ILLECEBKE^. 39 



OKDEBXIV. ILLECEBRE/E. 



Differing from the Caryophyllese only in having a 1-seeded and utric- 

 Ular fruit. 



1. PAROXYCHIA, Clusius. Herbs with opposite entire leaves and a 

 pair of scarious stipules at each node; flowers (in ours) clustered in the 

 axils. Sepals 5, imbricate, somewhat cucullate under the apex and aris- 

 tate or mucronate at the very tip. Stamens 5 or fewer, inserted on the 

 base of the sepals, these often slightly united. Petals represented by 5 

 small setiform organs alternating with the stamens. Ovary 1-celled, 

 1-ovuled; ovule attached by a slender basal funicnlus, ascending or sub- 

 pendulous. Utricle enclosed in the persistent calyx, at length bursting 

 longitudinally. Seed smooth. Embryo annular. 



1. P. Cliileusis, DC. Perennial, diffuse, cespitose, the tough and 

 pliable short- jointed stems suff rutescent : leaves oblong-linear, 1% 3 

 lines long, membranaceous, pungent at tip, minutely appressed pubes- 

 cent; stipules thin-hyaline, ovate-lanceolate, 1 2 lines long: fl. few in 

 the axils, very shortly pedicelled : calyx scarcely % line long, purplish; 

 sepals spinulose- tipped and only slightly cucullate: seed reddish-brown. 

 Frequent on grassy hillsides and summits at the Presidio; evidently 

 indigenous; otherwise known only as South American. 



2. HERMARIA, Dodoens. Differing from Paronychia in habit, and 

 in that the sepals are united at base. 



1. H. CINEREA, DO. Annual, slender, parted from the base into a few 

 ascending branches, these with many short distichous branchlets; herb- 

 age canescent with setulose straight or uncinate-tipped hairs: leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute, sessile, 12 lines long; stipules hyaline, minute, 

 broadly ovate : fl. crowded, sessile, .minute, the calyx ^ line long : seed 

 black, smooth and lustrous. Eastern base of Mt Diablo; native of S. 

 Europe. (Paronychia pusilla of Fl. Fr.) April. 



3. PENTACJSNA, Bartling. Perennials of cespitose habit, with 

 alternate subulate rigid and pungent leaves, silvery -hyaline stipules, and 

 sessile flowers clustered in the axils. Sepals 5, united at base, very 

 unequal, cucullate, the 3 outer large and with a stout divergent terminal 

 spine, the 2 inner much smaller and with but a short awn. Petals 

 minute, scale-like. Stamens 35: staminodia 0. Style very short, bifid. 

 Utricle enclosed in the rigid persistent calyx. Embryo curved. 



1. P. ramosissima (Weinm.), Hook. & Am. Stems prostrate, form- 

 ing mats 5 in. to 2 ft. broad, woolly-pubescent: leaves 35 lines long, 

 squarrose when old; stipules lanceolate, shorter than the leaves, 1 -nerved: 

 calyx-tube nearly a line long, the divergent outer lobes 2 lines: utricle 

 apiculate. On sandy plains and dry gravelly hilltops toward the sea 

 throughout our district. 



