CON-ntlBUnONS to ^'ESTERN botany no. li 153 



strict, and terminating a one-sided raceme which is very lax and open. 

 Generally shorter and capillary racemes arise from the uppermost one or 

 two axils, having flower or two on them. Proper stems rarely 4 inches 

 long and with half a dozen intexnodes shorter than the very Ain leaves. 

 Lowest leaves very small and rarely an inch long, reni form-ovate to ovate 

 and acuminate and finely toothed. Middle leaves the widest, 1-2 inches 

 long, cordate-ovate to almost round, sharply lacinate- dentate to shallow- 

 crenate on the same plant, all on capillary petioles nearly as long as 

 blade, or IcMiger in the lower leaves. Uppermost leaves inclined to be 

 lanceolate-acuminate and 2 inches long, and cuneate below and sharply 

 laciniate toothed, the petiole short. Leaves not reduced upward but ter- 

 minating abruptly at base of peduncle. Bracts linear, green, inconspicu- 

 ous. Pedicels capillary, 1 cm. to 2 inches long, inclined to be hooked at 

 the top- Flowers sky-blue, delicate, about 1 cm. long. The lower lobe 

 very broadly fan-shaped and 3-lobed, 5 mm. long by 8 mm. wide. 

 Upper lobes 2, spatulate, ^ mm, long, spreading. Corolla tube 

 surpassing the calyx lobes by 3-4 mm., mostly white, produced below 

 into a conspicuous spur, 1-2 mm. long, which is encased in the distorted 

 base of the calyx, which is really the other half of the calyx thrown back 

 into a knob and then produced again into 2 green and subulate-lienar 

 lobes (2 mm. long) standing at right angles to the calyx tube, the wholt* 

 reminding one of a serpent's jaw widely distended. The anthers just reach 

 the end of the corolla tube, are blue, and with the usual tuft of whit 

 bristles at the end and 2 mm. long. Capsule not seen. No. 24147, Cot» 

 ranch, 14 miles east of Todos Santos, at the base of the Laguna moun 

 tains, February 21, 1928, growing in the shade of trees along with Lyo- 

 carpa Xanti, and other annuals in loose soil. I also refer here No. 24365 

 from the eastern side of the Laguna mountains, March 2, 1928. and No 

 24366, San Bartolo, February 27, 1928. The plant is quite common, but 

 evanescent. The La^na mountain specimens have the lower lobe of thf 

 corolla split to the base into three broadly obovate lobes. The upper 



calyx lobes are about as long as the lower. ^, . , 



Galium nitens N. Sp. Allied to Rothrockii. Shrubbery at ba^e anri 

 intricately branched with very slender stem a foot or tu^o long, smooth and 

 shining throughout except the fruit. Leaves in fours, abcnit 1 cm. long, 

 strondy 3-nerved and with sides revolute, linear but a little wider above. 

 acerose-apiculate, a half to a third as long as the intemodes Flowers 

 apparently single in the upper axils. Divisions of the fruti about spher^ 

 ical, 1-2 mm. long, roughened all over by minute triangular and shaq^ 

 processes like rudiin^ntary hairs. Nogales, Arizona, October 23, 192r>. 



' •^* Houstonia asperifolia No. 24010 Flowers pink-purple Corolla lobt^ 

 4, broadly spreading, ovate, longer than the 4-angled tube Stigmas 2, 

 .xserted or inserted. Stamens 4, one form on the throat of corolla, the 

 ather fonn half way down on the tube and conmvcnt at tip, linear 

 straight, when discharged filifonn and blue-puirle. At the insertion of 

 the ttamens are black-linear lines or stripes 1 mm. long between th^ 



