726 MISC. PUBLICATION 42 3, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Resembles the preceding species in the breadth, and the following 

 species in the relative shortness, of the corolla. A form with acute 

 corolla lobes (G. hutchinsifolia Rydb.) is of occasional occurrence in 

 Arizona. 



36. Gilia inconspicua (Smith) Dough, Curtis's Bot. Mag. 56: pi. 2883. 

 1829. 



Ipomopsis inconspicua J. E. Smith, Exot. Bot. 1: 25. 1804. 



Almost throughout the State, up to 7,000 feet but usually much 

 lower, very common, usually in open sandy places, February to June. 

 Wyoming to eastern Washington, south to western Texas, Arizona, 

 and southern California. 



Extremely variable in pubescence and leaf shape. Numerous 

 varieties have been described, but there is so much intergradation 

 that it seems useless to attempt to distinguish them. An extreme 

 form, resembling G. davyi Milliken in the narrow, simply pinnatifid 

 basal leaves with a very broad rachis, but smaller-flowered than that 

 species, was collected near Kinsman, Mohave County {Kearney and 

 Peebles 13093, 13111). 



An apparently undescribed species of Gilia, related to G. brachysiphon Woot. 

 and Standi., of southwestern New Mexico, was collected near the Grand Canyon 

 (Whiting 1047/4311, in 1940). It resembles G. multiflora superficially, but has 

 very different flowers, the pale violet corolla being much more deeply cleft, 

 with the tube barely surpassing the calyx and not longer than the lobes. There 

 are 5 or 6 ovules in each cell of the ovary. 



4. POLEMONTUM. Jacobs-ladder, skunkleaf 



Plants mostly perennial, herbaceous; stems leafy; leaves alternate, 

 pinnate, the uppermost leaflets often confluent; corolla rotate-cam- 

 panulate, funnelform, or nearly salverform, violet, yellow, or white; 

 stamens equally inserted, the filaments declined and usually hairy at 

 base. 



Key to the species 



1. Corolla tubular-funnelform or nearly salverform, the lobes much shorter than 

 the tube and throat (2). 

 2. Stems 30 cm. long, or longer, rather sparsely villous with flaccid hairs, some- 

 what viscid; leaflets 15 to 25, not crowded, thin, lanceolate, 10 to 25 

 mm. long, not appearing verticillate, the uppermost ones decurrent and 

 confluent; corolla light yellow, almost salverform, about 40 mm. long, 

 the tube narrow, about 3 times as long as the lobes; filaments pubescent 

 at base 1. P. pauciflorum. 



2. Stems seldom more than 20 cm. long; plant copiously viscid- villous through- 



out; leaflets many more than 30, thickish, narrowly elliptic to nearly 

 orbicular, less than 5 mm. long, appearing verticillate; corolla blue, 

 funnelform, 15 to 30 mm. long; filaments glabrous. 



2. P. CONFERTUM. 



1. Corolla funnelform-campanulate to rotate-campanulate, the lobes longer than 

 the tube and throat; leaflets thin, not appearing verticillate; inflorescence 

 somewhat viscid (3) . 



3. Flowering stems usually several, slender, not more than 20 cm. long, with 



not more than 3 leaves, puberulent to sparsely villous with soft hairs; 

 leaflets 5 to 15 (usually not more than 10) mm. long; inflorescence few- 

 flowered; corolla not more than 10 mm. long, violet-blue, with a yellow 



or white throat; plant ill-scented 3. P. pulcherrimum. 



3. Flowering stems usually solitary, stout, 40 cm. long or longer, with numerous 

 leaves; leaflets usually more than 10 (up to 25) mm. long, the upper- 

 most ones decurrent and confluent; inflorescence several- to many- 

 flowered; corolla 12 to 20 mm. long (4). 



