We have one other species in the northern part of the State. It is a larger plant, sometimes a foot tall, with ovate to lanceolate leaves. This is D. elegans, Torr.
FALSE INDIGO. LEAD-PLANT.
Amorpha Californica, Nutt. Pea Family.
Shrubs three to over eight feet high. Leaves.—Mostly alternate; with stipules; pinnate. Leaflets.—One inch long; five to nine or more pairs. Flower-spikes.—Two to six inches long. Flowers.—Black-purple; two and a half lines long. Calyx.—Half as long. Corolla.—With only one petal! (the standard); this erect and folded. Stamens.—Slightly united at base; exserted. Ovary.—One-celled. Pod.—Three lines long. (See Leguminosæ.) Hab.—The Coast Ranges, from Marin County to San Diego.
This shrub or small tree is remarkable for its sickeningly fragrant foliage. The small blossoms, taken individually, are inconspicuous, but when seen in masses, sprinkling the foliage with black and gold, they are quite effective.
BLUE-CURLS.
Trichostema lanceolatum, Benth. Mint Family.
One or two feet high; branching from the base. Leaves.—Opposite; sessile; crowded; lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; gradually acuminate; densely pubescent; several-nerved; an inch or more long. Flowers.—Blue; in axillary, short-peduncled, dense clusters. Calyx.—Five-cleft. Corolla.—Six lines long; with filiform tube; and border with five almost similar lobes. Stamens.—Four; of two lengths. Filaments filiform; long-exserted and curled. Ovary.—Of four seed like nutlets. Style long; filiform; two-cleft at the tip. Hab.—Throughout Western California.
Of all the plants of our acquaintance, the common blue-curls is the most aggressive and ill-smelling. Its odor is positively sickening. Some years ago, when it was first new to me, I brought some of it down from Sonoma County upon the train, and, even though it had been carefully wrapped, I was obliged to deposit it in the wood-box, as far as possible from the passengers.
The generic name comes from two Greek words, signifying hair and stamen, and was bestowed on account of the capillary filaments. The common name also refers to the long, curling blue stamens.