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Descriptive Flora 



flowers and tiny, 2-lobed pods as broad as long, conspicuously 

 dotted with glands, and resembling a pair of breeches. Leaves 

 simple, alternate. Blades small, less than 1" long, strong-scented, 

 entire, finely dotted with glands. Flowers yellow, less than y± 

 across, scattered along the upper parts of the stems. Sf> r j"4, 

 minute, blunt tipped. Petals 4, yellow, sprinkled with minute 

 glands. Stamens 8. February to June. Usually poor, dry soil. 

 Genus has its origin in the Greek tharnnos, bush, osme, odor, 

 from the strong-scented leaves. 



Ptelea trifoliate L. Hop Tree. Skunk Bush. 



A deciduous shrub with strong-scented, compound leaves of 

 three entire leaflets. Its clusters of flattened, circularly-winged 

 fruits (about %" across) resemble a bunch of tiny castanets and 

 produce a delightful rustle in the wind in the fall. Flowers very 

 small (about y± across), in branched, greenish-yellow clusters at 

 the ends of the branches. Petals 4 or 5. Stamens 4 or 5, abortive 

 in the pistillate flowers. Prefers shaded and rich soil. 



SIMARUBACEAE. Quassia Family. 



Castela nicTtolsonii Hook. Goatbush. "Amargoso" 



Usually very low growing shrub with delicate spines on the 

 younger branches and tiny, deep orange or scarlet flowers that 

 are scattered usually in pairs along the pale stems. Leaf -blades 

 thick, linear, less than %" long, shiny and green above, silvery 

 or paler beneath, with slightly rolled-back margins. Petals 4. 

 Stamens 8. Fruits round, red, flattened, stony, about y£ across. 

 April to June. In dry, rocky soil. Rare. The bark is very 

 bitter and used in medicine by the Mexicans. 



POLYGALACEAE. Milkwort Family. 



Polygala alba Nutt. Milkwort. White Wings. 



Slender wands of small white flowers oddly built with two 

 bright (usually white) wings, a pouch, and a bit of crest. Stems 

 tufted at root, slender, wiry, finely grooved, erect, 6 to 18" tall, 



