Dry hill sides of the Diablo Range, near Marsh’s Ranch, May 29th.
Plant barely two to three inches high, “but seen in the valley larger, with many flowers, not yet expanded.”
This, like L. Californicum, appears to be uniformly tri-carpellary; flowers about the size of those of that species, and the anthers elongated-oblong; but the leaves narrower; the stigmas not at all capitate or enlarged, but minute and acute; fruit not seen.
Trifolium, L.
T. bifidum, n. sp.
Somewhat villose or glabrous; stems from small (annual?) root, slender, spreading; stipules ovate-lanceolate, setaceously-acuminate, entire; leaflets linear-cuneate, lateral ones rarely dentate, bifid or incised at the apex with a mucronate point between the lobes; peduncles twice or three times as long as the leaves; heads naked, six to twelve flowered, or more; flowers pedicelled, at length reflexed; calyx five-parted, dentate, subulate-setaceous, somewhat hirsute, and nearly equal to the persistent, rose-colored scarious corolla.
Near Marsh’s Ranch, between Monte Diablo and the San Joaquin, among grass in a ravine near the water, May 29th.
Stems six to sixteen inches long. Heads and flowers about the size of those of the small form of T. gracilentum, to which species it is allied. Ovary two-ovulate, seeds single.