BATIDACEAE 459 



Eefs. MIRABILIS CALIFORNICA Gray In Torr. Bot. Mex. Bound. 169, 173, pi. 48 (1859), type 

 loc. San Diego, Parry, Thurber. Oxybaphus glabrifolius var. crassifolius Choisy in DC. 

 Prodr. 13 2 : 431 (1849), the type a Douglas plant from California, that is probably near Santa 

 Barbara. Var. GLUTINOSA Jepson. M. glutinosa Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 17: 92 (1904), 

 type loc. Karshaw, Meadow Valley Wash, Nev., Gooding. Hesperonia glutinosa subsp. 

 gracilis Stand. Contrib. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 365 (1909), type loc. Sabino Canon, Ariz., 

 Tourney 471c. Var. BETRORSA Jepson. Mirabilis retrorsa Heller, Muhl. 2: 193 (1906), type 

 loe. Southern Belle Mine, Mono Co., Heller 8336. Var. ASPERA Jepson. M. aspera Greene, 

 Erythea, 4: 67 (1896), type loc. Hesperia, Parish 3757, June 14, 1895. 



M. LAEVIS Curran, Proc. Cal. Acad. ser. 2, 1: 235 (1888). Oxybaphus laevis Benth. Bot. 

 Sulph. 44 (1844), type loc. Magdalena Bay. We have not seen the type but in a specimen 

 from the type locality (Lung 28), which is essentially glabrous as described for the original, 

 the very slightly unequal involucral lobes are narrower and more acuminate than in M. cali- 

 fornica but no more unequal in size than in some specimens of the latter species which is, 

 furthermore, often nearly glabrous. The two forms, M. laevis and M. californica, are probably 

 identical, an opinion long ago expressed in the Proceedings of the California Academy, 1. c. 



M. CEDROSENSIS Jepson n. comb. (Hesperonia cedrosensis Stand. Contrib. U. S. Nat. Herb. 

 12: 362 (1909), type loc. Cedros Island, T. Brandegee). Stems rather slender, these and the 

 leaves retrorsely scab rate; leaves thicklsh; fruit subglobose, not conspicuously striate longi- 

 tudinally. Seems no more than a form of M. californica. Attributed doubtfully to San 

 Clemente Island by Standley, 1. c. 



BATIDACEAE. BATIS FAMILY. 



Low maritime bush or woody plant with opposite entire fleshy leaves. 

 Flowers dioecious, crowded in catkins. Catkins sessile, axillary, disposed in 

 terminal spikes. Staminate flower with a 2-lobed calyx, 4 stamens and 4 

 alternating petal-like staminodia. Pistillate flower without calyx or corolla, 

 consisting of a 4-celled ovary with one ovule in each cell, and a sessile capitate 

 stigma. Seed without endosperm ; embryo slightly curved. One genus. 



1. BATIS P. Br. 



Species 2 or 3, tropical shores. (Greek batis, the ancient name of some sea- 

 shore plant.) 



1. B. maritima L. Stems erect or ascending from a woody perennial base, 

 y 2 to 1 (or 3) feet high; leaves linear-oblanceolate, % to l 1 /^ inches long; 

 staminate catkins 2 to 4 lines long, their bracts roundish, obtuse, 1 line long, 

 or sometimes broader than long, disposed in 4 vertical rows, persistent ; calyx 

 splitting transversely across the top so as to make an anterior and a posterior 

 lobe, about % line long; staminodia white, nearly as long, with a roundish 

 or triangular-hastate, somewhat cucullate appendage nearly equaling the 

 slender filament; pistillate catkins 1 or 2 lines long, their bracts round-ovate, 

 acute, deciduous; ovaries coherent, in fruit forming a fleshy spikelet 4 to 

 6 lines long. 



Seashores: Southern and Lower California. Hawaiian Islands. East coast 

 of America from Florida to Brazil. 



LOGS. San Pedro, McClatchie; Newport, Davidson; San Diego, ace. Bot. Cal. 



Refs. BATIS MARITIMA L. Syst. ed. 10, 1380 (1759), type loc. Jamaica; Dammer in Engler 

 & Prantl. Nat. Pflzfam. 3i* : 119, fig. 71 (1893). B. californica Torr. Smithsonian Contrib. 

 6: 8, t. 11 (1853). Some authors regard the staminodial structures as petals. 



Phytolaccaceae. PHYTOLACCA DECANDRA L. Sp. PI. ed. 2, 631 (1762). Poke- 

 weed. Tall perennial herb with reddish purple stems, alternate entire thin 

 petioled leaves and flowers in racemes; sepals 5, petal-like, white, rounded, 

 2y 2 lines long; stamens 5 to 30; ovary lobed, several- celled, the styles as many 

 as the cells; fruit a dark crimson or purple berry which is poisonous. Lake 

 Co., Jepson; Siskiyou Co. (Zoe, 4:158). Introduced from the eastern United 

 States. 



