330 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



6. Bumex occidentalis S. Wats. Mountain dock. Occasional on the east slope 

 at low altitudes, in bogs or wet thickets. Alaska to Calif., N. Mex., N. Dak., and 

 Lab. — Glabrous perennial, 0.5 to 1 meter high, with simple stems; leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, 10 to 30 cm. long, usually cordate at base; flowers in a narrow dense 

 panicle; sepals reddish or purplish in fruit. 



6. Rumex paucifolius Nutt. Collected at east entrance by Umbach. B. C. to 

 Calif., Colo., and Alta. — Glabrous perennial, 20 to 50 cm. high, with simple stems; 

 leaves lanceolate or oblanceolate, 3 to 10 cm. long; flowers usually tinged with red. 



7. Rumex acetosella L. Sheep sorrel. Common at low altitudes, in open places 

 or in woods; often extending high up along the trails. Native of Eur.; widely 

 naturalized in N. Amer. — Perennial, 10 to 60 cm. high, with creeping rootstocks, 

 often much branched from the base, slender; leaves 3 to 10 cm. long, most of them 

 with 2 spreading lobes at the base; flowers about 1 mm. long, usually deep red or 

 purplish. 



In some places very abundant and forming dense patches. 



8. Rumex acetosa L. Sour dock. Frequent above timber line on rock slides; 

 sometimes in wet meadows at low and middle altitudes. Alaska to Mont.; also in 

 Eur., and naturali2:ed in eastern N. Amer. — Glabrous perennial, 0.2 to 1 meter high, 

 with short rootstocks; leaves oblong or ovate, 3 to 10 cm. long, usually cordate at the 

 base, the stem leaves clasping; sepals tinged with red. 



In many books the statement is made that this species is wholly adventive in 

 North America, but it is certainly native in Montana, and doubtless also in Alaska 

 and western Canada. 



4. OXYRIA Hill. 



1. Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill. Mountain sorrel. Abundant above timber line, on 

 slopes or rock slides; occasionally found at middle elevations, and scattered plants 

 occur about the east entrance. Alaska to Calif., N. Mex., Alta., N. H., and Greenl.; 

 also in Eur. and Asia. — Perennial, 5 to 30 cm. high, often forming dense clumps; 

 leaves mostly at base of stem, long-stalked, kidney-shaped, 1 to 3 cm. broad; flowers 

 panicled, green tinged with red, the 4 sepals 4 to 6 mm. wide. 



A characteristic plant of alpine rock slides, conspicuous because of the red coloring 

 of the flowers. The succulent leaves have a pleasant acid flavor; they can be used 

 in salads and sandwiches. Ptarmigan are fond of the flowers, and many of the plants 

 are cropped by animals, presumably sheep and goats. 



26. CHENOPODIACEAE. Goosefoot Family. 



Annual herbs with succulent leaves; flowers small, greenish, the calyx of 2 to 5 

 sepals; corolla none; fruit small, 1-seeded. 



Leaves, at least the lower ones, opposite; fruit inclosed by 2 green bracts. 



1. ATRIPLEX. 

 Leaves all alternate; fruit not inclosed by bracts. 

 Leaves linear, never white-mealy or toothed. 



Leaves with spiny tips; calyx winged in fruit 2. SALSOLA. 



Leaves never with spiny tips; calyx not winged 3. DONDIA. 



Leaves much broader than linear or, if narrow, white-mealy, often toothed. 



Sepal 1 4. MONOLEPIS. 



Sepals 3 to 5 5. CHENOPODIUM. 



1. ATRIPLEX L. 



1. Atriplex hastata L. A few plants found in low alkaline spots on prairie at the 

 east entrance. Widely distributed in N. Amer., Eur., and Asia. — Annual, 10 to 50 

 cm. high, with scurfy pubescence; leaves triangular, fleshy, 2 to 6 cm. long, toothed; 

 flowers very small, green, in spikes. 



The plants found by the writer were depauperate, and only 5 to 15 cm. high. 



