July.—Stems 10-15 inches, or sometimes 2 feet high; the whole plant commonly
more or less canescently puberulent, at least when young. Leaves
sometimes narrowly linear, sometimes linear-oblong, tapering at the base
and slightly petioled. Flowers at least twice the size of those of CE. pu-
mila; the fruit corymbose at the summit of the stem or branches, not in an
elongated spike like that species.
18. CE. chrysantha (Michx.): biennial ? pubescent; stem ascending;
leaves lanceolate, rather obtuse, attenuate at the base, entire or obscurely
denticulate, the radical ones obovate-spatulate; flowers (small) in a rather
crowded spike; tube of the calyx as long as the ovary and longer than
the segments; petals (orange-yellow) broadly obovate, emarginate, longer
than the stamens; capsules (nearly glabrous) clavate-oblong, distinctly pedi-
celled; the alternate angles very narrowly winged.—Michx.! ji. 1. p. 225;
-DC. 1. c. CE. riparia, Lehrn.! in Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 212, not of Nutt.
Kneiffia chrysantha, Spach ! 1. c.
Canada! from Hudson’s Bay, Michaux! Michigan! &c. Near Niagara
Falls, Mr. John Carey! June-July.—Stem a foot or more high, slender,
purplish and glabrous towards the summit. Flowers usually rather smaller
than in CE. pumila, more crowded in a terminal somewhat pedunculate
spike; the capsules less clavate, &c.—The lower capsules of CE. pumila are
not unfrequently pedicellate; but in this species they are uniformly so, and
the lower pedicels are often as long as the capsules themselves. Michaux
describes the capsules as sessile; but Mr. Spach remarks that they are pedicellate
in the plant of his own herbarium. CE. pusilla, Michx. may also
belong to this species, but Michaux’s specimens want the flowers.
19. CE. pumila (Linn.): biennial, minutely pubescent; stem ascending;
leaves lanceolate, mostly obtuse, entire, acute or attenuate at the base, the
radical ones obovate-spatulate; flowers (small) in a loose elongated leafy
spike, the apex nodding before expansion; tube of the calyx shorter than the
ovary and about the length of the segments; petals (pale yellow) obcordate,
scarcely longer than the calyx-segments and stamens; capsules (glabrous)
oblong-clavate, almost sessile; the alternate angles narrowly winged.—Linn.!
spec. (ed. 2) 1. p. 493; Bot. mag. t. 335; Pursh! fl. 1. p. 262; Scringe!
in DC. prodr. 3. p. 51; Hook. fi. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 212. Kneiffia pumila,
Spach! Onagr.p. 48.
0. ? pusilla: smaller and more pubescent; capsules a little shorter.—CE.
pusilla, Michx.! fl. 1. p. 225. (in fruit only.)
Dry fields, Canada (Hudson’s Bay!) and Northern States! to the mountains
of South Carolina! June-July.—Stem commonly simple, 6-12 inches
high, minutely puberulent, as also the calyx, capsules, and sometimes the
young leaves; the latter slightly petioled. In fruit the leafy- loose spike is
often 6-8 inches in length, the flowers sometimes commencing near the base
of the stem. 20 *
20. CE. Spachiana: annual, minutely pubescent; stem simple or branching
from the base; leaves lanceolate or linear, obtuse, entire, attenuate at the'
base; flowers (rather small) axillary; tube of the calyx shorter than the segments
; petals nearly entire, much longer than the calyx-segments and stamens
; capsules (canescently pubescent) obovate-clavate, the alternate angles
carinate or slightly winged towards the summit, tapering to a slender base,
nearly sessile.
Texas, Drummond!—In Sir Wm. Hooker’s herbarium this plant is labelled
“ Blemnoderma Drummondii, Spach” ; but we know not where it is
described, and there is no genus of that name in Mr. Spach’s Monagraphia
Onagrearum. It resembles CE. pumila, and is about the same size, although
the flowers (apparently yellow) are larger, and the fruit resembles that of (E.
linearis, but is sessile, although much attenuate at the base. The lobes of the
stigma are connivent, but this perhaps is not a constant character.
