102 KEY AND FLORA 
Il. MATTHIOLA R. Br. 
Herbaceous or shrubby oriental plants, covered with a down 
composed of star-shaped hairs. Flowers in showy racemes of 
many colors, ranging from white to crimson. Stigmas large 
and spreading. Pods nearly cylindrical, except for a promi- 
nent midrib on each valve. 
1, M. incana R. Br. Common Stock, GittyFLower. Biennial or 
perennial, with somewhat woody stems. Cultivated in greenhouses 
and gardens. 
III, LESQUERELLA Wats. 
Low herbs with stellate hairs. Leaves simple. Flowers in 
racemes, mostly yellow. Pod globular-inflated, with a trans- 
lucent partition nerved from the apex to the middle. Seeds 
few, several or many, flattened, marginless or nearly so. 
1. L. globosa Wats. Annual or biennial. Slender, somewhat 
branched, 6-20 in. high, covered with fine stellate hairs. Basal 
leaves 1-1} in. long, oblong-obovate, obtuse. Stem leaves smaller, 
linear or oblong, sessile. Raceme finally elongated with thread-like 
diverging pedicels. Flowers light yellow. Style slender, much longer 
than the small globose pod. Rocky banks and open places S. and W. 
2. L. argentea Pursh. Sirvery BuiappEer Pop. Biennial or 
perennial, 6-18 in. high, densely stellate-hairy. Leaves linear to 
oblanceolate, blunt, entire, the lower ones 2-3 in. long. Flowers 
yellow. Pods downy, on recurved pedicels. Plains W. 
IV. LEPIDIUM L. 
Annual. Stem erect, or sometimes diffuse. Leaves entire, 
toothed, or pinnately divided. Flowers in a terminal raceme, 
small, white. Petals short, sometimes wanting. Stamens 2, 
4, or 6. Pod rounded or obcordate, flattened contrary to the 
partitions.* 
1. L. virginicum L. Prprercrass, Birps’ Perrer, Toncur 
Grass. Stem erect, smooth, much branched, 1-2 ft. high. Lower 
leaves obovate in outline, pinnately cut with dentate lobes; upper 
leaves lanceolate, dentate, slightly downy. Flowers on slender 
pedicels; petals present, sometimes reduced in the later flowers. 
Stamens 2. Pod round. A weed growing in waste places.* 
2. L. campestre R. Br. Fietp Cress. Annual or biennial. Stem 
erect, branching above, downy, 8-18 in. high. Basal leaves entire or 
