330 



ONAGRACE^E. 



acute, about 3 to 6 lines long; inflorescence spicate, commonly elon- 

 gated; petals about 2 lines long, about twice as long as tbe lobes of 

 the calyx, and exceeding the subtending leaves; capsule 2 lines long, 

 dehiscent; seeds ovate or triangular-ovate. 



Of wide distribution in the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Coast 

 Range valleys and among the hills, preferring low ground where 

 water has stood in spring pools: Stockton; Santa Clara Co.; Monterey; 

 Berkeley; Napa Valley, etc. Also in the Sierra Nevada. June- 

 Sept. Passes into the following: Var. imbricata Greene. Bracts 

 densely imbricated, concealing the capsules; spikes commonly very 

 long and virgate. — Santa Cruz; Marin Co.; Vaca Valley, etc. Var. 

 mont anus. Short lateral spikelets numerous below the short termi- 

 nal spike, each spikelet subtended by a narrowly lanceolate bract 

 to 2 in. long. — Howell Mountain, Napa Co. 



3. B. campestris. Commonly branched from the base and 5 to 

 9 in. high, with a short scattered pubescence or nearly glabrous, the 

 foliage bright green; upper (flowering) portion of branches densely 

 imbricated with ovate or oblong denticulate leaves 5 or 6 lines long, 

 in fruiting stage concealing the capsules; lower leaves ovate-lanceolate, 

 scattered and rather longer, often with flowers in their axils; petals 2 

 lines long, purple; stamens opposite the sepals 1£ lines long, the 

 alternate ones shorter (sometimes with nearly sessile anthers); capsule 

 almost straight, pointed at apex, 3 lines long; seeds fusiform, about 60. 



Little Oak, Lower Sacramento Valley, to the plains of the San 

 Joaquin between Oakdale and La Grange; associated with B. cleisto- 

 gama. Last of May-June. The lower (foliage) leaves turn brown 

 early, and by the time the plant is in fruit have disappeared; the 

 bracts remain green for a much longer period. The technical char- 

 acters of separation from B. glabella Walpers, of Oregon, are not as 

 strong as could be desired; that plant is taller and with decidedly 

 looser spikes. Our plant doubtless bears much the same relation to 

 B. glabella that B. densiflora var. imbricata holds to B. densiflora. 



4. B. stricta Trelease. Simple or often diffusely branched from 

 the base, 5 to 13 in. high, pilose-pubescent or somewhat canescent; 

 leaves linear, 1£ in. long or less; petals 1 line long, violet; capsule 

 slender, attenuate, arcuate-recurved, 6 to 7 lines long, not promptly 

 dehiscent. 



Lower Sacramento Valley; Angwin's meadows, Howell Mountain, 

 and Cloverdale, southward to New Almaden and the Santa Lucia 

 Mountains. June. Frequently flowering from the very x base, the 

 branches often with sparse foliage, or the foliage strict. 



5. B. cleistogama Curran. Commonly with stout rigid whitish 

 branches or rarely simple, 4 to 8 in. high, pilose-pubescent, somewhat 

 glandular, glaucescent; leaves linear or lanceolate, 1 to 1£ in. long, 

 remotely denticulate; flowers axillary along the branches, the earliest 

 fertilized in the bud and never expanding, the later light pink; petals 

 2 lines long, bifid; capsule 4-sided, the septal lines on each side 

 distinct, sharply pointed, 5 lines long, hard coriaceous, very tardily 

 dehiscent, if ever. 



