360 Key to the System of 



1583. Leaves broad-linear. 



A desert-plant, dwarf-shrubby ; leaves firm, rather short, 

 blunt or pointed ; flowers small, in compact stalked mostly 

 terminal cymes, only some fruit-bearing ; lobes of the 

 calyx blunt ; corolla nearly glabrous inside ; fruit small, 

 almost ellipsoid-ovate, dehiscent towards its summit ; 

 seeds black, oval. 



(Euosma linifolia.) L. linifolia. 



Leaves from almost orbicular to lanceolar-elliptical. 



A literal plant, dwarf-shrubby, almost glabrous ; leaves 

 firm, nearly sessile ; flowers small, in compact mostly 

 terminal cymes, only some with fertile pistil ; lobes of 

 the calyx blunt ; corolla beset with minute hairlets at and 

 near its orifice ; fruit small, almost ellipsoid-ovate, pointed, 

 dehiscent towards its summit ; seeds black, oval. 



(Euosma ovata.) L. ovata. 



FLANTAOO, 



1584. Leaves rather thin, flaccid. 



Perennial but flowering in the first year of its growth, 

 generally beset with short hairlets ; leaves all basal, from 

 elliptic- to linear-lanceolar, entire or short-lobed ; spikes 

 on elongated stalks, formed by several or many flowers 

 or occasionally reduced to three or two flowers ; ovules 

 four in each ovulary. P. varia. 



Leaves thick, rigid ... ... ... 1585 



1585. Leaves rather large. 



Alpine, perennial ; leaves all basal, shining, glabrous, from 

 broad- txriiarrow-lanceolar, entire, radiatingly arranged ; 

 spikes on short stalks, capitular, few-flowered or rarely 

 the flowers reduced to two or one ; ovules eight in each 

 ovulary. Figure 98. P. stellaris. 



Leaves minute. 



Alpine, perennial, very depressed, forming large patches by 

 emitting suckers ; leaves from narrow- to linear-lanceolar, 

 in star-like tufts ; flowers usually one or two on each 

 stalk ; ovules eight in each ovulary. 



P. Gunnii. 



