132 BOTANY. 



from North Mexico, through Texas, to Arizona. It lias been said that its 

 flowers, contrary to the habit of the genus (which lias diurnal flowers — i. e. 7 

 open in sunlight), are nocturnal, which, however, is now positively denied. 



FIC0IDE2E.* 

 Mollugo verticillata, L. — Point of Mountains, Arizona (723). 



UMBELLIFEILE. 



Eryngium Wrightii, Gray (PI. Wright. 1, p. 78). — Erect, smooth, 

 pale, somewhat branched ; lower leaves narrowly spatulate, regularly pec- 

 tinate or toothed, with each tooth terminating in a bristle; stem-leaves 

 lanceolate, 3-5' long, deeply cleft, with the divisions terminating in a bristle ; 

 upper leaves shorter, more deeply and palmately parted; petals blue, with 

 a long, inflexed point ; leaflets of the involucre longer than the head ; inner 

 bracts slightly exceeding the flowers. — Sanoita Valley, Arizona (603), at 

 G,500 feet altitude. 



MusENiUMf trachyspermum, Nutt. — Branching from the base; radical 

 leaves ascending, petioled, pinnately parted, with the segments pinnatifid; 

 rachis broad, 1-2" ; fruit nearly as broad as long, and slightly roughened ; 

 involucel of 8-10 leaflets, 2-4" long, narrow, but slightly dilated up- 

 ward.— Colorado (72G). 



Cicuta macui ata, L. — Nevada and Utah. 



Carum GAiRDNERr, Benth. & Hook. — Nevada, where, as in Utah, the 

 tubers are an important article of food with the Indians. 



*Ficoide.<e. — "A miscellaneous group, chiefly of fleshy or succulent plants, with mostly opposite 

 leaves and no stipules ; differing from Caryophyllacea aud Portulacaiew hy having distinct partitions to 

 Ihe ovary and capsule (which aro therefore 2-mauy-celled) ; the petals and stamens sometimes numerous 

 in the maimer of Cactacece (but the former wanting in most of the genera); agreeing with all these 

 orders in the campylotropons or amphitropous seeds; the slender embryo curved partly or completely 

 round a mealy albumen." — Fl. Cal. p. 2o0. 



t Mini :.\n m, Nutt. — Calyx-teeth conspicuous. Petals clawed, ohovate, point inflexed. Stylopodia 

 Brnall, depressed, styles ratber short. Fruit ovate, slightly compressed on the side, commissure rather 

 hroad ; carpels 5-anglod, a little compressed on the hack, with the primary ribs filiform, rather promi- 

 nent, lateral ones contiguous. Vitta many. Carpophore bifid. Seed compressed a little on the back, 

 with the sides a little incurved.— Perennial, caespitose herbs, branching from the base, smooth. Leaves 

 pinnate or hipinnatifid, segments pinnatifid. Many-rayi d umbel compound. Involucre none. Invo- 

 lucel of a few short leaflets. Flowers white or yillow.— Dkntiiam & Hooker. 



