Two new spermatophytes from California - 



Ernest A. McGregor 



Oxytheca Abramsii sp. nov. 



Acaulescent or nearly so, 7-18 cm. high or less, sparingly 

 dichotomously branched : stents glabrous mostly, but glandular 

 just above the axils, herbaceous, beopming later more wiry : leaves 

 spatulate, gradually narrowed to a wide petiole, 1.25-3 cm. long, 

 scabrous- margined and the midvein slightly scabrous beneath; 

 bracts ternate, slightly unequal, mucronate, ovate-lanceolate, con- 

 nate and deflected mainly to one side, 3 mm. long : involucres 

 broadly obconical, on peduncles i— 1.5 cm. long, those from the 

 main axils rarely 2.5 cm. long; involucre-tube 1.5-2 mm. high; 

 awns 10 (rarely 12), very fine, weak, but straight, 4 mm. long or 

 less, the interval between the involucral ribs much wider than the 

 ribs : flowers 6—8, at length nearly equaling the awns ; pedicels 

 equaling the perianth, well exserted from the involucre-tube : peri- 

 anth about 4 mm. broad, cleft to base, lobes equal, elliptical, 2 

 mm. long, white or pinkish with wine-red midvein, slightly gland- 

 ular and scabrous beneath : stamens inserted on perianth at base, 

 shorter than the segments : styles 3, capitate : ovary glabrous. 



O. Abrainsii is nearest to O. Parishii^ from which it differs in 

 the following characters : 



O. Pansldi: Involucral ribs very prominent, firm, with the 

 intervals almost lacking; awns 18-20, 3 times length of tube, 

 strong, stiff, wiry; umbels 5-14-flowered ; stems pale-glaucous, 



F 



wiry. 



O, Abramsii: Involucral ribs barely discernible, with intervals 

 much wider than ribs; awns usually 10, not greatly exceeding 

 the tube, inclined to be weak and herbaceous, though straight; 



umbels 6-8-flowered ; stems green or reddish, not wiry. 

 Topatopa Mountains, Ventura Co., California. Gr 

 slopes in loose shale, elev. 1700 m. Collected by Abrar 

 Cregor (no, 72), Tune 5, 1908. 



Mc 



he 



Malacothrix arach.noidea sp. nov. 



Perennial herb, with stout, freely branching, and very leafy 

 rbaceous stem, 4.5-6 dm. high ; herbage hoary throughout with 



G05 



