570 LOASACEAE 



1. BICUSPIDARIA (S. Wats.) Rydb. 



Annuals, scabrous, with rather large flowers. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 

 5, free, hght yellow. Stamens 80-130; filaments dilated, 3-cleft at the ape.x, the 

 middle tooth bearing the anther, the lateral teeth cuspidate. Hypanthium 

 cyhndric; placentae with horizontal lamellae between the ovules and vertical 

 wings; ovules in 2 rows, 15-40 on each placenta. Capsule thin-walled, inflated, 

 sessile. Seeds angled or with folds, not winged. 



1. B. tricuspis (A. Gray) Rydb. Annual; stem 1-2 dm. high, branched 

 near the base, hispid and pilose; leaves petioled, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 

 sinuately dentate; bracts 2, pinnatifid or toothed; petals light yellow, obovate, 

 3 cm. long; fruit ellipsoid, about 18 mm. long and half as thick. Mentzelia tri- 

 cuspis A. Gray. Dry regions: s Utah^s Calif. L. Son. My. 



2. NUTTALLIA Raf. Sand Lily, Blazing Star. 



Scabrous pubescent, biennial or perennial herbs, with barbed or hooked hairs, 

 mostly stout. Leaves alternate, toothed or pinnatifid, rarely entire. Se])als f), 

 persistent. Petals 5, or apparently 10, on account of the petaloid staminodia, 

 yellow to straw-colored, usually conspicuous. Stamens numerous; filaments 

 filiform, or the outer ones dilated. Hj-panthium oblong-C3dindric; ovules in 

 two rows on each of the three parietal placentae. Capsule stout; seeds numer- 

 ous, horizontal, flattened, winged or margined, separated by horizontal lamellae. 

 [Toutcrea Eat. & Wright, Hesperasier Cockerell.] 



Petal-like staminodia present; petals therefore apparently 10 or nearly that number. 

 Petals golden or greenish yellow, rarely more than 2 cm. long. 



Seeds irregularly angled on the faces; petals greenish yellow. 1. N. lutea. 

 Seeds not angled on the fac&s; petals golden yellow. 



Upper leaves entire, narrowly, linear. 2. N. muUicaulis. 



All leaves pinnatifid or lobed. 



Petals obtuse; seeds broadly winged. 



Lower leaves at least deeply pinnatifid, with Unear-oblong or lanceolate 



lobes. 3. N. muUiflora. 



Leaves sinuately lobed or toothed, with triangular-ovate lobes or teeth. 

 Stem glabrous; all leaves oblanceolate ; capsule somewhat ttirbinate 



at the base. 4. N. lobata. 



Stem pubescent; upper leaves lanceolate, with broad clasping bases; 

 capsule rounded at the base. 5. N. pterosperma. 



Petals acute. 



Capsiile 7-10 mm. long; lobes of the leaves narrowly linear. 



6. A^. humilis. 

 Capsule over 12 mm. long; lobes of the leaves not narrowly hnear. 



Plants low, less than 4 dm. high; leaves less than 6 cm. long; petals 

 less than 15 mm. long; seeds broadly winged. 

 Leaves sinuately dentate or crenate, the lower ones oblanceolate 



or spatulate, the upper ovate-lanceolate. 7. N. Integra. 

 Leaves mostly pinnatifid. 



Plant simple below; lobes of the leaves short, broadly oblong. 



8. A'', pumila. 

 Plant much branched and suffruticose at the base; lobes of 

 the leaves narrow, Unear or lanceolate. 9. N. densa. 

 Plants tall, usually 4 dm. high, or more; leaves often 1 dm. long; 

 petals 15-20 mm. long; seed less broadly winged. 

 Leaves divided to near the midrib into linear-oblong or narrowly 



lanceolate lobes. 10. N. laciniala. 



I^eaves sinuate or lobed halfway to the midrib; lobes triangular or 

 ovate. 

 Stem erect; leaves tapering at the base, lobed. 



11. N. speciosa. 

 Stem decumbent at the base; leaves, at least the upper ones, 

 rounded at the base, sinuate. 12. N. crysantha. 



Petals straw-colored, usually more than 2 cm. long. 

 Outer filaments dilated; petals 2-3 cm. long. 



Petals about 2 cm. long; upper leaves with broad bases, long-acuminate. 



13. N. Rusbyi. 

 Petals nearly 3 cm. long ; none of the leaves broad at the base. 



Plant branched below; flowers subtended by solitary entire bracts. 



14. N. nuda. 

 Plant simple below; flowers subtended by several toothed bracts. 



15. A^. stricta. 

 Filaments all filiform; petals 4-5 cm. long. 16. N. decapetala. 



