OF THE WASATCH REGION 61 



8. V. canadensis soopulorum A. Gray. Dwarf Canada Violet. 

 Glabrous or nearly so; depressed-spreading; stem 1-3 inches 

 high from branching rhizomes. Leaves cordate and mostly 

 acuminate, denticulate-serrate; at flowering time % inch or 

 less in length. Outside of petals usually pale-violet; inside 

 white with yellowish base, and more or less streaked with 

 purple. April-May. In the mountains. 



LOASACE-flE. Loasa Family. 



Herbs with barbed or stinging hairs and exstipulate, 

 simple leaves. Inflorescence solitary 1 , racemose or 

 cymose. Flowers regular. Sepals 4-5, epigynous. 

 Petals 4-5, or sometimes 10, perigynous. Stamens 

 many, perigynous; sometimes petaloid. Ovary "in- 

 ferior," 1-celled. with 2-3 parietal placentae. 



1. MENTZELJA. Blazing Star; Evening Star. 



Leaves alternate: entire or pinnately lobed, cleft or divided. 

 Stems white; together with the leaves, covered with barbed 

 hairs. Fruit a dry capsule, opening at the summit. 



1. M. dispersa Wats. (M. integrifolia (Wats.) Rydb.) A 

 slender annual. Stems erect; simple or branching; 4-16 inches 

 high. Leaves from entire to sinuate-toothed. Flowers small, 

 pale yellow. Seeds somewhat cubical; smooth or nearly so. 

 On moist rich banks. May-August. 



ORDER OPTJNTIALES. 



CACTACEjE. Cactus Family. 



Green, fleshy and thickened mostly leafless plants ; 

 globular or columnar and many angled, or flattened 

 and jointed; usually armed with bundles of spines from 

 the areolae, which constitute the axils of the (mostly 

 absent) leaves. Inflorescence mostly solitary. Flowers 

 showy. Sepals, petals and stamens numerous, in sev- 

 eral series, forming a cup above the 1-celled, many- 

 ovuled ovary. Placentae parietal, several. Fruit a 

 more or less fleshy berry. 



1. OPUNTIA. Prickly Pear. 



Stems jointed; flattened or cylindrical. Leaves deciduous. 

 Spines barbed. Flowers red or yellow, borne on spine-bearing 

 areolas. Petals many; slightly united at base. Stamens very 

 numerous. Filaments distinct or slightly united. Fruit pear- 

 shaped with a flattish apex. 



Joints strotigly flattened 1. O. polyacantha 



Joints slightly flattened if at all.' 2. O. fragrllls 



