Rubiaceae 377 



with brownish midrib; pyxis ovate, truncate, purplish above, 

 circumscissile at the lower third ; seeds 2. 



Very common on dry plains and in the foothills throughout our range. 



5. P. erecta obversa (Morris). A more robust form ; leaves with 

 few to several callous denticulations ; scapes usually numerous ; 

 spikes 15-40 cm. long; capsule circumscissile near the middle. 

 (P. obversa Morris.) 



Occasional in sandy soil toward the coast, also on Catalina Island. In 

 our opinion not a good species and scarcely worthy of varietal distinction. 



6. P. Bigelovii Gray. Very slender, annual, 1 dm. high or 

 ess; leaves very narrowly linear or filiform, glabrous; scapes 



very slender, slightly pubescent above ; spikes slender, about 15 

 mm. long and 4 mm. broad, often much shorter and reduced to 

 4-5 flowers ; calyx broadly scarious-margined ; pyxis oblong-ovate, 

 much exceeding the calyx, circumscissile at the lower third. 



Known within our limits only from Inglewood, where it occurs in low ex- 

 siccated places. 



Family 89. RUBIACEAE. MADDER FAMILY. 



Herbs or woody plants with simple, opposite or verti- 

 cillate, mostly stipulate leaves, and perfect, often dimor- 

 phous or trimorphous regular flowers. Calyx-tube adnate 

 to the ovary, its limb various. Corolla 4-5-lobed, often 

 pubescent within. Stamens as many as the lobes of the 

 corolla and alternate with them, inserted on its tube or 

 throat ; anthers versatile, 2-celled, longitudinally dehis- 

 cent. Ovary inferior, 2 5-celled ; style simple or lobed ; 

 ovules 1-many in each cell. Fruit a capsule or berry. 

 Seeds various. 



1. GALIUM L. BEDSTRAW. 



Annual or perennial herbs or rarely suffrutescent, 

 with 4-angled slender stems and branches, apparently 

 verticillate leaves, and small white green yellow or 

 purple flowers, mostly in axillary or terminal cymes or 

 panicles. Flowers perfect or rarely dioecious. Calyx- 



