88 WILLIAM TRELEASE ON THE 



tire, thrice as long as the calyx; capsule ovoid, about 5 mm. long, pubescent; seeds 1-3 

 in each cell, fusiform, somewhat flattened, with 8 prominent longitudinal zigzag wings 

 or rows of teeth, .8 x 1.6 mm. — Texas {Berlcmdier, 1094, 2524, Boundary Commission, 

 ScJiott, 149) ; not collected recently.— PL IT, fig. 2. 



3. O. Wrightit, Gray, PI. Wright., t, 27. Caulescent, perennial from a stout, conical, 

 subterranean caudex, at the apex of which the decumbent leafy branches are clustered, 

 otherwise very similar to the next. — Arizona and Indian Territory to Texas, extending 

 into lower California and Mexico. An Arizona specunen ( W. F. Parish, 32) is densely 

 gray-tomentose below. — PI. 11, fig. 3. 



4. O. coRNicuLATA, L. Spec, 435. O. pusilla, Salisb. Caulescent, an inch to a span 

 or more high, annual or perennial, slender-stemmed, erect or procumbent, in some forms 

 rooting at the nodes, gray or rusty strigose-pubescent ; leaflets 3, obcordate, broader 

 than long, 10-15 mm. wide, the long slender petioles dilated below the basal jnilvinus into 

 round or truncate ciliate stipules; flowers 5-8 or in some forms 12 mm. long, solitary 

 or usually paired, on bibracteate peduncles equal to or exceeding the leaves; pedicels 

 mostly longer than the flowers, i-eflexed in fruit; sepals oblong, rather obtuse; petals 

 obscurely crenulate or emarginate, aljout twice as long as the calyx; styles about equal- 

 ling the long stamens, or, in larger-flowered specimens, exceeding them; capsule erect, 

 oblong, 10-20 mm. long, strigose; seeds about ten in each cell, but var^dng greatly in 

 number, ovate, acute .above, much flattened, with 1-3 deep marginal grooves and num- 

 erous transverse ridges somewhat interrupted by two low longitudiifal elevations on 

 each side, .8-.9 X 1-1.5 mm., mostly dark brown when ripe. — Over the entire country; 

 flowering throiigh the season. A cosmopolitan weed with many forms, several of which 

 have received specific names, but are now generally united. — PI. 11, fig. 4. 



Yar. (?) MACRANTHA. Dccumbent from a stout or slender horizontal rootstock, the 

 branches erect, a span high, pilose with spreading pointed hairs; leaflets narrower; 

 flowers pale, 10-15 mm. long, extremely variable in the relative length of stamens (or 

 perhaps heterogone-trimorphic), otherwise as in the type. — Arkansas to Texas and along 

 the Gulf to Florida; also in California. — PI. 11, fig. 5. 



Some plants are veiy similar to specimens from Australia referred to O. microphijlla 

 (now regarded as a variety of corniculata) , but are not the form usually known by that 

 name. If the flowers are truly trimoi-phic this Avill have to be separated from cornicu- 

 lata. It may possibly be O. 2^'losa, Xutt., of which I have seen only a fragmentary 

 fruiting specimen, and is apparently O. piimila, i^utt., which I have seen from the Tor- 

 rey herbarium and that of the Philadelphia Academy, through the courtesy of Doctor 

 Britton and Mr. Kedfield, so that if it is ever raised to specific rank it Avill have to bear 

 the latter name- 



Var. STRicTA, Sav., Lam. Diet., iv, 683. O. stricta, L. and most authors. O. Dillenii, 

 Jacq. O.^onrfa, Salisb. 0. Lyoni,V\xv^\i. O./wrca^a, Elliott. Annual, or often per- 

 ennial by running rhizomes, erect, a span to a foot high, the stem subglabrous to very 

 villous, but usually only slightly strigose; leaves Avithout stipules; inflorescence in lux- 

 uriant specimens a dichotomous cyme, in others mubellate; floAvers about 8 mm. long; 

 petals subentire ; otherwise similar to the type and of like distribution, but beginning 

 to flower later. According to Eichler the first flower is frequently 6-merous. 



