378 COl^TEIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



8. Viola canadensis L. Canada violet. Occasional at low altitudes, in woods 

 or thickets. B. C. to Ariz.. S. C, and N. B.— Stems 15 to 30 cm. high, usually finely 

 hairy; leaves kidney-shaped or broadly heart-shaped, 4 to 10 cm. vnde, short-pointed; 

 seeds brown. 



The Canada violet blooms in spiing, but scattered plants blossom in late summer. 



56. LOASACEAE. loasa Family. 



1. MENTZELIA L. 



1. Mentzelia dispersa S. Wats. Stickleaf. Prairie and dry banks at the east 

 entrance. B. C. to Calif., Cole, and Mex. {Acrolasia dispersa Rydb.)— Annual, 25 

 to 40 cm. high, densely branched; leaves alternate, lanceolate, entire or toothed, very 

 rough with short hairs; petals 5, pale dull yellow, 3 to 4 mm. long. 



The leaves adhere tenaciously to clothing. 



57. EIAEAGNACEAE. Oleaster Family. 



Shrubs; pubescence of scales or of branched hairs; leaves entire; flowers in axillary 

 clusters, small; sepals 4; petals none; fruit drupelike, 1-seeded. 



Leaves alternate; stamens 4 1- ELAEAGNUS. 



Leaves opposite; stamens 8 2. LEPARGYREA. 



1. ELAEAGNUS L. 



1. El'aeagnus commutata Bemh. Silverberry. Frequent at low altitudes, on 

 dry rocky hillsides, on shale slopes, or in rocky stream beds. Yukon to Utah, 

 Minn., and Que. {Elaeagnus argentea Pursh.) — Slender shrub, 0.6 to 2 meters high, 

 with reddish brown bark; leaves oblong, 2 to 10 cm. long, densely covered with 

 silvery scales; flowers yellowish green, fragrant; fruit 8 to 12 mm. long, covered with 

 silvery scales. 



There are extensive thickets of this shrub along the creek at St. Mary. The fruit 

 has thin, nearly dry flesh, and is not edible. 



2. LEPARGYREA Raf. 



1. Lepargyrea canadensis (L.) Greene. Canada buffaloberry. Plate 51, A. 

 Common at low and middle altitudes, in woods or on open slopes. Alaska to Oreg., 

 N. Mex., N. Y., and Newf. (Shepherdia canadensis Nutt.)— Shrub, 0.6 to 1.5 meters 

 high, densely branched, often forming broad clumps; leaves oval or ovate, green on 

 the upper surface, beneath silvery-scaly and brown-scurfy; flowers greenish yellow; 

 fruit bright red, very juicy. 



When in flower, in spring, the shrub is not conspicuous, but in middle or late 

 summer, when loaded with fruit, it is one of our most showy and attractive plants. 

 The fruit when tasted is at first sour and rather pleasant, but after a moment is 

 intensely bitter. The common buffaloberry, Lepargyrea argentea (Nutt.) Greene, 

 grows along streams in the plains region of Montana. Its fruit resembles that of the 

 Canada buffaloberry, but it is edible and not bitter. 



58. ONAGEACEAE. Evening-primrose Family. 



Annual or perennial herbs; leaves alternate or opposite; flowers borne in the 

 axils of the leaves or arranged in racemes; sepals 4 or rarely 2; petals 4 or 2; fruit a 

 capsule, or nutlike. 



Petals and sepals each 2; fruit covered with small hooked hairs ... 1. CIRCAEA. 

 Petals and sepals each 4; fruit without hooked hairs. 



Plants stemless or nearly so, the leaves forming a rosette. 



Petals about 5 mm. long; stigma not lobed 3. TARAXIA. 



