76 NATIVE VEGETATION AS AN INDICATOR 



leaves, are found. Clusters of yellowish flowers like those 

 of golden-rod but lacking the ray-flowers around the margin 

 of the clusters as in the golden-rod. The most notable 

 alkali-loving species of this group is Chrysothamnus lini- 

 folius, which is found along wet banks of alkali streams; 

 C. Wyomingesis and C. plattensis are found more on alkali 

 plains. 



Cressa truxillensis . A perennial herb with a woody 

 base from which many leafy branches extend. The leaves 

 are oblong or lance-shaped with very short stems, silky, 

 hoary, or villous covering. It is found mostly near the 

 seashore in Texas, but in California is found inland through- 

 out the state. 



Distichlis spicata. Salt grass is the common salt 

 grass of alkali soils. 



Dodecatheon salinum. Shooting star or American cow- 

 slip has a short crown from which spring numerous slender 

 matted roots. Leaves about i inch in length, wide-spread- 

 ing or ascending, smooth, and rather elliptic. Flowers 

 borne upon a stem about 4 to 8 inches long are of a yel- 

 lowish white with an indistinct purplish ring near the 

 base and has segments of lilac-purple in places. 



Elymus salinus (Jones). Wild rye is a coarse perennial 

 grass with flat rough leaves. It forms in dense bunches 

 of rigid, wiry grass standing from i to 2 feet high. Found 

 in Utah and Wyoming frequently in saline places. 



Flaveria angustifolia. - - This is a smooth-appearing 

 herb with clusters of yellowish flowers and opposite stem- 

 less leaves. It is 8 to 20 inches in height. 



Frankenia grandifolia. Alkali-heath is a perennial 

 herb with a woody base and deep-rooted flexible, wiry, 

 root-stocks. Numerous opposite or clustered simple rather 

 thick, lance-shaped leaves from 3 to 6 inches long. Largely 



