Buckwheat Family 119 



late, acute; involucre* distant on the few elongated branches, 

 5-6 nun. high, obtusely toothed ; flowers white or pale rose color, 

 2-3 nun. long; achene glabrous. 



Common in the chaparral belt of all our mountains, as well as in the in- 

 terior valleys. 



-"-- , *- Annuals. 



11. E. virgatum Benth. Slender, 3-6 dm. high, tomentose 

 throughout, branches few, ascending, elongated, strictly virgate or 

 flexuous ; bracts lanceolate, shorter than the involucres, some- 

 time- including 1 or more leaves; involucres tomentose, narrow, 

 4 mm. long; perianth 2 mm. long, white or yellowish, glabrous. 



Frequent in the foothills. 



12. E. vimineum Dougl. Glabrous or tomentose toward the 

 base, erect, 2-1 dm. high, much branched from near the base, the 

 branches elongated and virgate, the lower commonly in whorls 

 of 4-5 ; lower forks often leafy ; leaves orbicular to broadly ovate, 

 6-18 mm. long, white-tomentose beneath, becoming glabrate 

 above, the margins undulate, on petioles of about the same 

 length ; involucres very narrow, 2 mm. high ; flowers few, pale 

 rose color or yellowish, 2 mm. long, outer segments obovate; 

 inner oblong. 



Frequent in the coast ranges. 



13. E. gracile Benth. Floccose-tomentose throughout, rather 

 diffusely branched, 2-6 dm. high; leaves oblanceolate or broadly 

 oblong, tomentose on both sides or less so above ; bracts more or 

 less elongated, the lower foliaceous ; involucres rigid, acute, often 

 dark brown ; perianth white or pale rose color, 1.5 mm. long. 



Common in sandy soil, especially toward the coast. 



14. E. gracile leucocladon (Benth.) Torr. Less branched, 

 the branches strict, becoming glabrate ; flowers pale rose color. 



Dry sand-washes of the interior. 



8. RUMEX L. Dock. 



Perennial or annual leafy-stemmed herbs. Stem 

 grooved, usually branched. Leaves entire or undulate, 

 flat or crisped, with scarious obliquely truncate cylindric 

 sheathing stipules. Flowers green, usually perfect, in 

 a simple or compound often panicled raceme. Calyx 



