1921] Smiley: Flora of the Sierra Nevada of California 143 



11. XEROPHYLLUM 



1. Xerophyllum tenax Nutt., Gen., vol. 1, p. 235. 1818. 



Helonias tenax Pursh., FL, vol. 1, p. 245. 1814. 



Xerophyllum Douglasii Eydb., Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard., vol. 1, p. 92. 1900, 

 not of Wats. 



Type locality. — "On the high lands near the Rocky Mountains." 

 Lewis. 



Range. — Southeastern Alaska to the northern Sierra Nevada and 

 Coast Range, east to Montana. 



Zone. — Canadian in our range. 



Specimens examined. — High mountains of Plumas County, Mrs. 

 Austin in 1876 ; Sierra County, Lemmon 1056. 



12. FRITILLARIA 



1. Fritillaria gracillima, sp. nov. 



Bulbus parvulus, squamis camosis. Caulis simplex, gracillimus, 

 foliatus 20-30 cm. altus, decumbens. Folia anguste linearia (4-6 cm. 

 longa, 2.5-3.5 mm. lata), apicibus recurvis. Flos solitarius, terminalis : 

 segmeuta perianthii subequalia, ovata sed abrupte acuminata (12-14 

 mm. longa, 6.5 mm. lata), involuta, in ungiiem contracta. Stamina 

 vix basi segmentorum perianthii affixa: filamentis filiformis sed basi 

 leviter dilatatis. Styli ad apicem paene ovarii distincti, filiformis, 

 superiore styli quarta parte stiginatosa. Fructus incognitus. 



(Bulb small, formed of a few fleshy scales. Stems simple, very 

 slender, 20-30 cm. long, decumbent. Leaves all alternate, 4-6 cm. long, 

 2.5-3.5 mm. broad, narrowly linear or gramineous with recurving tips, 

 green and, like the rest of the plant, completely glabrous. Flowers 

 solitary, terminal the perianth segments clawed at base and abruptly 

 acuminate at the apex. Stamens hardly attached to the base of the 

 perianth segments with slender filaments, which broaden slightly 

 below. Styles free nearly to the top of the ovary, the stigmatic portion 

 forming about ^/4 their length. Fruit unknown.) 



Type collected on Mt. Lyell, Yosemite National Park, in the alpine 

 zone and found growing on a north slope at 10,500 feet. Hall and 

 Bahcock 3562, July 18, 1902. 



This alpine Fritillaria has its nearest ally in F. atropurpurea Nutt. 

 but differs from that species in the very slender habit, reclining stems, 

 gramineous leaves, none of which are verticillate, the single-flowered 

 stems and deeply divided style. The other species of the genus found 

 in the Sierra, F. pinetorum Davidson, is glaucous, thick-stemmed, and 

 has an inflorescence of several darker colored flowers; it is as yet 

 only known from the Yellow Pine belt of the southern Sierras and 

 Tehachapi Mountains. 



