8 Mindeskrift for J. Steenstrup. XXI. 



to develop new individuals, The inflorescence has two minute, scalelike fore-leaves, 

 and only a few flowers arranged in a monochasium. 



An extreme form is Bongard's Cl. flagellaris in which the weak stems attain quite 

 a considerable length, being prostrate and runner-hke. 



Montiastrum. 



Claytonia diffusa Nutt. (Plate III fig. 3). 



At first erect, the weak stems soon become diffuse. It is an annual with a very 

 thin primary root, crowned by a rosette of leaves, and the primary stem is terminated 

 by an inflorescence. Characteristic of the species is the presence of several alternate 

 leaves upon the stem from base to where the inflorescence begins, and these have long 

 petioles, and a broad ovate blade. Only one fore-leaf is developed, and this shows the 

 same shape as the cauhne; the inflorescence itself is a monochasium. Similar to CL 

 Chamissonis the cauline leaves subtend branches with leaves and flowers, and the plant 

 reminds somewhat of Stellaria media. 



Claytonia linearis Dougl. (Plate III fig. 4). 



In this plant the leaves are narrowly linear; the inflorescence has only one fore- 

 leaf, which represents a mere sheath without blade; of the stamens mostly the two are 

 suppressed, and the petals are obviously unequal. The habit, however, is the same 

 as that of Cl. diffusa. 



Claytonia dichotoma Nutt. and Cl. Howellii (Wats.) belong to this section; they, 

 especially the latter, are very small piants of the habit of Cl. linearis, but more branched, 

 and with a larger number of flowers. 



In Cl. Australasica J. Hooker^) which much resembles small forms of Cl. linearis the 

 procumbent stems are rooting at the nodes, and the petals are equal; otherwise this 

 plant agrees well with the section Montiastrum. But in respect to Cl. calycina Golenso^) 

 of which the writer has seen no specimens, this seems somewhat anomalous in this sec- 

 tion since it is said to have only two stigmata. 



In bringing these data together it is readily to be seen that the vegetative characters 

 are very pronounced, and sufficient for the establishment of the sections proposed by 

 Gray (1. c). That some variation in the floral structure does occur we have seen from 

 some of the species of the section Montiastrum, in which the petals are unequal, and 

 some of the stamens suppressed; however to separate these species from Claytonia would 

 hardly be natural, inasmuch as no other deviations have been observed neither in regard 

 to the structure of the calyx, the pistil or the seeds. 



') Icones plantarum. Vol. 3. London 1840. Tab. 293. 



-) Transacts. and proceed. New Zealand Inst. 1896, p. 692. 



