LYTHRACEiE. 



323 



4. M. gracilenta T. & G. Sparingly branched, or often simple, 

 1 to 1| ft. high; leaves narrowly oblong in outline, pinnatifid into 

 broadly linear lobes or only coarsely sinuate-toothed; upper leaves 

 sometimes disposed to be ovate or lanceolate, somewhat sharply cleft 

 or entire; flowers clustered at the summit; calyx-lobes 2 to 5 lines 

 long; petals obovate or oblanceolate, rounded or retuse at apex, 4 to 6 

 lines long, undoubtedly yellow but the exact shade unknown to us; 

 filaments dilated and somewhat united at base; capsule clavate to 

 obconic, £ to £ in. long; seeds in 3 rows, angled, minutely tubercu- 

 late, $ line long. 



Los Angeles northward to the Sacramento, acc. to Bot. Cal.; San 

 Antonio River, Brewer. 



5. M. Lindleyi T. & G. Bartoxia. Slender, simple or 

 branching, \\ to 4 ft. high; leaves ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 

 peetinately pinnatifid or coarsely toothed, 2 to 3 in. long; flowers 

 axillary and terminal; calyx-lobes 5 to 9 lines long, broadly lanceo- 

 late, acuminate; petals obovate, abruptly acuminate, golden yellow 

 with vermilion base, 1 to 1^ in. long; stamens numerous, about 

 three-fourths as long as the petals; filaments very slender; capsule 

 linear-clavate, 1 to \\ in. long; seeds angular, minutely tuberculate. 



Benicia, acc. to Davy; South Coast Ranges from Niles to Corral 

 Hollow and southward to the region of Mt. Hamilton. May -June. 

 Flowers opening in the evening and remaining open during the 

 morning of the next day. 



<i. M. laevicaulis(DougL) T. & G. Blazing Star. Stout branch- 

 ing biennial, 2 to 3£ ft. high, with shining white nearly smooth stems; 

 leaves narrowly oblong or lanceolate, sinuately toothed, 3 to 7 in. 

 long; flowers in clusters of 2 or 3 at the ends of the branches, 3 or 4 

 in. broad, light yellow; calyx segments lanceolate, 1 to \\ in. long; 

 petals about 10, oblanceolate, the numerous stamens almost as long; 

 capsule oblong, \\ in. long, 3 to 4 lines in diameter. 



Stream beds throughout the Coast Ranges and Sierra Foothills. 

 July-Sept. Flowers open all day. 



68. LYTHRACEvE. Loose-strife Family. 



Herbs with opposite or alternate entire leaves. Flowers perfect, 

 axillary or whorled. Calyx tubular, free from but enclosing the 

 ovary, 4 to 7-toothed, sometimes with accessor} 7 teeth in the sinuses. 

 Petals 4 to 6, inserted with the 4 to 12 stamens on the calyx. Cap- 

 sule in ours 2 to 4-celled. 



Flowers subsessile or pediceled, solitary in the axils; calyx cylindrical; 



leaves alternate 1. Lythrum. 



Flowers sessile in the axils, 2 to 4 in a whorl; calyx in fruit globose; leaves 



opposite 2. Ammannia. 



1. LYTHRUM L. Loose-strife. 

 Slender herbs. Leaves sessile, in ours alternate. Flowers solitary 

 in the axils, purple or whitish. Calyx cylindrical, 8 to 12-ribbed, 



