172 University of California Publications in Botany. [VOL. 3 



robust. Known only from the Californian islands, but almost 

 duplicated, so far as pappus is concerned, by small specimens 

 from the San Joaquin Valley (Davy, no. 1739a), in which the 

 pappus-paleae are entire to erose, or even dentate with long sharp 

 teeth. 



Var. gracilis f. crassa Hall, form. nov. Disk-pappus of 4 en- 

 tire lanceolate paleae each tapering to a slender awn : stems low, 

 stout, branched: herbage somewhat succulent: leaves narrowly 

 oblong, obtuse, 1.5 to 3 mm. broad A seashore form: Ocean 

 Beach, near San Diego, May, 1906, Mrs. Brandegee. 



Var. gracilis f. curta (Gray) Hall, comb. nov. B. curta Gray. 

 Proc. Am. Acad. xix. 21 (1883). Pappus of ovate or oblong 

 paleae, most or all of them obtuse or truncate and destitute of 

 awn. The original specimens were described as having ' ' pappus 

 of ovate or oblong pointless paleae, not exceeding the breadth 

 of the achene, usually 4 or 5, or in ray-flowers reduced to a 

 single one, in some plants all obsolete." They were from near 

 San Bernardino, Wright, Lemmon, and the form has recently 

 been found near Riverside by Geo. R. Hall, no. 1669. I have exam- 

 ined some of Mr. Lemmon 's plants gathered with the types (no. 

 135) and find the paleae to be 2 to 4 in number or more often 

 entirely .wanting. Specimens collected by myself (no. 2971) on 

 Box Springs Mt, not far from San Bernardino, exhibit the fol- 

 lowing variations in pappus, all the achenes being taken from a 

 single head: achene (a), one lanceolate palea tapering into a 

 slender awn (as in paleae of typical B. c. gracilis) the whole 

 equalling the achene, no other pappus; achene (b), 2 erose paleae 

 equalling the breadth of the achene; achene (c), 1 erose palea 

 equalling the breadth of the achene and 3 minute scales ; achene 

 (d), four minute scales; achene (e), one minute scale; achene 

 (f), pappus none. Other combinations could be cited and most 

 of the specimens under this number have achenes destitute of 

 pappus. This demonstrates the extreme variability of pappus 

 characters in this genus even on individual plants, and leads one 

 to the conclusion that species founded on such characters alone 

 cannot stand. 



3. B. uliginosa (Nutt.) Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. ix. 197 (1874). 

 Dichaeta uliginosa Nutt., Trans. Am. Philos. Soc. ser. 2, vii. 383 

 (1841). 



