56 WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA 



613. Giant Cactus Cereus Plants of all sizes, low or 



climbing or erect. Some 

 20 feet or more in height 

 with branches. Cylindri- 

 cal ribbed stems. The 

 flowers of some open only 

 in sunlight, others only at 

 night. Fruit of some 

 highly prized by Indians. 

 About 6 species. Southern 

 California from the coast 

 to the interior. 



614. Jointed Cactus Opuntia 



A very large genus and unlike the others extending far up into the cold north 

 in California and Nevada. The stems consist of flattened or cylindrical joints 

 which have small round subulate leaves at first, but which soon drop off. Numer- 

 ous short, easily detached bristles and sometimes also stouter spines in addition, 

 all barbed. Flowers on the joints of the preceding year, mostly large, open only 

 in sunlight. Fruit often edible and produced in large quantities. 



About twenty species from San Diego to the interior, a few extending along 

 the eastern base of the Sierras to Oregon. 



PARSLEY FAMILY UMBELLIFERAE 



A very large family with about thirty genera occurring in California. Very 

 few of them are sought after for their beauty and many are ill-smelling. From 

 an economic standpoint the family is important as it includes the parsnip, carrot, 

 celery, parsley, dill, fennel, caraway, and anise. 



On the other hand, the roots and young leaves of several of the genera are 

 exceedingly poisonous and have caused much stock poisoning and a considerable 

 number of human lives either by accident or with suicidal intent. 



The family is a difficult one to deal with unless one has good, mature fruit 

 The differentiation of the genera is based on the character of the fruit and the 

 number and arrangement of longitudinal canals between the ribs, containing aro- 

 matic oil and generally spoken of as oil-tubes. These are best seen by making 

 transverse sections through mature fruits. Stems usually hollow. The leaves are 

 mainly compound and these again divided into leaflets which may be slightly or 

 finely divided, or variously lobed. The petioles of the leaves expand into a sheath- 

 like structure at the base. 



The flowers are arranged in simple or compound umbels. The bracts under 

 the main umbel form an involucre and those under a secondary umbel or umbellet 

 form an involucel. Individual flowers are usually very small and may be white, 

 greenish-white, bluish, yellows of many shades, and reddish-brown. 



The family is widely distributed from the ocean cliffs to middle elevations in 

 the Sierras, but we do not recall many in the high Sierras. 



615. Water Pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides Umbels simple, fruit with- 



out oil tubes, very small, 

 carpels not separating, 

 ribs obscure ; creeping, 

 aquatic or semi-aquatic 

 plants with round lobed 

 leaves; fruit ovoid. Bay 

 region and south. 



616. Marsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle prolifera Similar, but umbels in 



whorls. Fruit small, but 

 with two prominent ribs 

 on each side. Bay region 

 southward in marshes. 



