<y^ 



432 COMPOSITE. Cahjcoseris. 



and equalling the akenes in length. "Ligules elongated. Akenes somewhat fusi- 

 form. 5- 10-ribhed, tapering into a beak, the apex of which is crowned with a 

 scarious persistent cup denticulate at the margin. Proper pappus of numerous fine 

 and capillary white bristles, which are united at the base and separate in a ring. — 

 Low glabrous annuals (New Mexican and Californian), branching from the base, 

 and bearing middle-sized pedunculate heads ; the leaves pinnately parted into 

 linear divisions, or the smaller and scattered ripper ones almost entire : pieduncles 

 and involucre sparsely beset with stout-stalked tack-shaped glands. — PL Wright. 

 ii. 104, t. 14, & Bot. Mex. Bound. 106. 



1. C. Parryi, Gray. Flowers yellow: akenes smooth, slender, with 5 acute and 

 intermediate obtuse ribs, the beak slender. — Bot. Mex. Bound. 1. c. 



Mountains east of Monterey, June, Parry. A fragmentary specimen, the only one known, 

 wanting the base of the stem and the lower leaves. 



C. Wkightii, Gray, 1. c, the other and better known species, inhabits the eastern part of New 

 Mexico : it has rose-colored flowers, and stouter akenes, with thick, very obtuse, tuberculate- 

 roughened ribs and thickish beak. Dr. Palmer collected specimens in Utah with akenes some- 

 what intermediate in character ; and Dr. Newberry found others, in W. New Mexico (without 

 fruit), which show hardly any of the curious glands. 



116. MALACOTHRIX, DC, Torr. & Gray. 



Head many-flowered. Involucre campanulate or cylindraceous ; the scales either 

 loosely imbricated, or mainly equal, and calyculate with a few short ones at base. 

 Eeceptacle flat, naked, or sometimes with delicate and fragile or deciduous capillary 

 bristles interposed between the flowers. Akenes short, oblong or columnar, glabrous, 

 terete and 8 - 15-striate-ribbed, or 4-5-angled by the stronger or primary ribs, 

 little if at all contracted at base ; the broad truncate apex furnished with a crown- 

 like entire or denticulate border or sharp edge, sometimes evidently representing 

 an outer pappus : the ordinary pappus bright white, consisting of a single series of 

 soft and scabrous or toward the base minutely barbellate capillary bristles, which 

 are caducous more or less in a ring, and commonly of a few (1 to 8) outer and 

 stronger as well as smoother more persistent bristles : in an anomalous species, all 

 the pappus is wanting. — Herbs (peculiar to the western parts of North America) ; 

 with somewhat leafy or scape-like and mostly branching stems, middle-sized or 

 small pedunculate heads, commonly nodding before expansion, and pinnatifid 

 or occasionally entire leaves. — Torr. & Gray, PI. ii. 485 ; Gray, PI. Pendl. 113; 

 Benth. & Hook. Gen. PL ii. 518 ; Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. ix. 213. Leptoseris, 

 Leucoseris, & Malacomeris, ISTutt. 



§ 1. Involucre of numerous broad and blunt silver y-scarious scales, with only a green 

 midrib or centre, regularly imbricated in several series, the outer successively 

 shorter and rounder : receptacle beset with slender persistent bristles : corollas 

 white or at first cream-color, changing to pink or purple in drying or fading. 



1. M. Coultei'i, Gray. Annual, a foot or two high, glabrous and somewhat 

 glaucous, rather leafy : leaves laciniate-pinnatifid or toothed ; the radical and lower 

 cauline oblong or spatulate, sessile ; upper auriculate-clasping and ovate-lanceolate, 

 gradually reduced to bracts : heads terminating the loose branches : akenes acutely 

 about 15-ribbed and 4-5-angled, the summit more or less denticulate by the 

 projection of the ribs : one or two stouter bristles of the pappus nearly persistent. 

 — PL Fendl. 113. 



