102 KEY AND FLORA 



II. MATTHIOLA R. Br. 



Herbaceous or shrubby oriental plants, covered with a down 

 composed of star-shaped hairs. Flowers in showy racemes of 

 many colors, ranging from white to crimson. Stigmas large 

 and spreading. Pods nearly cylindrical, except for a promi- 

 nent midrib on each valve. 



1. M. incana R. Br. Common Stock, Gillyflower. Biennial or 

 perennial, with somewhat woody stems. Cultivated in greenhouses 

 and gardens. 



III. LESQUERELLA AVats. 



Low herbs with stellate hairs. Leaves simple. Flowers in 

 racemes, mostly yellow. Pod globular-inflated, witli a trans- 

 lucent partition nerved from the apex to the middle. Seeds 

 few, several or many, flattened, marginless or nearly so. 



1. L. globosa Wats. Annual or biennial. Slender, somewhat 

 branched, 6-20 in. high, covered with fine stellate hairs. Basal 

 leaves 1-1 1 in. long, oblong-obovate, obtuse. Stem leaves smaller, 

 linear or oblong, sessile. Raceme finally elongated with thread-like 

 diverging pedicels. Flowers light yellow. Style slender, much longer 

 than the small globose pod. Rocky banks and open places S. and W. 



2. L. argentea Pursh. Silvery Bladder Pod. Biennial or 

 perennial, 6-18 in. high, densely stellate-hairy. Leaves linear to 

 oblanceolate, blunt, entire, the lower ones 2-3 in. long. Flowers 

 yellow. Pods downy, on recurved pedicels. Plains W. 



IV. LEPIDIUM L. 



Annual. Stem erect, or sometimes diffuse. Leaves entire, 

 toothed, or pinnately divided. Flowers in a terminal raceme, 

 small, white. Petals short, sometimes wanting. Stamens 2, 

 4, or 6. Pod rounded or obcordate, flattened contrary to the 

 partitions.* 



1. L. virginicum L. Peppergrass, Birds' Pepper, Tongue 

 Grass. Stem erect, smooth, much branched, 1-2 ft. high. Lower 

 leaves obovate in outline, pinnately cut with dentate lobes ; upper 

 leaves lanceolate, dentate, slightly downy. Flowers on slender 

 pedicels; petals present, sometimes reduced in the later flowers. 

 Stamens 2. Pod round. A weed growing in waste places.* 



2. L. campestre R. Br. Field Cress. Annual or biennial. Stem 

 erect, branching above, downy, 8-18 in. high. Basal leaves entire or 



