PARONYCI I IA SCOPARIA.
Perennial, rather slender, the foliage minutely pubescent. Stem much branched at the base, the branches tufted, erect or ascending, 2-3 dm. tall, simple below, sparingly forked above, roughish ; leaves linear-filiform, 1-3 cm. long, acute, grooved on either side of the midrib, serrulate-ciliate, especially near the apex, sessile ; stipules linear-lanceolate, 1-1.5 cm. long, attenuate ; branches of the cymes erect or strongly ascending ; sepals linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to the apex. 3-3.5 mm. long, firm, keeled, usually with a short lateral nerve on each side of the keel, hooded, prolonged into a stout ascending cusp, which is one-third to one-fourth as long as the body ; petals none ; stamens half as long as the sepals ; anthers yellowish.
The specimens on which the above species is founded were collected by Dr. Edward Palmer, in the Indian Territory, between Fort Cobb and Fort Arbuckle, in 1868. (No. 27.) As far as I know, Paronychia scoparia has not been referred to any previously described species. • It is related to P. dichotonua, differing in the more robust habit, the minutely pubescent foliage and the strict few-flowered cymes. Paronychia scoparia has a larger calyx than P. dkhotonna, the cusps are longer and more densely spiny-ciliate, and the calyx-segments are more strongly ribbed on the back.