570 LOASACEAE 



1. BICUSPIDARIA (S. Wats.) Rydb. 



Annuals, scabrous, with rather large flowers. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 

 5, free, light yellow. Stamens 80-130; filaments dilated, 3-cleft at the apex, the 

 middle tooth bearing the anther, the lateral teeth cuspidate. Hypanthium 

 cylindric; placentae with horizontal lamellae between the ovules and vertical 

 wings; ovules in 2 rows, 15-^40 on each placenta. Capsule thin-walled, inflated, 

 sessile. Seeds angled or with folds, not winged. 



1. B. tricuspis (A. Gray) Rydb. Annual; stem 1-2 dm. high, branched 

 near the base, hispid and pilose; leaves petioled, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 

 sinuately dentate; bracts 2, pinnatifid or toothed; petals light yellow, obovate, 

 3 cm. long; fruit ellipsoid, about 18 mm. long and half as thick. Mentzelia tri- 

 cuspis A. Gray. Dry regions: s Utah s Calif. L. Son. My. 



2. NUTTALLIA Raf. SAND LILY, BLAZING STAR. 



Scabrous pubescent, biennial or perennial herbs, with barbed or hooked hairs, 

 mostly stout. Leaves alternate, toothed or pinnatifid, rarely entire. Sepals 5, 

 persistent. Petals 5, or apparently 10, on account of the petaloid staminodia, 

 yellow to straw-colored, usually conspicuous. Stamens numerous; filaments 

 filiform, or the outer ones dilated. Hypanthium oblong-cylindric; ovules in 

 two rows on each of the three parietal placentae. Capsule stout; seeds numer- 

 ous, horizontal, flattened, winged or margined, separated by horizontal lamellae. 

 [Touterea Eat. & Wright, Hesperaster Cockerell.j 



Petal-like staminodia present; petals therefore apparently 10 or nearly that number. 

 Petals golden or greenish yellow, rarely more than 2 cm. long. 



Seeds irregularly angled on the faces; petals greenish yellow. 1. N. lutea. 

 Seeds not angled on the faces ; petals golden yellow. 



Upper leaves entire, narrowly linear. 2. 2V. multicaulis. 



All leaves pinnatifid or lobed. 



Petals obtuse; seeds broadly winged. 



Lower leaves at least deeply pinnatifid, with linear-oblong or lanceolate 



lobes. 3. N. multiflora. 



Leaves sinuately lobed or toothed, with triangular-ovate lobes or teeth. 

 Stem glabrous; all leaves oblanceolate ; capsule somewhat turbinate 



at the base. 4. N. lobata. 



Stem pubescent; upper leaves lanceolate, with broad clasping bases; 

 capsule rounded at the base. . 5. N. pterosperma. 



Petals acute. 



Capsule 7-10 mm. long; lobes of the leaves narrowly linear. 



6. N. humilis. 

 Capsule over 12 mm. long; lobes of the leaves not narrowly linear. 



Plants low, less than 4 dm. high; leaves less than 6 cm. long; petals 



less than 15 mm. long; seeds broadly winged. 

 Leaves sinuately dentate or crenate, the lower ones oblanceolate 



or spatulate, the upper ovate-lanceolate. 7. N. Integra. 

 Leaves mostly pinnatifld. 



Plant simple below; lobes of the leaves short, broadly oblong. 



8. N. pumila. 

 Plant much branched and suflruticose at the base; lobes of 



the leaves narrow, linear or lanceolate. 9. N. densa. 

 Plants tall, usually 4 dm. high, or more; leaves often 1 dm. long; 



petals 15-20 mm. long; seed less broadly winged. 

 Leaves divided to near the midrib into linear-oblong or narrowly 



lanceolate lobes. 10. N. laciniata. 



Leaves sinuate or lobed halfway to the midrib; lobes triangular or 



ovate. 

 Stem erect; leaves tapering at the base, lobed. 



11. N. speciosa. 

 Stem decumbent at the base; leaves, at least the upper ones, 



rounded at the base, sinuate. 12. J!V. crysantha. 



Petals straw-colored, usually more than 2 cm. long. 

 Outer filaments dilated; petals 2-3 cm. long. 



Petals about 2 cm. long; upper leaves with broad bases, long-acuminate. 



13. 2V. Rusbyi. 

 Petals nearly 3 cm. long; none of the leaves broad at the base. 



Plant branched below; flowers subtended by solitary entire bracts. 



14. N. nuda. 

 Plant simple below; flowers subtended by several toothed bracts. 



15. 2V. stricta. 

 Filaments all filiform; petals 4-5 cm. long. 16. 2V. decapetala. 



