236 DATISCACEAE. 



long, few-seeded; seeds prismatic, with a very shallow groove, the 

 sides faintly tuberculate. 



Occasional in the chaparral belt throughout our range. 



5. M. gracilenta T. & G. Stems rather stout, 3-4 dm. high, 

 branching from the base; leaves narrowly lanceolate, pinnatifid, 

 with many narrow lobes, or only sinuate-toothed; fiowers usually 

 clustered; calyx-lobes 4-10 mm. long; petals obovate to oblanceo- 

 late, 8-16 mm. long; filaments subulate-filiform; capsule slightly 

 clavate-dilated, 12-24 mm. long; seeds in 3 rows; irregularly angular, 

 minutely tuberculate, 1.5 mm. long. 



Frequent on the plains and foothills and also on the sand-dunes 

 along the seashore. 



2. NUTTALLIA Raf. 



Perennial herbs, with alternate or pinnatifid leaves 

 and terminal, cymose or solitary showy fiowers. Calyx- 

 tube mostly obconic, 5-lobed. Petals 5 or in some 

 species 10. Ovary 1-celled; styles 3. Capsule dehiscent 

 at the summit, the placentae with horizontal lamellae 

 between the seeds. Seeds in 2 rows, flat and more or 

 less winged. 



1. N. laevicaulis (Dougl.) Greene. (Blazing Star.) Biennial; 

 stem stout, erect, branched above, 6-10 dm. high, often white; 

 leaves lanceolate, sinuate-toothed, 5-15 cm. long; flowers sessile 

 on short branches, 6-8 cm. broad, light yellow, diurnal; calyx-tube 

 naked; calyx-lobes 2.5 cm. long or more; petals 10, rarely 5, oblanceo- 

 late, acute; stamens numerous, about equaling the petals in length, 

 the outer with dilated filaments; capsule 3 cm. long; seeds many in 

 double rows on the 3 placentae, horizontally flattened and winged, 

 minutely tuberculate, 3 mm. broad. (Mentzelia laevicaulis T. & G.) 



Frequent in dry washes in our interior valleys and canyons. 

 May-September. 



Family 69. DATISCACEAE. Datisca Family. 

 Ours smooth stout perennial herbs with unequally 

 laciniate pinnatifid leaves, and small dioecious or some- 

 times perfect flowers arranged in leafy racemes. Calyx 

 of sterile flowers very short with 4-9 unequal lobes; 

 stamens 10-25, with short filaments. Pistillate flowers 

 with calyx-tube ovoid, somewhat 3-angled, 3-toothed; 

 stamens when present 3, alternate with the teeth. Styles 

 3, bifid, the linear lobes stigmatic on the inner side. 

 Capsule 1-celled, opening at the apex between the styles. 

 Seeds many, small, in several rows on the 3 parietal 

 placentae; embryo cylindric; endosperm present. 



