228 MALVACEAE. 



1. M. parviflora L. Glabrous or sparingly hairy annual, with 

 erect or ascending stems, 2-10 dm. high; leaves rounded, slightly 

 5-7-lobed, crenate, 3-10 cm. broad; pedicels short; bractlets linear; 

 calyx accrescent, the broadly lobed limb rotately spreading away 

 from the mature fruit; petals white or pale blue, about equaling the 

 calyx-lobes; achenes glabrous or pubescent, transversely and sharply 

 rugose on the back, the acute winged margins distinctly toothed. 



A common vernal weed. 



2. M. pusilla Smith. Much resembling the last in foliage and 

 habit; pedicels somewhat longer; calyx-lobes mostly closed over 

 the fruit; petals bluish, 10-15 mm. long, surpassing the calyx-lobes; 

 achenes reticulate-rugose, the margins acute, entire. 



Known within our region only from low ground along Ballona 

 Creek, near Mesmer. 



3. SIDALCEA Gray. 



Erect annual or (ours) perennial herbs with mostly 

 palmately or pedately parted or deeply cleft leaves, 

 small stipules, and purple or pink or sometimes white 

 rather showy flowers, in terminal racemes or spikes, not 

 rarely polygamous by the abortion of the anthers. In- 

 volucre rarely present. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, com- 

 monly emarginate or truncate. Staminal column usu- 

 ally distinctly double, the exterior series of 5 distinct 

 4-10-antheriferous phalanges, the inner or terminal one 

 of about 10 mostly 2-antheriferous phalanges. Carpels 

 5-9, reniform, indehiscent, 1-seeded. 



1. S. malvaeflora (Moc. & Sesse) Gray. Hirsute or stems and 

 petioles hispid with few-forked and some simple hairs; stems ascend- 

 ing or erect from decumbent base, 2-6 dm. high, from a thick stock 

 or root, simple; basal leaves rounded, crenate-incised, the upper 

 more dissected; flowers in simple few-many-flowered spiciform 

 racemes; petals rose-purple, 2-2.5 cm. long; mature carpels rugose- 

 reticulate. {S. humilis Gray, S. del pJmiifolia Nutt.) 



Frequent on the grassy hills and mesas. March-May. 



2. S. parviflora Greene. Stems glabrous at least below, sub- 

 simple, terminating in long slender loose racemes; lowest leaves 

 orbicular, crenate-toothed, the others deeply divided, the divisions 

 lobed; pedicels 4-6 mm. long, subtended by simple linear bracts of 

 scarcely the same length; petals 8-12 mm. long, rounded at apex; 

 carpels reticulated. 



In low subsaline places throughout our range. Much resembling 

 the last, but easily recognized by the glabrous stems and leaves, 

 and by the usually smaller flowers. 



4. MALVASTRUM Gray. 

 Low annual herbs or shrubs, often densely stellate- 

 pubescent. Bractlets 1-3 or rarely wanting. Calyx- 



