PINK FAMILY 495 



Eefs.— Spercui.aria tenuis Bob. Proc. Am. Aead. 29: 311 (1894). Lcpigonum tenue 

 Greene, Pitt. 1: 63 (1887), type loc. Alameda salt marshes, Greene. May, 1887. Tissa tennis 

 Greene in Britt. Bull. Torr. Club, 16: 128 (1889). T. salina var. tenuis Jepson, Fl. W. Mid. 

 C'al. 170 (1901). Spergularia salina var. tenuis Jepson, 1. c. ed. 2, 156 (1911). 



As this seems to pass into S. salina we have hitherto held it as a variety of that species. 

 While it has a somewhat distinctive habit it is still too little known and is here reluctantly given 

 specific rank. The var. inrolucrata Rob. in Gray, Syn. Fl. 1': 251 (1897), type loc. Mt. Eden, 

 K. Brandegee. is a form with the flowers in somewhat capitate clusters subtended by long 

 foliaceous bracts. 



6. S. platensis Fenzl. Annual; stems numerous, nearly filiform, branch- 

 ing, 11/2 to ;ii- inches high; herbage glabrous; leaves linear-filiform, 3 to 8 

 lines long, mostly shorter than the interuodes; upper leaves much reduced, 

 not exceeding the scarious stipules; flowers in terminal cymes, the branches 

 somewhat racemose ; pedicels 1 to 2 lines long ; flowers 1/2 to 1 line long ; petals 

 1 to 3 and minute, or lacking; capsule somewhat exceeding the sepals. 



Dried ponds. Southern California. East to Texas. Brazil. 



Locs. — Between Rivera and Florence on the adobe mesa, Abrams 3252; Carrizo Creek, 

 T. Brandegee. 



Refs.— Speroularia platensis Fenzl, Ann. Wien. Mus. 2: 272 (1839). Balardia platmsis 

 Cambess. in St. Hil. Fl. Bras. Merid. 2: 180, t. Ill (1829), type loe. s. Brazil. Lepigonum 

 gracile Wats. Proc. Am. Aead. 17: 367 (1882), type spnis. from Dallas, Tex., J. Beverchon, 

 and Wilmington and Compton. Cal., Nevin. Tissa gracilis Britt. Bull. Torr. Club, 16: 128 

 (1889). 



6. SPERGULA L. Spurrey. 



Annual. Leaves narrowly linear or subterete, apparently in wlioi'ls, but 

 really opposite, several others of their own size being crowded in the axils; 

 stipules small and scarious. Flowers symmetrical. Sepals 5. Petals 5, white. 

 entire. Stamens 10. occasionally 5. Styles 5. alternate with the sepals. Cap- 

 sule 5-valved, the valves entire, opposite the sepals. Embryo spirally annular. 

 — Species 2 or 3, in both hemispheres. (Latin spargere, to scatter, in reference 

 to the dispersion of the seeds.) 



1. S. arvensis L. Corn Spurrey. Dii?usely branching from the base, the 

 stems 1 to 2 feet long; pubescence of short spreading glandular hairs; leaves 

 slightly fleshy, '% to l^/i inches long, numerous in rather remote whorls; flowers 

 white, 4 lines broad, in a cymose panicle with strongly divergent branches 

 turned abruptly downward after flowering; petals ovate, exceeding the sepals. 



Fields and orchards near the coast, rarely in the interior. Apr. Introduced 

 European weed. Readily eaten by cattle and said to increase the flow of milk. 

 Flowers opening only of afternoon. 



Locs. — San Diego, T. Brandegee in 1901; Pasadena (Erythea, 1: 102); Montere.y, Jepson 

 2996 in 1908; Berkeley, Jepson "in 1886; Mt. Diablo, Brewe'r in 1862; Olema, Jepson 4038 in 

 1910; Eureka, Tracy 2983 in 1909; lone, Braunton in 1904. 



Refs. — SPERCiULA ARVENSIS L. Sp. PI. 440 (1753), tvpe European; Jepson, Fl. W. Mid. Cal. 

 170 (1901). 



7. POLYCAEPON L. 



Low much-branched annuals with numerous flat leaves, small scarious stip- 

 ules and very small flowers in cymes. Sepals 5. more or less carinate. scarious- 

 niargined. Petals 5. hyaline, shorter than the sepals. Stamens 3 to 5. Style 

 1. very short, 3-cleft or the stigma 3-lobed. Capsule 3-valved. Seeds several. 

 Embryo little curved. — Species about 6, temperate and tropic regions. (Greek 

 polus, many, and karpos, fruit, in reference to the numerous pods.) 



Leaves in 4s or opposite; inflorescence leafless 1. P. tetraphjillum. 



Leaves opposite; inflorescence more or less leafy 2. P. deprcssum. 



1. P. tetraphyllum L. Stems diffuse or prostrate. 2 to 5 inches long; herb- 

 age glabrous <>v nearly so; leaves in 4s or opposite, oblong or obovate, short- 



