OF THE WASATCH REGION 19 



NYCTAGINACE^I. Four-o'clock Family. 



Herbs with, stems swollen at the joints. Leaves 

 mostly entire and opposite. Inflorescence terminal or 

 axillary. Flowers often showy, involucrate; tubular, 

 salver-shaped or funnel-form. Stamens few, borne on 

 the receptacle; filaments thread-like. Style short; 

 stigma capitate. Ovary 1-eelled, 1-ovuled; enclosed by 

 the persistent, thickened and hardened base of the 

 calyx- tube, thus becoming- in fruit an anthocarp. 



Bracts distinct; stamens usually 5 1. Abronia 



Bracts united; stamens usually 3 2. Oxybaphus 



1. ABRONIA. Sand Puffs. 



Stems branching, more or less glandular-pubescent. Leaves 

 thick, opposite, mostly unequal. Inflorescence a many-flow- 

 ered umbel, surrounded by an involucre of distinct bracts. 

 Flowers showy, fragrant. Perianth salver-form, with an 

 elongated tube and a 5-lobed limb. Stamens unequal; peri- 

 gynous. Fruit crested or winged. Only 1 of the cotyledons 

 becomes developed in the embryo. 



1. A. salsa Rydb. A perennial with a long, viscid-pubescent, 

 rather stragging stem. Leaves thick, on long petioles; stem- 

 leaves elliptic, and the basal leaves often broadly oval. In- 

 volucral bracts broadly obovate; obtusish. Flowers many. 

 Fruit distinctly winged, the wings very broad and nearly trun- 

 cate above. Sandy saline soil. May-October. Locally called 

 "Snow-ball." 



2. OXYBAPHUS. (Allionia). Four-o'clock. 



Herbs from thick, perennial roots. Leaves entire, opposite; 

 equal. Flowers sessile; 3-5 in each of the shallow, calyx-like 

 involucres; the latter of united bracts, which enlarge and be- 

 come thin and net-veined in fruit. Calyx with a short tube and 

 a bell-shaped limb. Stamens usually 3. Style thread-like. 

 Fruit (an anthocarp) pubescent or angled; pear-shaped, longi- 

 tudinally ribbed. 



1. O. linearls (Pursh) Robinson. (Allionia linearis Pursh; 

 O. angustifolia Sweet.) Tall, much-branched and brittle; gla- 

 brous except the more or less hairy peduncles and involucres. 

 Leaves linear, thick and glaucous; sessile or nearly so. Flowers 

 showy; pale-pink or white; opening in the evening. Gravelly 

 plains and hillsides. June-August. 



ORDER CARYOPHYL.LJ* LES. 

 CARYOPHYLLACE-ffi. Pink or Chickweed Family. 



Herbs with the stems often swollen at the joints. 

 Leaves entire; opposite, or the uppermost alternate; 