21. CE. linifolia (Nutt.): biennial; stem strict, simple or branched above;
radical leaves oblong-spatulate, petioled; the cauline ones linear-filiform,
crowded and fascicled; spikes slender, loosely-flowered; bracts shorter than
the ovary, persistent; flowers very small; .tube of the calyx rather shorter
than the ovary; the segments shorter than the petals; lobes of the stigma
very short; capsules obovate, 4-carinate, nearly sessile, hispidly puberulent.—
Nutt.! in jour. acad. Philad. 2. p. 120; DC.! prodr. 3. v. 50
Kneiffia linifolia, Spach! 1. c. 1 "
Rocks and dry hills, Arkansas, Nuttall! Dr. Pitcher! Dr. Leavenworth!
Western Louisiana, Dr. Hale! Texas, Drummond! May-July— Stem
about a foot high, glabrous except near the apex. .Capsules 2-3 fines long,
slightly 4-carinate when mature, with 1—2 scarcely prominent intermediate
nerves.—Differs from .the other species of the section in its peculiar foliage
and slightly lobed stigma.
* * * * Nearly acaulescent ccespitose perennial herbs, often becoming an.
nual: flowers (rather large) nearly radical, erect before expansion, nocturnal,
pale yellow (turning to violet or rose-color ?); tube of the calyx filiform,
very long, somewhat expanded at the summit: capsules sessile, oval
or obovate,-cartilaginous, reticulated, with 4 cristate wings, tardily dehiscent,
at length both septicidal! and loculicidal: seeds obovate, horizontal,
in two rows in each cell; the testa granulöse and variegated, crustaceous.__
Lavauxia, Spach. (partly?)
22. CE. triloba (Nutt.): densely caespitose; stems very short; leaves runci-
nate-pinnatmd, petioled, nearly glabrous; the segments linear-lanceolate,
often toothed; the terminal lobe elongated, acute, toothed; tube of the calyx
very long, filiform, dilated at the summit; the segments linear-lanceolate
acuminate, rather longer than the 3-nerved and somewhat 3-lobed petals ■
stamens and style somewhat declined, shorter than the petals ; capsules
(numerous) sessile, ovoid, 4-winged, apiculate or at length 4-toothed at the
apex, reticulated— Nutt.! in jour. acad. Pliilad. 2. p. 118; Hook bot
mag. t. 2566; Bart. fl. N. Am. t. 37; DC. .' prodr. 3. p. 49. CE. rhizocarpa’
Spreng, syst. 2. p. 230 ; DC. 1. c. Lavauxia Nuttalliana, Spach! Onasr
p. 38, t. 31, ƒ. 1. 5
Arid plains, Red River, Arkansas, Nuttall! Dr. Pitcher! Dr. Leavenworth
! — Leaves large, membranaceous. Flowers smaller than in CE.
fruticosa. Tube of the calyx 3-5 inches long, shorter than the radical
leaves. Capsules nearly an inch in length, almost ligneous. Seeds slightly
ascending, granulöse— The capsules are so numerous and form such large
and dense clusters at the surface of the ground, that, according to Nuttall
the growth of the plant is often stifled and it becomes annual: otherwise it
is perennial.
* * * * * Mostly acaulescent ccespitose perennial herbs: flowers (very large)
radical, erect before expansion, nocturnal, fragrant, fugacious, flesh-colored or
white, turning to rose-color: tube of the calyx very long, rather thick, expanded
at the summit: capsule pedicellate or nearly sessile, cartilaginous or
coriaceous, oblong-conic or cylindraceous, 4-ribbed, more or less cristate at the
sutures, which are sulcate and often tuberculate, loculicidal: seeds nearly
horizontal, arranged in two rows in each cell, oval-obovate, with a crustaceous