BOTANY. 197 
high. Leaves an inch long, tapering at the base into a short petiole. Spikes on short peduncles 
4 to 5-flowered ; commonly only the lowest flower pistillate. Very near the last species, but 
differing in being entirely smooth, and in long narrow emarginate glands of the disk. 
APHORA LANCEOLATA, Engelm. & Gray, l.c. Serophytum lanceolatum, Benth. 1, с. Sierra de 
la Nariz, Sonora; Schott. On the Gila; Thurber. Near A. humilis. 
APHORA SERRATA (n. sp.): annua, humilis, pilosa; caule e basi ramoso; foliis oblongis basi in 
petiolum brevem attenuatis serratis ; racemis androgynis paucifloris; floris masculi petalis calyce 
longioribus, foeminei petalis glandulis multo longioribus. Sandy plains near Fort Yuma, 
California ; Schott. On the Rio Gila; Parry. Stems moderately branching, 8—6 inches long. 
Leaves 1-1 inch long, ovate, or elliptical-oblong, obtuse or acute, denticulate-serrate. Clusters 
or short racemes axillary, 4-5-flowered ; one or two of the flowers fertile, the others staminate, 
Petals of the staminate flowers rhombic-lanceolate, acuminate. Stamens 10, in 2 series, the 
filaments united into a slender column, at the base of which are 5 oblong erect glands. Fertile 
flowers 5-petalled, with 5 linear short glands alternating with the petals. Ovary trigastric, 
very hispid ; styles deeply 2-parted ; the divisions linear. Seed the size of a large pin-head, 
globose-obovate, gray, corrugated. 
We have incomplete specimens (with staminate flowers only) of an allied species, or a variety 
of this plant, collected by Mr. Schott, on the Sierra del Tule, Sonora. It is much larger than 
A. serrata; the branches are quite smooth, and the oblong remotely denticulate leaves (1—2 
inches das are only sparsely hirsute. "The racemes, or spikes, are axillary, 8-10-flowered, on 
peduncles about as long as the p tioles. Segments of the calyx narrowly lanceolate. Petals 5, 
rhombic-lanceolate, purple. Stamens 10, in two series, one above the other; the filaments 
united into a column, with 5 oblong glands at the base. Another allied species, or probably 
variety, was found by Mr. Blodgett, in dry places, at Key West. It seems to be a prostrate 
annual, slightly hirsute, with ovate-oblong acute sub-sessile leaves, which are either denticulate- 
serrate, or nearly entire. Clusters 4—5-flowered. Petals of the staminate flowers oblong, a 
little exceeding the calyx. Fertile flowers 5-petalled, the petals ovate, half the length of the 
calyx. Glands very short and emarginate. Seed sub-globose, reticulate-corrugate. 
APHORA MERCURIALANA, Nutt. in Amer. Phil. Trans. (n. ser.) 5, p. 114. Serophytum Drum- 
mondi, Benth. Bot. Sulph. р 53. Western Texas; Wright. (No. 2166, Berlandier.)—Var. 
PUMILA: nana, glabrescens, e basi ramosa; floris masculi petalis calyce paulo longioribus. Springs 
near Eagle Pass, on the Rio Grande; Bigelow. The variety is woody at the base, as in the 
ordinary form. The stem is only 4—6 inches long. Leaves (in dried specimens) more or less 
tinged or clouded with purple. 
APHORA PILOSISSIMA. Serophytum pilosdsimum, Benth. 1. с. Southern Texas. (Berlandier, 
No. 2566.) This is the same as No. 322 of Drummond's third collection of Texan plants. 
Engelmann and Gray incorrectly refer this species to A. mercurialina, Nutt. 
Mozinna SPATHULATA, Orteg. Dec. 8, p. 105, t. 13. Var. SESSILIFLORA, Hook. lc. 4, 357. 
Gravelly hills and mountain sides, western Texas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon; 
flowering throughout most of the season. Near Matamoras; Berlandier, No. 3210. (No. 1812, 
Wright.) An erect shrubby plant, with nearly simple rather stout branches. Leaves 1-2 
inches long, varying from linear to obovate-spatulate, and from obtuse or emarginate to acute. 
Flowers white, in х, small facicles, growing, with the leaves, from short wart-hke spurs. Fruit 
ovate, acute, oft rtion) 1-seeded, the thin papery endocarp separating from the exocarp. 
M wv 
Seed. the size ofa a ie е реа, glabrous. All the species of this genus are called by the Mexicans 
ЖБ 
