CATALOGUE. 329 



erect or divaricate, striate, smooth or minutely resinous-puberulent, yellow- 

 ish-green ; sheaths 2-cleft, the lobes i-6" long, entire, short-triangular, lance- 

 olate or linear-subulate, at length deciduous ; sterile aments 3-4" long, the 

 bracts opposite and imbricated, anthers about 8, sessile or short-stipitate, 

 the united column of filaments 2" long, twice exceeding the perianth and 

 involucre ; fertile aments solitary, short-peduncled, 1- or usually 2-fruited, 

 with 4 pairs of broadly-ovate thickish scales connate at base ; fruit 3-4" 

 long, sessile, oblong-ovate, nearly triangular, smooth ; base of the radicle 

 straight.— From Western Texas to CaHfornia, Southern Utah, and Nevada. 

 Abundant through Nevada, from the Sierras to the East Humboldt Mount- 

 ains; 4-6,000 feet altitude ; flowering in May and June, perfecting its fruit 

 in July. The medullary portion of the stems abounds in a reddish-brown 

 resin. The medicinal virtues of the plant are well known, and it has also 

 been used as a substitute for tea. (1,108.) 



The iiitegument of the ovule is said to be single in the genus, but here it 

 is plainly double, the two coats united over the lower two-thirds of the ovule 

 but easily separable, and wholly free above. The deciduous styliform pro- 

 cess is a tubular continuation of the outer coat, ligulate and not stigmatic 

 at the top, but affording ready access for the pollen to the apex of the 

 ovule. This apex is subcorneous and incorporates the bases of the attenu- 

 ated albumen and embryo with the integuments. Plate XXXIX. Fig. 1. 

 A staminate branch. Fig. 2. A fertile branch. Fig. 3. Flowerless stems 

 with well-developed, leaves ; all natural size. Fig. 4. Staminate ament. 

 Fig. 5. Involucre, of connate bracts. Fig. 6. Single bract, showing obscure 

 veins. Fig. 7. Joint of the rachis,withitsoppositeflowers. Fig. 8. Perianth, 

 laid open, showing upper side of stamineal column. Fig. 9. Fertile ament ; 

 all enlarged four diameters. Fig. 10. Involucral bracts, enlarged two diam- 

 eters. Fig. 11. Fruiting perianth, dorsal side. Fig. 12. Its ovule ; both 

 enlarged four diameters. Fig. 13. Ovule ; enlarged eight diameters ; the 

 integuments on the ventral side removed and the styliform process detached, 



doubtful form, andisnowpublishedunderthe name pro visionally proposed for it by Dr. Torreyin Emory's 

 Bepm-t, p. 151. It was again collected the last season by Dr. Palmer in Arizona. 



E. TRiFURCA, Torr. An undershrub with the habit of E. antisyphilitica, but the branches, the 

 sheathing leaves, and the bracts of the aments in whorls of three ; bracts thin and membranous, in 6-8 

 imbricated alternating whorls, those of the fertile aments dUated and orbicular, on short petioles which 

 are scarcely connate at base ; stamens 6-8; fertile flowers 1-3 ; perianth triangular, somewhat roughened 

 or minutely rugose, about equaling the involucre ; attenuated base of the undeveloped radicle elongated and 

 somewhat coiled. — ^New Mexico; Arizona. 

 42 



