174 MR. NUTTALL'S DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW 



Very distinct from the Hymenoxys Calif ornica of Hooker, {Piilomeris Californica,) 

 by its reduced size and smaller number of parts throughout, otherwise its habit and 

 that of the following, are still very similar. 



An annual, four to five inches high, the stem and pedicels more or less pilose. 

 The leaves small, except the radical ones, simply pinnatifid, with capillary and 

 nearly simple segments, all usually terminated with a blunt gland. Pedicels 

 elongated. Involucrum campanulate, of about eight ovate, subcarinated scales, (as 

 usual in the genus, arranged in a single series, so that the involucrum is either 

 hemispherical or campanulate, according to the number of its leaves or scales,) rays 

 about eight, oval, and short, scarcely emarginate, nearly entire ; the radial achenia 

 subfusiform, curved, and embraced as in the rest of the genus, by a fold in the scales of 

 the involucrum, crowned by a very short and blunt pappus, similar to that of the discal 

 florets, but nearly abortive. Achenia somewhat terete, minutely scabrous, and partly 

 fusiform, in the ray sterile, discal florets with a slender tube. Receptacle small, 

 smooth, and naked, conical. 



Hab. In the vicinity of Pueblo de los Angeles, Upper California. Flowering in 

 April. 



P. *AFFiNis. Similar to tlie preceding, excepting the pappus, which is fimbriate along the margin of the 

 narrow scales, all terminating in awns, excepting the rays, which have the same short awnless pappus 

 as in the preceding. 



Hab. With the former. That these are true species, as well as the one which I 

 called P. coronaria, I am persuaded by the fact of their retaining the same relative 

 character when cultivated. 



One of the species of this very distinct genus, (of which the seeds were sent to 

 London from my growing plants in Philadelphia,) having been hastily referred in 

 the Botanical Magazine to the genus Hymenoxys of Cassini, the rest of the species I 

 described in the Philosophical Transictions have by Torrey and Gray been also 

 placed in that very distinct genus, to which they have in fact no aflSnity, or external 

 resemblance in habit. In Hymenoxys, the involucrum is biserial, with rigid 

 appressed scales, of which the interior are longer ; the achenia also are turbinate, and, 

 as in Actinea, covered with erect, very copious, silky hairs ; the rays are also, as in 

 that genus, three-lobed at the extremity ; the pappus is always entire, acuminately 

 awned and consirailar. They are perennials, (at least the section Oxypappus,) and 

 one of them was referred, even by H B. and Kunth to the genus Actinea. I have 

 also examined specimens of two or three species of Hymenoxys, in the herbarium of 

 : Fielding, Esq. of Lancaster, (England,) and perceive no affinity. 



In revising my specimens, I find that the dissimilar radial jlorets are always 

 embraced in a central fold of the scales of the involucrum, somewhat after the 



