5. M. gracilenta: stem pubescent; leaves lanceolate-linear, sessile, mu-
ricate-scabrous, pinnatifid, the lobes short, obtuse, mostly entire ; bracteoles
at the base of the calyx pinnatifid; flowers clustered at the summit of the
stem ; petals cuneiform-obovate, obtuse or retuse, more than twice the length
of the ovate-lanceolate calyx-segments; filaments numerous (40 or more),
filiform-subulate; ovary obconic; ovules 20 or more.
California, Douglas!—Since this plant is not noticed in Hooker <te Arnott’s
account of Douglas’s collection, we are led to doubt whether it may not be
considered a slender variety of the preceding species; but it is much smaller;
the flowers not half the size ; the petals not at all pointed ; and the outline of
the leaves different. The filaments are dilated and somewhat united at the
base.
6. M. albicaulis (Dougl. mss.) : low, branching from the base; stem
white and polished and nearly glabrous below; leaves lanceolate, remote,
deeply sinuate-pinnatifid, sessile, scabrous; flowers (small) solitary or mostly
in loose clusters, not bracteolate ; petals obovate, scarcely exceeding the
short subulate-lanceolate calyx-segments; filaments (20-30) all subulate-
filiform ; capsules cylindrical, narrow, elongated; seeds 20-40.—Bartonia
albicaulis, Hook.! fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 222. Trachyphytum albicaulis &
T. gracile ! Nutt. mss.
Arid sandy plains of the Oregon, under the shade of Purshia tridentata,
Douglas. Plains of the Oregon and Rocky Mountains, Nuttall! June.—
Stem 6-10 inches high. Petals about 2 lines in length, yellow.—The pubescence,
although less in degree, is of two kinds, like that of M. Lindleyi, &c.
7. M. congepta (Nutt.! mss. under Trachyphytum) : “ stem dichotomous,
smooth; leaves short, ovate, somewhat pinnatifid or incisely toothed, the upper
ones clasping, bracts membranaceous, toothed, as long as the clusters of
(small) flowers ; capsules clavate-oblong, about 20-seeded.
“ Rocky Mountains, on Lewis River, rare.—Flowers in sessile clusters,
3-5 together, enveloped by the membranaceous bracts. Calyx-segments
linear-lanceolate, acuminate. Petals 5, small, yellow.” Nuttall.—Our
specimen is in fruit only. The stem is white and polished : the pubescence
as in M. Lindleyi, &c. Besides the sheathing floral leaf, there is a pair of
smaller bracteoles at the base of the calyx.
§ 3. Seeds numerous, in a double series, compressed or winged, five or more of
the exterior filaments dilated, often sterile and petaloid; petals 5 -1 0 ; the
inner series (transformed stamens ?) usually smaller: root mostly biennial.—
B artonia, Nutt, not of Willd.
* Flowers vespertine, yellowish-white.
8. M. ornata: rough with short barbed hairs; leaves oblong-lanceolate,
sessile, interruptedly sinuate-pinnatifid; the segments rather acute; flowers
(very large) terminating the" branches, bracteolate; petals 10, lanceolate-
ovate, concave and spreading, unguiculate, acute, the 5 inner ones somewhat
smaller, twice the length of the lanceolate calyx-segments ; filaments very
numerous, all filiform; capsules 5-7-valved at the summit; seeds numerous,
on 5-7 placentae, compressed, scarcely margined. (Character arranged from
Nutt, gen.)—Bartonia ornata, Nutt. gen. i. p. 297 ; Pursh, fi. 1. p. 326 ;
Bart. fi. N. Amer. t. 81; DC. prodr. 3. p. 339. B. decapetala, Sims, bot.
mag. t. 1487.
On the Missouri in argillaceous soil, Lewis, Nuttall. Aug.-Oct.—Root
succulent, fusiform. Stem 2-4 feet high, much branched. Flowers odorous,
vespertine: the petals about 2 inches long. Stamens 200-300.
