738 MISC. PUBLICATION 423, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



6. NAMA 19 



Plants (Arizona species) annual; leaves alternate, the blades narrow, 

 entire or very nearly so ; calyx deeply cleft or parted ; corolla funnel- 

 form, usually red-purple; stamens not exserted; styles distinct or 

 partly united. 



Key to the species 



1. Sepals united one-fourth to one-half of their length, the calyx tube narrow, 

 adnate to the ovary; styles partly united; stems leafy, hirsute, up to 35 



cm. long: Section Zonolacus 1. N. stenocarpum. 



1. Sepals separate or nearly so, the calyx free from the ovary; styles separate or 

 nearly so, at least when dry : Section Evnama (2) . 

 2. Stems often matted, prostrate, not more than 10 cm. long and usually much 

 shorter; corolla 3 to 5 mm. long; leaf blades rhombic-ovate or obovate, 



3 to 6 mm. long 2. N. pusillum. 



2. Stems erect or ascending or, if matted and prostrate, then the corolla not 



less than 6 mm. long (3). 



3. Leaves mostly clustered at the ends of the branches and in a basal rosette, 



the stems otherwise naked or nearly so; herbage pilose or hirsutulous, 



the hairs soft, often somewhat retrorse; leaf blades seldom more than 



3 mm. wide; corolla up to 15 mm. long 3. N. demissum. 



3. Leaves scattered along the stems; stems erect or ascending or, if prostrate, 

 then the herbage hispid (4). 

 4. Corolla about 5 mm. long; seeds usually deeply pitted; stems erect, 

 slender, sparingly branched, not more than 20 cm. long; leaf blades 

 linear-elliptic or narrowly spatulate, 1 to 4 mm. wide. 



4. N. DICHOTOMUM. 



4. Corolla 7 to 15 mm. long; seeds not or obscurely pitted; stems usually 

 decumbent or prostrate, branched from the base; herbage hispid- 

 hirsute 5. N. HISPIDUM. 



*1. Nama stenocarpum A. Gray, Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. Proc. 

 10: 331. 1875. 

 Yuma (Vasey in 1881). It is somewhat doubtful that this specimen 

 was actually collected in Arizona. Southern Texas, southern Cali- 

 fornia, and northern Mexico. 



*2. Nama pusillum Lemmon ex A. Gray, Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. 

 Proc. 20: 305. 1885. 

 The writers have seen no specimens from Arizona but the type is 

 stated to have come from Fort Mohave (Lemmon in 1884). The 

 species has been collected at Needles on the California side of the 

 Colorado River. Known definitely only from California. 



3. Nama demissum A. Gray, Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. Proc. 8: 



283. 1870. 



Mohave, Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, and Yuma Counties, 3,500 feet or 

 lower, very common on sandy deserts, March to May. Utah, Arizona, 

 southeastern California, and Baja California. 



This small plant is conspicuous in spring because of its abundance 

 and the vivid red-purple color of the flowers. Most of the Arizona 

 specimens belong to the diminutive form var. deserti Brand. 



4. Nama dichotomum (Ruiz and Pavon) Choisy, Soc. Phys. Hist. 



Nat. Geneve Mem. 6: 113. 1833. 



Hydrolea dichotoma Ruiz and Pavon, Fl. Peruv. Chil. 3: 

 22. 1802. 



Near the San Francisco Peaks (Coconino County), Chiricahua 

 Mountains (Cochise County), probably elsewhere, 5,500 to 7,000 feet, 



1 9 Reference: Hitchcock, C. Leo. a taxonomic study of the genus nama. Amer. Jour. Bot. 20: 

 415-430, 518-534. 1933. 



