﻿DO PLANTS PRATTENIAN/E CALIFORNIA. 



latis, una cum foliis nascentibus ; umbellti simplici, sessili, laxfi, involuero parvo, 

 4-phyllo deciduoque instructa, pedicellis villosis ; fructu ovato-oblongo. 



" The leaves are broadly ovate, acuminate, rather acute at base, pubescent with 

 appressed hairs, and pale underneath. Flowers appearing with the leaves, in a simple, 

 sessile, loose umbel, which is surrounded by a small 4-leaved deciduous involucre ; 

 pedicels villous ; drupe ovate oblong." (Torr. in litt.) 



This remarkable species belongs to the section of Comas with yellow umbellate 

 flowers, which includes the Cornus mas of Europe and our Cornus florida. So far, 

 specimens collected by Dr. Bigelow and in Whipple's expedition, had proved insuffi- 

 cient for the complete description of this new species, on account of their being too 

 far advanced in florescence; but two small specimens, just in bloom, collected by Mr. 

 Pratten on the banks of Deer Creek, have permitted Dr. Torrey to finish his descrip- 

 tion. The latter specimens, which were only the tip of flowering branches, might 

 have been taken, at first sight, for Dirca pahbstris. 



LORANTHACEiE. 

 PHORADENDRON juniperinum, Engelm. in Gray's PI. Fendl. p. 58. 



RUBIACEiE. 

 CEPHALANTHUS occidentalis, Linn. var. Californicus ? Benth. PI. Hartw. p. 

 314. " Glaberrimus, petiolis brevissimis ; floribus interdum pentameris, etsi saepius 

 tetrameris," &c. The leaves are rather narrower and more elongated than in the 

 eastern species. 



VALERIANACE/E. 

 PLECTRIT1S congesta, D. C. in Torr. and Gr. PI. Am. vol. ii. p 50. 



COMPOSITE. 



SERICOCARPUS Californicus, spec. nov. Caulis erectus, dense scabro-pubescens, 

 foliis caulinaribus ovato-lanceolatis, integris, sessilibus, uninerviis; capitulis majoribus 

 quam in ceeteris speciebus, 15-20-floris, in corymbum compositum, terminalem dispo- 

 sitis. Involucris fere turbinatis, squamis adpressis, ovato-oblongis, obtusis, obscure 

 uninerviis, basi pallidis, apice herbaceis ; ligulis albis, pappo albido longioribus ; acha?- 

 niis obpyramidatis, tenuibus, pubescentibus, pappo dimidio minoribus. 



Apparently a stout plant, with larger heads of flowers than any other of the known 

 species. Radical leaves wanting, those of the stem oval-lanceolate, closely sessile, 

 with an acuminate point, strongly uninerved, rather adpressed, about an inch long, 

 scabrous, ciliate, entire. Heads 15-20-flowered, in a compound terminal corymb ; 

 involucre cylindrical-turbinate, scales imbricate in several series, adpressed, ovate- 

 oblong, obtuse, obscurely uninerved, whitish-cartilaginous at base, with herbaceous 



