A. NUTTALLI. 323 



a dense scurf, the bark becoming dark and rough only on the old basal portions ; leaves all 

 alternate except the lower ones of young stems, short-petioled (sessile in subspecies buxi- 

 folia), oblong oblanceolate or spatulate to elliptic or ovate (rarely obovate), mostly taper- 

 ing to the base,obtuseatapex,1.5 to5cm. long, 0.2 to 2 cm. wide, strictly entire, thick and 

 firm, gray or greenish-white with a dense and permanent scurf; flowers dioecious (rarely 

 monoecious, see note under Relationships, p. 329), the staminate in glomerules of ter- 

 minal spikes or narrow panicles a few centimeters long, this inflorescence leafy in the lower 

 part, the pistillate in long, compact terminal spikes and spike-like panicles leafy below; 

 perianth 5-cleft in the staminate flowers, wanting in the pistillate; fruiting bracts sessile 

 or stalked (especially in subspecies /aZcaia), thick and somewhat spongious, united nearly 

 to summit, lanceolate to broadly elliptic or cuneate-oblong, 4 to 7 mm. long, 2 to 5 mm. 

 broad (slightly larger when long-appendaged), the free tips sometimes beak-like, more 

 or less dentate across the summit and often also down the sides, the faces smooth or tuber- 

 culate or with variously shaped appendages; seed 1.5 to 2 mm. long, brown; radicle 

 superior. 



Saskatchewan and South Dakota to western Nebraska (where introduced?), New 

 Mexico, Arizona, northwestern California, eastern Washington, and Alberta. 



SUBSPECIES. 



All of the following subspecies, with the exception oifalcata, are based upon characters 

 which are not constant. It must be expected, therefore, that some specimens can not be 

 definitely placed. 



Key to Subspecies of AlHplex nuttalli. 

 Fniiting bracts orbicular-ovate or oblong to cuneate-oblong, often globoid when appendaged, 

 terminal tooth sometimes beak-like but never attenuate. 

 Leaves oblong-linear to spatulate or nearly obovate, usually elongated and broadest 

 above the middle. 

 Fruiting bracts broadest at or below the middle. 



Leaves oblong, spatulate, or obovate; bracts usually appendaged (a) typiea (p. 323). 



Leaves narrower, hnear-oblong, sides nearly parallel except at the narrowed 



base; bracts usually smooth (6) tridentata (p. 324). 



Fruiting bracts broadest above middle, usually smooth. (Leaves narrow.) (c) gardneri (p. 324). 



Leaves broadly elliptic or ovate, short, usually broadest at or below the middle. 



Leaves acute at base, mostly petioled (d) cuneata (p. 324). 



Leaves obtuse at base, sessile (e) buxifolia (p. 325). 



Fruiting bracts fusiform with attenuate beak 2 mm. or more long. (Leaves Unear-spatulate.) (/) falcata (p. 32.5). 



38a. Atripex nuttalli typica. — Stems erect from a decumbent woody very 

 freely and intricately branched base; leaves oblong or spatulate or narrowly obo- 

 vate, obtuse, 3 to 5 cm. long, 0.5 to 1 cm. wide, tapering to a short petiole; fruiting 

 bracts ovate or orbicular-ovate in outline, sessile or an occasional one short-stalked, 4 

 to 6 mm. long, sharply few-toothed at summit, the terminal pair of teeth commonly 

 forming a flat lanceolate beak, the sides covered with numerbus conspicuous sharp 

 appendages, some of which commonly are more or less flattened. (.4. nuttalli Watson, 

 Proc. Am. Acad. 9:116, 1874.) Alkaline plains and hillsides, Saskatchewan to eastern 

 Wyoming, central Colorado, northern Utah, Idaho, and Alberta; also in western Ne- 

 braska (where introduced in stock-cars, according to Bates, Asa Gray Bull. 6:35-37, 

 1898) and a doubtful collection from northwestern Arizona. Tjrpe locality, not defi- 

 nitely stated. Collections: Round Valley Lake, Saskatchewan, Macoun and Herriot 

 76722 (NY); Leeds, North Dakota, 1900, Lunell (Or); Owl Butte, South Dakota, 

 Griffiths 339 (US); Centennial, Albany County, Wyoming, Goodding2114 (NY, UC, US); 

 Delta, Colorado, Coiuen Ji.071 (Or, R, US, type collection of A. oblanceolata Rydberg, 

 minor variation 14) ; Price, Utah, June 20, 1898, Stokes (UC) ; Salt Lake City, Utah, July 

 24,1879, Jones (NY); Fort Mojave, Arizona, April, 1884, Lemmon (UC, data doubtful) ; 

 Blackfoot County, Montana, Griffiths and Lange 282 (US); Helena, Montana, July 29, 

 1898, Brandegee (UC). Additional stations where either this or one of the two next 