9. M. nuda: rough with a minute barbed pubescence ; leaves somewhat
lanceolate, interruptedly pinnatifid, the segments obtuse ; flowers (large) terminating
the branches, not bracteolate; petals 10 ; stamens very numerous;
the exterior filaments petaloid and often sterile, the others filiform ; capsules
3-valved at the summit; seeds numerous, winged.—Bartonia nuda, Nutt.
1. c .; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 328, Sf2.p. 749 ; DC. 1. c.
Gravelly hills of the Missouri, near the Great Bend, Nuttall, Dr. James !
July-Aug.—We have drawn up the character of this, as well as of the preceding
species, wholly from the excellent and complete description of Nuttall,
as we possess only an imperfect specimen collected by Dr. James. The
flowers are about half the size of those of M. ornata; and the root, Mr. Nuttall
thinks, is triennial or perhaps perennial.
* * Flowers expanding only in bright sunshine, deep yellow.
10. M. leemcaulis: stem whitish, smooth and somewhat shining when old;
leaves lanceolate, sinuate-pinnatifid, sessile, somewhat canescent and scabrous
with minute multibarbate hairs; flowers (very large and showy)
terminating the branches, often rather crowded; bracteoles none, or subulate
; petals 5, or rarely 10, erect-spreading, lanceolate, acute at each end,
twice the length of the lanceolate-acuminate calyx-segments ; stamens very
numerous; the 5 exterior filaments dilated and somewhat petaloid, but
antheriferous; the others filiform; seeds numerous, winged. — Bartonia
lsevicaulis, Dougl. ! in Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 221, t. 69 ; Hook. 8p A m .!
bot. Beechey, suppl. p.< 343.
On the Oregon, Douglas! Nuttall! California, Douglas! June-July.—
Flowers bright yellow, opening in sunshine; the ■ petals fully 2 inches in
length. The minute tenacious pubescence consists of short and stout bristles,
barbed with recurved verticillate spines along their whole length, as in M.
oligosperma; with slender and pungent hairs intermixed, which are very
minutely denticulate, with the spines pointed upwards.
11. M. pumila (Nutt.! mss. under Bartonia): “ rough with a minute
barbed pubescence; stem low and rather stout, whitish, branching towards
the summit; leaves lanceolate, sinuate-toothed or pinnatifid, the lower ones
somewhat petioled, the uppermost sessile ; flowers (small) solitary or 3
together, terminating the loose flowering branches, slightly pedicellate, with
1-2 linear-setaceous bracts at the base ; petals 10, lanceolate, acute, spreading,
longer than the lanceolate-subulate calyx-segments; the inner ones
smaller; stamens very numerous; the outer filaments flat and somewhat
dilated; capsules clavate-cylindrical; seeds numerous, winged.”—
“ Bare hills on the banks of Ham’s Fork of the Colorado of the West,
Oregon. July.—Plant 8-10 inches high. Root fusiform, fleshy. Capsules
3-valved.” Nuttall.—The flowers are rather larger than those of M.
oligosperma, yellow.
12. M. micrantha (Hook. & Arn. under Bartonia): hispid throughout with
short hairs; stem erect, dichotomous, whitish; leaves ovate, acuminate,
cuneate at the base, sessile, sinuate-pinnatifid; flowers glomerate, shorter
than the floral leaf, ebracteolate; petals 5, ovate, exceeding the calyx-segments
; stamens 15-20 ; five of the filaments petaloid and emarginate at the
apex; capsules oblong-cylindrical, 3-seeded, 3-valved at the summit; style
slightly spirally twisted. Hook. Sf Arn.—Bartonia micrantha, Hook. A Arn.
bot. Beechey, suppl. p. 343, t. 85. (ined.)
, California, Douglas.—This species we have not seen, and the figure above-
cited is not yet published. It appears, as the authors who have described
it remark, to form a perfect transition from Bartonia, Nutt, to Mentzelia, as