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PLATYSTÉMON caliíornicus.
Californian Platystemon.
Linnean Class and Order. POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA.
Natural Order. PAPAVERACEÆ. Juss. gen. p. 235.
P LA T Y S T EM O N . CaZj/x 3-phyllus, caducus. Petala 6. Biamwa indefinita.
FíZameBÍa dilatata, obcordata, membranacea. ABiÆerffi filamentis
longiores, lineares, obtusæ, biloculares, subextrorsæ. Ovarium e carpellis
plurimis (12-18) compositum. Stigmata totidem, linearia, erecta, papillosa.
Pericarpium demùm in carpellis totidem siliquilbrmibus torulosis articulatis
decompositum. Semina reniformia, albumine oleoso.
Herba (californica) annua, pilosa. Eolia apposita ! integra. Flores solitarii,
pedunculati, sulphurea.
P. californicus. t - ni
Platystemon californicum-. Benth. in hort. trans, v. 1. n. s. p. 405. Lindi,
in hot. reg. t. 1679.
Boot fibrous, annual. Stem decumbent, branched, cylin
drical, about a span high, thinly clothed, as well as the leaves,
with long, slender, bristly, spreading hairs. Leaves opposite,
or ternate, lorate, acute, 3-5-nerved, reticulately veined,
connate at the base, 2 or 3 inches long, half an inch broad ;
upper ones linear-lanceolate. Peduncles solitary, one-flowered,
apparently axillary, but really terminal, filiform, 3 or 5 inches
long. Sepals 3, or rarely 2, broadly elliptical, obtuse, concave,
caducous, copiously clothed with bristly hairs. Petals 6,
rarely 4, obovate, concave, many-nerved, slightly repand at
the margin, of a pale straw-colour, furnished at the base
with an orange spot. Stamens indefinite, shorter than the
petals. Filaments broadly winged, obcordate, membranous.
Anthers attached by their base, linear, obtuse, rather longer
than the filaments ; cells parallel, opening lengthways, somewhat
extrorse. Pistils numerous ft2-18), mostly 14, sili-
quiform, torulose, combined together into a unilocular ovarium.
Stigmas linear, compressed, erect, copiously papillose.
Ovula reniform, from 4 to 6 in each carpel, and besides those
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