PURSLANE FAMILY 265 



rose-color, 6-8 mm. long; seeds densely muricate. Claijlonia Chamissoi Ledeb. 

 Montia Chnmissonis Greene. Wet places and in springs: Alaska — Calif. — N.M. 

 — Minn. Flain — Mont. Je-Au. 



5. NAIOCRENE (T. & G.) Rydb. 



Perennials, with very fleshy leaves, decumbent or sarmentose, producing 

 axillary bulblets. Stem-leaves numerous, alternate. Inflorescence racemose. 

 Sepals 2, broadly obovate, unequal. Petals 5. Stamens 5, adnate to the base 

 of the petals. Styles 3; o\ailes 3. Capsule 3-valved, usually 3-seeded. 



1. N. parvifl««t (Moq.) Rydb. Perennial, with a rootstock; stems several, 

 ascending or decumbent at the base, 1-3 dm. high; leaves fleshy, the lower peti- 

 oled, the blades spatulate, 5-20 mm. long, the upper sessile, oblong and bract- 

 like; petals obovate or obcordate, 8-10 mm. long, rose-colored or white. Clay- 

 tonia parvifi»i»a Moq. Montia parviflora Greene. Moist rocks: Alaska — Mont. 

 — Cahf. Submont. — Mont. Aly-Au. 



6. MONTIASTRUM (A. Gray) Rydb. 



Leafy-stemmed annuals, with narrow, alternate leaves, partly scarious at 

 their insertion. Inflorescence racemose, secund. Sepals 2. Petals 5, obviously 

 unequal, unguiculate at their bases. Stamens 3. Styles 3. Capsule 3-valved, 

 2-3-seeded. Seeds lenticular, thin-edged, very shining. 



1. M. lineare (Dougl.j Rydb. Annual; stems branched at the base, slender, 

 erect, 0.5-3 dm. high; leaves hnear-filiform, 1-5 cm. long; sepals in fruit 3-4 mm. 

 long, rounded; seeds 2 mm. in diameter, black and shining. Claytonia linearis 

 Dougl. Montia linearis Greene. Moist ground: Mont. — Calif. — B.C. Sub- 

 mont. Ap-Je. 



7. LEWiSIA Pursh. Bitter-root, Red-head Louisa. 



Low acaulescent, succulent perennials, with a thick fleshy taproot. Scapes 

 l-flowered, jointed near the middle and with a whorl of 2 or more subulate bracts 

 at the joint. Sepals 6-8, distinct, marcescent-persistent. Petal 8-16, large and 

 showy. Stamens numerous. Styles 5-8, united at the base. Capsule circum- 

 scissile at the base, then bursting irregularly, many-seeded. Seeds black and 

 shining. Cotjdedons accumbent. 



1. L. redeviva Pursh. Leaves numerous, terete or nearly so, more or less 

 clavate, 1-4 cm. long; involucre of 5-7 subulate, scarious bracts; sepals 6-8, 

 strongly imbricated, rounded-oval; petals 12-16, rose-colored, purplish, or rarely 

 white, oval or spatulate, 1.5-3 cm. long; stamens about 40. Stony ridges: 

 Mont. — Colo. — -Ariz. — -Calif. — ^B.C. Submont. — Subalp. Ap-Je. 



8. OREOBROMA Howell. Bread-root. 



Low acaulescent perennials, with fleshy taproots, with or without a multi- 

 cipital caudex. Leaves tufted at the base, fleshy. Scapes few-many-flowered. 

 Sepals 2. Petals 3-10 or more. Stamens 5-20, usually not of the same number 

 as the petals. Styles 2-7. Capsules membranous, circumscissile at the base, 

 many-seeded. Cotyledons incumbent. [Calandrinia A. Gray, in part.] 



Bracts neither sepal-like nor closely subtending the calyx. 

 Sepals not erose-denticulate. 



Petals 10-12 mm. long; leaves usually more than 2 mm. wide. 1. O. neradensis. 



Petals less than 10 mm. long; leaves 2 mm. wide or less. 2. O. minima. 



Sepals erose-denticulate. 3. O. pygmnea. 



Bracts 2, sepal-like and closely subtending the calyx. 4. O. brachycalyx. 



1. O. nevadensis (A. Gray) Howell. Root fusiform, 1-3 cm. long; leaves 

 linear, 5-10 cm. long; scape stout, 4-10 cm. long; bracts lanceolate, near the base 

 of the scape; sepals rounded-ovate, in fruit 1 cm. long; petals white, 10-12 mm. 

 long. C nevadensis A. Gray. Mountains: Wash. — Colo. — X.M. — Calif. Sub- 

 mont. — Mont. Je-Jl. 



2. O. minima A. Nels. Root napiform, 5-20 mm. long; leaves several, 

 narrowly linear, 4-7 cm. long; scape rarely equalling the leaves; bracts one-third 



