460 BUSH-FRUITS 



19. B. BRACHYANTHUM (Gray). R. leptanthum var. Irachyan- 



thum, Gray. R. velutinum, Greene. 



Low, rigid, much -branched shrub with grayish or hoary bark, 

 destitute of prickles; spines slender, sometimes nearly absent; 

 leaves small, rounded, tomentose, and often glandular; peduncles 

 short, commonly 1-flowered; flowers yellowish; calyx hirsute 

 without, tube short, enlarged above the ovary, narrowing to the 

 base of the lobes, lobes narrowly spatulate, reflexed in flower; 

 ovary, and at least the young fruit, finely but densely pubescent. 



Rocky Mountains and mountains westward. 



This form long stood as a variety, but has evidently much 

 better claim to specific rank than many other recognized species. 



According to Coville* this plant is distinct from R. velutinum, 

 Greene, and that opinion may be correct. Whatever the dispo- 

 sition made of them, they are apparently representatives of the 

 same form, perhaps modified by geographical position. 



20. R. LASIANTHUM, Greene. 



Described as follows :t "Stout, low, widely spreading and intri- 

 cately branched, the height seldom exceeding 2 feet, branches 

 glabrous; infrastipular spines commonly 3, rather slender, straight; 

 rounded leaves %-% inch (13-20 mm.) broad, short-petioled, 

 pubescent, cleft to the middle into 3 terminal lobes, with 2-4 

 more shallow and less distinct lateral or basal ones, all these 

 3-lobed at apex, the sinuses closed; flowers 3 or 4, in very short- 

 peduncled racemes, yellow; calyx about 5 lines (10 mm.) long, 

 the hirsute tube much dilated above the ovary, thence tapering 

 gradually to the spreading spatulate lobes ; petals also spatulate, 

 shorter than the calyx lobes; young ovaries hairy; fruit un- 

 known. 



"An almost alpine species, flowering in the latter part of 

 July, near the receding snow-drifts in the mountains of Cali- 

 fornia above Donner Lake, toward Castle Peak." 



Judging from the description only, this differs from R. brachy- 

 anthum chiefly, if not wholly, in the size of the flowers. In 

 this connection it would be interesting to know whether altitude 

 has any tendency to induce increase in size or lengthening of 

 the floral parts. 



21. R. IRRIGUUM, Dougl. (Fig. 90.) R. leucoderme, Heller. 

 Shrub 3-10 feet (1-3 meters) high, branches sometimes nearly 



*Cont. U. S. Nat. Herb., 4:100. 

 tPittonia, 3:22. 



