174 ONAGRACEAE. 



tips free or united in bud, finally reflexed; stamens 8, equal, 

 with filiform filaments and linear anthers; ovary 4-celled, the 

 united styles filiform; stigma 4-cleft; ovules numerous, in one, 

 two or more rows, horizontal or ascending; capsule 4-celled, 4- 

 angled, loculicidal; seeds numerous, angled or terete, with or 

 without a tubercle. 



Oenothera strigosa Rydb. Annual or biennial, erect, 50-200 cm. high, 

 usually simple, appressed-canescent throughout; leaves numerous, lanceolate 

 or oblanceolate, acute, denticulate, 3-12 cm. long, the lower narrowed at 

 base and petioled, the upper sessile; spikes terminal, elongate in fruit; flowers 

 yellow, 2-4 cm. broad, opening in the evening; calyx-tube slender, 2-3 cm. long, 

 much longer than the ovary or the spreading lobes; capsules oblong, narrowed 

 above, sessile, 2-2.5 cm. long. Common in the warmer valleys. 



248. TARAXIA. 



Acaulescent plants with pinnatifid or entire leaves and yellow 

 or white axillary flowers; calyx 4-parted, the tube longer than 

 the ovary, the segments reflexed ; stamens 8, erect ; anthers versa- 

 tile; stigma capitate, entire or nearly so; capsule sessile; seeds 

 in 2 rows, ascending. 



White-pubescent; leaves deeply pinnatifid. T. tanacelifolia. 



Glabrous or nearly so; leaves entire or pinnatifid. T. heterantha. 



Taraxia tanacetifolia (T. & G.) Piper. Densely white pubescent; leaves 

 lanceolate or oblanceolate, petioled, deeply pinnatifid, acuminate, 5-15 cm. 

 long; calyx-tube 3-8 cm. long, the lobes linear-lanceolate; petals 1-2 cm. long; 

 capsules terete, attenuate toward the apex. In moist places, local. 



Taraxia heterantha (Nutt.) Small. Glabrous or nearly so; leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute or acuminate, entire or somewhat denticulate, 5-15 cm. long; 

 calyx-tube 4-6 cm. long, the lobes narrowly lanceolate; petals broadly obovate, 

 retuse, 8-12 mm. long; capsule oblong, narrowed at each end. Moist ground. 



Taraxia heterantha taraxicifplia (Wats.) Small. Leaves deeply pinnatifid. 

 In moist ground. The subspecies sometimes occurs with the species. 



249. SPHAEROSTIGMA. 



Annual or biennial caulescent herbs; flowers axillary or in 

 spikes; calyx-tube obconical or shortly funnelform; stamens 8, 

 equal in length; anthers attached near the middle, versatile; 

 stigma entire; capsule 4-celled, terete or angled; seeds in one row 

 in each cell. 



Capsule linear, more or less curved. S. contorlum. 

 Capsule broadest at base, attenuate upward. 



Seeds pale, linear; flowers very small. S. andinum. 



Seeds dark, clavate; flowers larger. S. hilgardi. 



Sphaerostigma contortum (Dougl.) Walp. Slender annual, usually branched 

 from the base, 10-15 cm. high, sparsely puberulent or glabrous; leaves nar- 

 rowly linear, entire or denticulate, 2-3 cm. long, sessile; flowers sessile, in the 

 axils, somewhat shorter than the leaves; petals reddish-yellow, 2 mm. long, 



