290 Key to the System of 



Stamens two. 



Erect or diffuse, generally beset with short hairlets ; leaves 

 rather small and firm, from broad-linear to narrow-lan- 

 ceolar and elliptical ; stalk of inflorescence very short ; 

 headlets usually three- or four-flowered; lobes of the 

 calyx very narrow, acute ; seeds somewhat wrinkled, 

 prominently two-lined. O. varia. 



POIIXAX. 



1319. Each headlet of flowers on a separate elongated stalk. 



Often rather dwarf, usually beset with short hairlets ; 

 leaves from narrow- to ovate-lanceolar, the floral leaves 

 mostly whorled ; headlets generally three- or four- 

 flowered ; encircling calyx-lobes deltoid ; lid above flat 

 and orbicular, deciduous ; corolla small, three- to five- 

 lobed ; stamens three to five, conspicuously exserted ; 

 seeds wrinkled-rough. P. umbellata. 



COPROS1KA. 



1320. Erect ... 1321 



Depressed ... 1323 



1321. Flowers few together in each cluster. 



Shrubby, minutely rough and usually beset with scattered 

 very short hairlets ; leaves comparatively large, from 

 lanceolar-ovate to almost rhomboid, somewhat succulent, 

 shining, sharp-pointed ; flowers terminal, rarely reduced 

 to two or even one ; stalklets very short ; denticles of 

 calyx four or five or rarely more, minute ; lobes of corolla 

 longer than the tube ; stamens four to seven ; fruit rather 

 large, red or brown-yellowish outside. C. hirtella. 



Flowers solitary 1322 



1322. Leaves of thin texture. 



Finally tall-shrubby ; branchlets spinescent ; leaves small, 

 from narrow- to ovate-lanceolar, smooth and glabrous; 

 flowers axillary, very small ; denticles of calyx four, 

 minute ; lobes of the corolla longer than the tube ; fruit 

 pendent, ovate-ellipsoid, bright-red outside. 



C. Billardieri. 



Leaves of thick texture. 



Alpine shrub ; leaves glabrous, quite small, from narrow- to 

 lanceolar-elliptical, shining, recurved at the margin ; 

 flowers small; corolla greenish-white, lobes four, longer 

 than the tube ; fruit from ellipsoid to almost globular, 

 outside bright-red. C. nitida. 



