California, Douglas!—A very distinct small species ; the leaves 1-2
inches long and scarcely a line in breadth; the flowers large for the size of the
plant (about 10 lines in diameter when expanded). From the appearance
of the ovary, we suspect the capsule is somewhat 4-winged, or perhaps
4-grooved.
§ 9. Stigma capitate: tube of the calyx obconic or infundibuliform, usually
much shorter than the ovary : petals obovate, entire or emarginate: stamens
erect; the alternate filaments mostly shorter : anthers linear-oblong or
roundish: capsules subulate, oblong or linear, mostly sessile, membranaceous,
often curved or contorted; the dissepiments thin and often evanescent:
seeds ascending, in a single series, oval or oblong, with a membranous
testa : caulescent: flowers diurnal.—Sphjerostigma, Seringe. (Holo-
stigma, Spach.)
* Mostly annual: flowers (mostly rather large) axillary, yellow turning to
bluish-green in fading: tube of the calyx infundibuliform or obconic, shorter
than the segments : stamens unequal, shorter than the petals: anthers short,
or often oblong-linear and fixed near the middle : capsules acutely quadrangular,
attenuate at the apex, usually curved or spirally contorted when
mature.
50. CE. viridescens (Hook.): suffruticose, densely tomentose-canescent;
stems much branched from the base, ascending ; leaves ovate or oblong, entire
or slightly serrulate (“ coarsely toothed,” Hook.), sessile; flowers large;
tube of the calyx much shorter than the segments; petals cuneiform-obovate,
very broad, emarginate (golden yellow with a brownish spot at the base),
twice the length of the slightly unequal stamens; anthers oblong-linear, fixed
near the middle ; style longer than the stamens ; capsules hairy, acutely
quadrangular, recurved, rather acute.—Hook. fi. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 214.
CE. maritima, Nutt. ! mss.
California, on the sandy beach near St. Diego, Nuttall! N. W. Coast (according
to Hooker, but probably California), Menzies. April-May.—“ Apparently
a perennial, with large and showy flowers about the size of those of
CE. biennis; the plants spreading out so as to make a wide silvery carpet.
Leaves about half an inch long, acute or obtuse. Seeds numerous, small,
ovate-oblong, acute at the base.” Nutt.—Our description is wholly drawn
from Mr. Nuttall’s plant, which Hooker (bot. Beechey’s voy. suppl.p. 341.)
pronounces to be identical with CE. viridescens, although we should have not
supposed it from the description, which was doubtless made from imperfect
materials. We see no approach to coarsely serrate leaves. The base of the
stem is decidedly shrubby. 51 *
51. CE. bistorta (Nutt. ! mss.): somewhat hirsute; stems decumbent,
much branched from the base; radical leaves spatulate-linear, petioled;
cauline ones lanceolate, mostly sessile, acute or acuminate, sharply denticulate
; flowers (rather large) axillary; tube of the calyx infundibuliform,
rather shorter than the segments ; petals broadly obovate, entire, more than
twice the length of the longer stamens; anthers oblong, fixed near the
middle; style longer than the stamens; stigma large and thick; capsules
acutely quadrangular, attenuate at the summit, somewhat pubescent or
hirsute, spirally contorted or coiled.—CE. heterophylla, Nutt.! mss., not of
Spach. Holostigma Bottae, Spach, Onagr. p. 16 ?
0. leaves rather smaller and more strongly toothed ; capsules completely
coiled when mature.—(E. bistorta, Nutt.! mss.
St. Diego, California, Nuttall! (Southern California, Bottal)—In foliage
this species resembles CE. micrantha ; but the leaves are acute and mostly
smaller, the capsules shorter, and the flowers about as large as in CE.
cheiranthifolia, from which it differs in its smaller and toothed leaves, much
contorted capsules, &c. The flowers, according to Nuttall, are golden yellow,
usually with a bright brown spot at the base of each petal. Holostigma
Bottas of Spach, according to the description, accords for the most part with
this plant, but not completely. We have not adopted the specific name
because there is another CE. (Godetia) Bottae. We have taken the name
given by Nuttall to a mere variety of his CE. heterophylla, since the latter
name has already been employed, and there is also a Holostigma hetero-
phyllum of Spach.
52. CE. cheiranthifolia (Homern.): stems branching from the base, ascending,
puberulent; leaves somewhat canescently pubescent, nearly entire,
obtuse, petioled ; the lower ones oblong-spatulate, with slender petioles; the
upper ovate-oblong; flowers (rather small) axillary ; calyx hairy; the tube
infundibuliform, as long as the ovate-lanceolate segments ; petals broadly
obovate, longer than the stamens and style ; anthers cordate-oval; capsules
short, acutely quadrangular, attenuate at the point, hairy, recurved or contorted.—
Homern. hort. Hafn.; Lindl.! bot. reg. 1.1040 ; DC. prodr. 3. p. 46.
CE. spiralis, Hook. ! fl,. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 214, bot. Beechey, suppl. p. 341.
Holostigma cheiranthifolium, Spach! Onagr. p. 15. Sphasrostigma cheiran-
thifolium, Fisch. Sf Meyer, ind. sem. St. Petersb. (excl. 0.)
California, Douglas! &c. N. W. Coast, Menzies, according to Hooker,
but perhaps from California.—The original CE. cheiranthifolia is said to
come from Chili; but this is possibly a mistake. The plant is not uncommon
in cultivation.
53. CE. micrantha (Hornem.) : hirsutestems ascending, flexuous; leaves
linear-oblong, acutely denticulate, rather obtuse ; the radical ones spatulate,
petioled ; flowers (very small) axillary; calyx hirsute; the tube obconic,
about half the length of the linear-oblong segments; petals obovate, twice
the length of the longer stamens; anthers roundish; capsules elongated,
slender, acutely quadrangular, acute, hirsute with spreading hairs, much
contorted. Hornem. hort. Hafn. ,* Hook. A m .! bot. Beechey, suppl. p.
341. CE. hirta, Link, enum. 1. p. 378. CE. asperifolia, N u tt.! mss.
Holostigma micranthum, Spach, l. c.
California, Douglas! Sfc. Nuttall!—Leaves (1-2 or 3 inches long) and
upper part of the stem strigose-hirsute and somewhat canescent. Flowers
(about 2 lines in diameter) beginning to appear at the very base of the stem,
as in most of the allied species. Capsules almost an inch long, variously
curved, and often spirally coiled.
* * Perennial: flowers {small) in a close secund circinate spike, white, odorous:
tube of the calyx linear-infundibuliform, as long as the ovary: stamens
slightly unequal, as long as the petals: anthers oblong, fixed near the
middle : capsules short, cylindrical, pointed, slightly curved. (Gyranthus,
Nutt.)
, — -— ....... ------&*•/ • £r<y ,£kVj t a u u v c , iu c u i u e u u m o e n t ,
Branched; leaves ovate, acute or acuminate, denticulate-serrate, nearly
glabrous above, somewhat hirsute beneath, petioled; flowers numerous, in
a crowded unilateral spike; calyx viscidly hairy; the tube slender, as long