.444 



BORAGINACE-iE. 



Abundant in fields of the Upper Sacramento Valley; tirst collected 

 at Yreka; plains of the Lower Sacramento near Elmira (prickle- short 

 and rather sparse as compared with the type); plants from the Lower 

 San Joaquin with the prickles (mostly sparse and much reduced) 

 confluent at base into quite regular walled reticulations are referred 

 here provisionally. 



3. CRYPTANTHE Lehm. Nievitas. 

 Annuals with the white flowers nearly always sessile and scorpioid- 

 spicate. Calyx 5-parted to the base, as long- as the corolla-tube; 

 segments more or less hispid or with hooked bristles, in fruit usually 

 closely embracing the nutlets, eventually deciduous. Nutlets 4. 

 sometimes 8, 2 or 1, smooth, papillate, or muriculate, never rugose; 

 face of nutlet with a ventral groove from the apex to the scar near 

 the base, usually continued beyond the scar as a fork and either open 

 (areolate) or closed. Nutlet attached to the subulate gynobase from 

 the scar half way or wholly to the apex along the groove. (Greek 

 kruptos, hidden, and anthos, flower, perhaps on account of the minute 

 flowers in some species.) 



Nutlets papillate or muricate, 4 (or 3). 

 Fruiting calyx at least twice as long as the nutlets, these with obtuse 



lateral angles 1. C. ambigita. 



Fruiting calyx surpassing a little and somewhat connivent over the 

 acutely angled nutlets. 

 Plants erect, commonly branching; nutlets about 1 line long 



2. C. muriculala. 



Plants erect, branching but very strict; nutlets smaller 



3. C. Jonesii. 



Plants diffuse, very slender; nutlets % line long . . . 4. C. micromeres. 

 Nutlets smooth. 

 Nutlet 1, much surpassing the short gynobase. 

 Corolla very small line broad or less); branches commonly diffuse . 



5. C. microstachi/s. 



Corolla larger (nearly or quite 1 line broad) ; stem rigidlv erect 



6. C. ftaccida. 



Nutlets 4 (or 3) ; gynobase subulate, % *° as long as the nutlets. 

 Groove simple, sometimes not closed at base, but not forked 



7. C. leiocarpu. 



Groove forked at base, but no open areola 8. ('. Torreyana. 



1. C. ambigua (Gray) Greene. Much branched from the base, 

 2 to If ft. high, rough-hirsute throughout; leaves linear, 1 to 1£ in. 

 long; spikes 1 to 2f in. long, commonly very loose below, ternate or 

 geminate, often pedunculate; calyx exceeding 1 line in length; sepals 

 linear, more densely hispid-bristly towards the base; corolla 2\ to 3 

 lines broad; nutlets gray, 4 or 3, narrowly ovate, papillate but not 

 pointed or prickly, the lateral angle obtuse and the groove more or 

 less closed, with the basal bifurcation open-areolate (or sometimes 

 closed?). 



Hills and mountains: St. Helena, June 2, 1896; throughout 

 northern California. 



2. C. muriculata (A. DC.) Greene. Robust, branching, rough- 

 hirsute or hispid, \ to 1^ ft. high, with well-developed rather dense 

 spikes mostly in 2's and 3's at the end of the branches; calyx 1.] lines 



