462 



LABIATE. 



white hairs; lower divisions of calyx twice longer than tube; corolla 

 blue, the palate white, dotted with purple, bristly, 7 to 9 lines long: 

 stigmas subequal; nutlets smooth, often mottled, minutely hispid at 

 the apex. 



Low fields: near Pajaro, H. P. Chandler; Mt. Diablo region; 

 Berkeley; very abundant in the dry valleys of the North Coast 

 Ranges, flowering in May or as late as July, often coloring large areas 

 that were overflowed in the winter season. Style flattened above and 

 hirsute-ciliate on the margins, as also in P. ziziphoroides. 



2. P. parviflora Benth. More slender than the preceding; bracts 

 mostly obtuse; calyx-teeth rather broad, the lower barely longer than 

 the tube; corolla scarcely \ in. long. 



About San Francisco Bay. A species little known to us. 



3. P. serpylloides Gray. Stems many from the base, very 

 slender, diffuse; leaves obovate-oval or spatulate, petioled, 2 to 4 lines 

 long; whorls except the terminal ones distinct, the lower with few or 

 even solitary flowers; bracts sparsely hairy; calyx-lobes all longer 

 than the tube, equaling the violet or bluish corolla; corolla \\ to 2 

 lines long, short-pubescent outside; sterile stamens with rudiments 

 of anthers or with none; style bearded above with a few coarse 

 hairs; stigmas very unequal. 



Common from Monterey to Humboldt Co. Also in the Sierra 

 Nevada (Copperopolis) and Southern California. May. 



4. P. ziziphoroides Benth. Stems short, commonly several 

 from the base, 4 to 6 in. high; leaves obovate; bracts ciliate with 

 white bristly hairs; whorls below distinct, with long internodes, above 

 forming a short spike or sometimes capitate; corolla 3 to 4 lines long 

 (the calyx-rteeth distinctly shorter), light purple, the center of lower 

 lip with white and dark purple markings; 2 lower stamens with large 

 anthers, the 2 upper with very small anthers or none and with shorter 

 filaments; stigmas very unequal. 



Sacramento Valley in low ground: Willows, May 1, 1899. 



11. MELISSA L. 



Lemon-scented branching perennial, with broad dentate petioled 

 leaves and white flowers in loose axillary clusters. Calyx narrowly 

 campanulate, 13-nerved, deflexed in fruit; upper lip 3-toothed, the 

 lower 2-parted. Corolla exserted, nearly twice as long as the calyx, 

 bilabiate, the upper lip erect, notched; lower lip spreading, 3-cleft. 

 Stamens 4, converging under the upper lip. (Greek melissa, a bee, 

 these insects visiting the flowers for honey.) 



1. M. officinalis L. Garden Balm. Stems somewhat decum- 

 bent at base, \ to 2 ft. high; stems and petioles short-villous; leaves 

 hispidulous above, truncate at base, 1\ in. long or less, the petiole \ to 

 \ as long; calyx-teeth unequal; corolla 5 lines long. 



Sparingly naturalized: near San Rafael; Palo Alto Creek, Marin 

 Co., Congdon; Santa Rosa; Guerneville. 



