458 NYCTAGINACEAE 



short; involucre 5 or 6-flowered, campanolate, 8 to 10 linos long, cleft nearly 

 half way into acute lobes; calyx bright or pale purple, funnelt'orm, IV2 to 1% 

 inches long, the limb 1 to 1% inches across; fruit light brown, marked by 10 

 vertical lines of a darker color, not tuberculate. 



Kern Co. and Argus LIts. south to San Diego Co. May-June. Very hand- 

 some when in full tlower in the desert washes, single plants often forming 

 masses of rose-color the size of a wagonwheel. 



Locs. — Cottonwood Creek, Inyo Cs.. Purptis 3024; New York Mts., Jcpson 5446; Bakersfiekl. 

 Davy 1889 ("opens at 6 pm"); Caliente, K. Brandegec : Antelope Valley, Hall (;-2.59; Palm 

 Canon, Jepson 1376. The following are glabrous or nearly so (var. glabratum Jepson n. 

 comb.): Vandeventer Flat. San Jacinto Mts., Hall 2162; San Felipe, Brandegee. 



Refs. — MiR.\BiLis FROEBELLii Greene. Bull. C'al. Acad. 1: 124 (1SS.5). Oxybaphus froebellii 

 Behr, Proe. Cal. Acad. 1: 69 (1855), type loe, Warner's Ranch, San Diego Co., Froebel. 

 Mirabilis multifora var. jnihescens Wats. Bot. Cal. 2: 2 (1880). Qiiamoclidion froebellii 

 Stand. Contrib. V. S. Xat. Herb. 12: 359 (1909). Var. gl.\bratu.m Jepson. Q. froebellii 

 subsp. glabratum Stand. 1. c, 360, type loc. Providence Mts., T. Brandegee. 



3. M. tenniloba Wats. Stems branching, woody at base, 1 to IV2 feet 

 high; herbage short pilose and glandular; leaves ovate, acute, truncate or 

 subcordate at base, 1 to 2 inches long, sometimes broader than long, shortly 

 petioled; involucres subcylindric, 4 to 6 lines long, cleft to the middle or below 

 into lanceolate or linear lobes ; calyx white, hairy ; fruit broadly ovoid, smooth, 

 brown. 



Colorado Desert and its western borders. Lower California. 



Logs. — West Caiion, Parish 6072; Signal Mt., T. Brandegee; Coyote Sprs. and Mountain 

 Wells, ace. Standley. 



Refs. — MiK.^-BiLis TEXUIL0B.\ Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 17: 375 (1882), type loc. western edge 

 of the Colorado Desert, Wright. 



4. M. califomica Gray. Wishbone Bush. Stems erect or ascending, 

 many from the base, repeatedly forked, woody below, forming a bush 1 to 

 11/2 feet high ; herbage roughish puberulent to almost glabrous, the inflo- 

 rescence glandular-pubescent ; leaves ovate, mostly acute, subcordate or rounded 

 at base, 1-0 to 1 inch long, shortly petioled; involucres 2 to 3 lines long, in 

 terminal clusters or solitary in the axils, each involucre on a short peduncle ; 

 involucral lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse or acute, equaling or a little exceeding 

 the tube; calyx rose-color or reddish, 4 to 6 lines long, narrowly campanulate, 

 its spreading lobes deeply cleft into 2 somewhat diverging segments; fruit 

 ellipsoidal, sometimes obscurely striate longitudinally, often lineate-mottled 

 transversely, l^/o to 2 lines long. 



Coast region from the Santa Lucia ]\Its. south to San Diego Co. PI. Jan.- 

 June. Variable in pubescence and apparently in shape and marking of fruits. 

 Flowers open from middle of afternoon until next morning. 



Locs. — San Diego, T. Brandegee ; Del ilar, Jep.ion 160.'3; Playa del Rey, Abrams 2504; Santa 

 Monica. J. Q. Adams; Santa Catalina Island, Trasl', with peculiar flowers (Erythea, 7: 141); 

 Santa Cruz Island, T. Brandegee; San Bernardino Valley, Parish, Jepson 5543; Saugus, Davy; 

 San Luis Obispo Co., Summers. 



Var. glutinosa Jepson n. comb. Herbage short-villous and glandular; 

 leaves round-ovate, obtuse or acute, sometimes almcst reniform ; calyx white. — 

 Colorado and IMohave deserts north to Invo Co. Nevada. 



Locs.— Red Hill. Bishop, Heller 8248; Pampa Sta.. Kern Co., Heller 7644; Palm Caiion, 

 Jepson 1390 ; San Felipe Creek below Banner. T. Braiulegee. 



Var. retrorsa Jepson n. comb. Herbage bright green, minutely and re- 

 trorsely scabrous, often sparingh^ so. especially on the stems; calyx white. — 

 Mohave Desert, north to Washoe Co., Nevada. 



Locs. — Barstow, Jep.wn 5371, 5375; Victor. Hall 6206. 



Var. aspera Jepson n. comb. Herbage retrorsely pubescent or sometimes 

 villous; leaves broadly ovate, obtuse or acute, subcordate at base, shortly 

 petioled: calyx purplish red; fruit subglobose, l)rown. longitudinally 10- 

 striate, the striae of lighter color. — Dry hills, Mohave Desert. 



