Four-o'clock Family 137 



2. M. Californica Gray. Stems ascending or spreading from 

 a somewhat woody base, 3-6 dm. long; herbage viscid-pubescent; 

 leaves rather thick. 1-3 cm. long, broadly ovate to cordate, ob- 

 tuse or acute; petioles slender, 1-2 cm. long; involucre about 6 

 mm. long, acutely 5-cleft to near the middle; calyx narrowly 

 campanulate, 10 mm. long, the lobes spreading, emarginate; 

 stamens equaling the calyx and nearly equaling the style; fruit 

 ovate smooth, 3 mm. long. 



Common in the foothills throughout our range. March-June. 



2. ABRONIA Juss. SAND-VERBENA. 



Ours perennial herbs, often prostrate and more or less 

 viscid-pubescent, with thick opposite unequal leaves. 

 Involucres of 5-15 somewhat scarious leaflets, enclosing 

 numerous sessile showy and fragrant flowers. Calyx 

 salver-shaped, the lobes usually 5, obcordate or emarginate. 

 Stamens usually 5, unequal, adnate to the calyx-tube and 

 included. Style included ; stigma linear-clavate. Fruit 

 indurated, 3-5-winged ; achene smooth, cylindric. Em- 

 bryo with only 1 cotyledon. 



1. A. umbellata Lam. Stems slender, prostrate and widely 

 branching, 3-10 dm. long, viscid-puberulent; leaves nearly gla- 

 brous, broadly obovate to oblong, the margin rarely sinuate, 2-4 

 cm. long, narrowed to a slender petiole of equal length or longer ; 

 peduncles 5-10 cm. long; involucral bracts narrowly lanceolate, 

 4-6 mm. long, enclosing 10-15 flowers, forming an umbel-like 

 head; calyx rose-purple, rarely whitish, 12-16 mm. long, lobes 5, 

 emarginate; fruit oblong, attenuate at each end, 8-10 mm. long, 

 glabrous ; wings thin, broadest above and often truncate. 



Common on the sand-dunes along the seashore. 



2. A. maritima Nutt. Stems stout, the lower portion usually 

 buried in the drifting sand, prostrate, succulent and viscid ; leaves 

 thick, broadly ovate to oblong, cuneate or rounded at base, 3-5 cm. 

 long, vertical on stout petioles of about the same length; ped- 

 uncles slightly exceeding the leaves ; involucral bracts short, ovate- 

 oblong, enclosing 10-15 flowers, forming a narrow head ; calyx 1 

 cm. long, deep red ; fruit viscid-pubescent; wings rather thick. 



Common on the beach sands along the seashore. 



