 

 flowers. Sepals 4-5. Petals none. Stamens many. 

 Achenes few-ribbed or nerved, stipitate or nearly sessile. 



1. T. polycarpum Wats. Usually robust, 6-12 dm. high, glabrous 

 throughout; leaves of rather thin texture; achenes numerous, form- 

 ing a globular head in fruit, 6 mm. high, vesicular, obovate or some- 

 what orbicular, usually only the midveins apparent. 



Common in the foothill region, mostly below 4000 feet altitude. 

 April-June. 



Family 35. BERBERIDACEAE. Barberry Family. 



Shrubs or herbs with alternate or basal, simple or 

 compound leaves, with or without stipules, and solitary 

 or racemed, mostly terminal, perfect flowers. Sepals and 

 petals generally imbricated in several series. Stamens 

 as many as the petals and opposite them, hypogynous; 

 anthers extrorse, opening by valves Pistil 1; style 

 short; ovules 2 -many, anatropous. Fruit a berry or 

 capsule. 



1. ODOSTEMON Raf. Barberry. 



Shrubs with yellow wood and inner bark, bitter. 

 Leaves persistent, pinnately compound and spinulose- 



