FOUR-O'CLOCK FAMILY. 



597 



equal, inserted on the tube of the perianth; anthers linear-oblong, included. Slvle 

 Fruit dry, i- 5 -wmged, the wing, broad or narrow, reticulate-veined. Seed cylin Iric 

 shmiug. [Name from the Greek, graceful.] 



a " American - Besides the following, some ,o other, occur in wwtem 



Perennial; flowers white; wings of the fruit i" broad ,,r 1,-s-, 

 Animal; flowers pink; wings thin, 4" -7" broad, very conspicuous, 





x. Abronia fragrans Nmt. 

 Abronia. (Fig. 



White 



t. ; H....U K.- j.,um Hots: 



Perennial, viscid-pubescent, stem erect or as- 

 cending, usually much branched, i-a 8 high. 

 Leaves oval, ovate or oblong-elliptic, petioled, 

 obtuse at the apex, cuncate, truncate or rounded 

 at the base, i'-2^' long; bracts of the involucre 

 5 or 6, large, ovate or obovate, white; flowers 

 white, very numerous in the involucres, 5"-io" 

 long, fragrant, opening at night; fruit 4"-5" 

 high, coriaceous with 5 or sometimes fewer, un- 

 dulate coarsely reticulated wings about i"wide, 

 which do not close over its summit. 



In dry soil, Iowa to Nebraska and Montana, south 

 to Texas and Mexico. June-Atig. 



2. Abronia micrantha. (Torr.) Chois. 



Pink Abronia. (Fig. 1423.) 

 Tripteridinm niicranthum Torr. Frem. Ret> 06 



1845. 

 Abronia micrantha Chois. in DC. Prodr. 13: Part 



2, 436. 1849. 



Abronia Cyclop/era A. Gray, Am. Journ. Sci. (II.) 



15: 319. 1853. 



Annual, glabrous below, more or less glandu- 

 lar-pubescent above, stem ascending, branched, 

 i-2 high. Leaves similar to those of the pre- 

 ceding species in size and outline; involucral 

 bracts ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or acumi- 

 nate; flowers several or numerous, about <^" 

 long, bright pink; calyx-limb 4 // -8 // broad; 

 fruit nearly i' high, its 2-4 membranous wings 

 4//_7// broad, entire-margined, shining, very 

 conspicuous, glabrous, united over the body of 

 the fruit, beautifully reticulate-veined. 



In dry soil, western Nebraska to Wyoming and 

 Nevada, south to Texas and New Mexico. June-Aug. 



1864. 



Family 19. AIZOACEAE A. Br.; Aschers. Fl. Brand. 60. 



CARPET-WEED FAMILY. 



Herbs, rarely somewhat woody, mostly prostrate and branching, with (in 

 our species) opposite or verticillate leaves and solitary cymose or glomerate per- 

 fect, small regular flowers. Stipules none or scarious, or the petiole- 

 dilated. Calyx 4-5-cleft or 4~5-parted. Petals small or none in our >]>ccies. 

 Stamens perigynous, equal in number to the sepals, fewer, or more numerous. 

 Ovary usually free from the calyx, 3~5-celled, and ovules mimenm- in e.u-h cell 

 in our species. Fruit a capsule with loculicidal or circumscissile dchi.-* 

 Seeds amphitropous; seed-coat crustaceous or membranous; endosperm scanty or 

 copious; embryo slender, curved. 



22 genera and about 500 species, mostly of warm regions, a few in the temperate zones. 



Fleshy, sea-coast herbs; leaves opposite; capsule circumscissile. 

 Not fleshy; leaves verticillate ; capsule 3- valved. 



