DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS 115 



LOASA'CEJE. BLAZING STAR FAMILY 



/ 

 Herbs covered with rough barbed hairs. Calyx tube attached 



to the 1-celled ovary with parietal placentae. Stamens numer- 

 ous, merging into the petals. 



MENTZE'LIA, Blazing Star 



Tall and erect, or loosely branching herbs, with stems white 

 and shining. Mowers showy, yellow, orange or cream-color ; 

 from very small to 3 or 4 in. in diameter. The barbed hairs 

 cause the plant to adhere to whatever it happens to touch. 

 The numerous stamens and spreading petals give this plant a 

 radiant appearance like a star. The species are local. 



M. laevicau'lis T. & G. Biennial, with stout branching stems, 

 2-3 ft. high. Leaves lanceolate, 2-8 in. long. Flowers sessile on 

 short branches, 3-4 in. broad, light yellow, blooming in the morn- 

 ing. Calyx tube naked. Petals 5-10. Stamens numerous. This 

 is generally found growing in the beds of streams in the mountains 

 through California to Washington. 



CACTA'CE^. CACTUS FAMILY 



Peculiar green fleshy perennial plants, armed with bundles 

 of spines, and rarely possessing leaves. Flowers with numer- 

 ous sepals, petals, and stamens, in several series, forming a 

 cup above the 1-celled, many-ovuled ovary. Style 1, with 

 several stigmas. Fruit a pulpy or, rarely, a dry 1-celled 

 berry with numerous seeds. The following are the common 

 genera. 



I. MAMILLA'RIA, Bird's-nest Cactus 



Round or oval plants, covered with spine-bearing tubercles. 

 Flowers small, arising between the tubercles. Ovary naked. 

 Seeds without endosperm. 



H. ECHINOCAC'TUS, Indian Melon 



Round or oval plants, usually ribbed, with bundles of spines 

 on the ribs. Flowers from the youngest part of the ribs close 



