SUPPLEMENT 



Asarum caudatum, L/indl., grow somewhat sparingly in our moun- 

 tains. Some small species of the Rafflesiacese are found in our arid 

 regions, but in the tropics the flowers of this group attain monstrous 

 size, as was noted in Chapter IV. Mistletoe is very common on the 

 oaks, the sycamores and junipers, and to some extent on other trees, 

 in our canons and mountains. It draws nourishment from the host 

 plant by means of little modified rootlets, called sinkers, which reach 

 into the newly forming wood cells. The flowers are inconspicuous; 

 the berries are familiar objects at Christmas time; the seeds are, of 

 course, distributed by birds. 



Six of the seven families that constitute the next group are well 

 represented in California; four of them are entirely apetalous, but the 

 highest two families have some apetalous genera and other genera 

 with complete flowers. Our representatives of the order Nyctagin- 

 aceae have showy calyxes. The four-o'clock, Mirabilis California!, 

 is described in the Supplement to Chapter VII; the sand verbenas, 

 Abronias, are common on our beaches and deserts, and are interesting 

 types of the plants of arid regions. The family Amarantaceae is too 

 well represented by the tumbleweeds; Chenopodiaceae, by the goose- 

 foot, pig-weed and the like ; Polygonaceae by dock, canaigre, knot- 

 weed and Russian thistle, all of which weeds will be considered in 

 Chapter XVI. The beet, spinach and the rhubarb, or pie plant, of our 

 gardens belong here. The sugar beet is only a variety of the common 

 beet, Beta vulgaris. The Briogonums, described in Chapter XV, be- 

 long to the family Polygonacese, so does the genus Chorizanthe; 

 species of the latter genus grow very profusely in sandy soil ; the 

 clustered leaves appear early in the year, but the prickly white or 

 pink flower clusters do not come until early summer, when the low 

 plants are much branched, and are dry and brittle. The pink family, 

 Caryophyllaceae, is a large one, and is especially well represented in 

 northern or mountain regions; the weedy members, chickweed, sand- 

 spurry and catchfly, are noted in the Supplement to Chapters VII 

 and XVI. Our handsomest native species, Silene laciniata, is 

 described in Chapter XV. The family Portulacacese has compara- 

 tively few species; the purslane (Chapter XVI), miner's lettuce 

 (Chapter VII, Supplement) and Calandrinia (Chapter IX, Supplement) 

 are our most common representatives. 



The families of the third group of Choripetalae, are included in the 

 Polypetalae of the older books, all but a few genera having both 

 calyx and corolla. The lower families have all their parts free and 

 distinct, the higher have compound pistils. The family Ranuncula- 

 ceae, usually placed first or lowest, has no union of parts ; the peony 



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