474 VALEBIANACEiE. 



fleshy rootstocks. These were 1 to 4 in. long- nearly the size of a 

 lead-pencil, very scaly and somewhat 4-sided; scales short and broad, 

 acute, opposite, distinctly connate by a narrow_ margin, decussate. 

 Examination of other shrubs of the same species fail, thus fav, to 

 reveal repetitions of these remarkable structures. 



Var. subspicata (Gray). Moronel. Uppermost leaves distinct 

 and often very narrow; inflorescence paniculate. — Corral Hollow, 

 Bi-CM-er; southward to San Diego. 



97. VALERIANACE/E. Valerian Family. 



Ours annual herbs with opposite leaves. Flowers mostly perfect, 

 borne in a cymose inflorescence. Corolla epigynous, bilabiate to 

 regularly 5-lobed, the stamens borne on its tube. Calyx-tube aduate 

 to the ovary, its limb obsolete (in ours) or in one species pappus-like. 

 Ovary commonly 3-celled, the two lateral cells reduced to mere 

 nerves, or enlarged and forming wings to the central cell which is 

 1-seeded and indehiscent. 



Valeriana stlvatica Banks. Perennial; stems erect, simple, 

 from rootstocks; radical leaves mainly undivided, obovate; cauline 

 leaves pinnate or pinnately divided, with 3 to 11 or 13 leaflets; calyx- 

 limb of 5 to 15 bristle-shaped calyx-lobes which are coiled up and 

 inconspicuous until the fruiting stage when they uni-oll and form a 

 conspicuous plumose and pappus-like crown to the fruit.— High 

 Sierras. 



1. PLECTRITIS DC. 



Annual herbs. Stems simple or rarely with very slender branches. 

 Leaves entire or sparingly toothed, the cauline commonly sessile, 

 riowers borne in glomerules at the end of the stem or branches, or the 

 glomerules in interrupted or dense spikes. Wings of the fruit com- 

 monly incurved and forming a circular hollow or cavity on the side. 

 (From Latin plecto, to plait or interweave, on account of the 

 involved inflorescence. Species similar in habit, size, leaves, and 

 inflorescence; our forms little known. The following account is 

 tentative and probably does not include all the species which grow in 

 our region. It is vei'y needful that further and abundant material 

 be collected; this should be accompanied by field notes concerning 

 form and color of corolla and by mature fruit.) 



Fruits wingless . , 1. P. samolifoUa. 



Fruit conspicuouslv winged. 

 Fruit woolly . . " . . . . 2. P. Jepsonii. 



Fruit not woolly. 

 Fruit wholly glabrous . . . 3. P. glabra. 



Fruit more or less hispid. 

 Cavity of fruit without subulate appendages. 

 Wings of fruit meeting above, open below; fruit glabrous externally. 



4. P. magna. 

 Wings of fruit spreading or incurved; fruit more or less hispid 



externally 5. p. macrocera. 



Cavity of fruit with two stout subuliite appendages , . 6. P. Daviana. 



