Smooth Four O'clock

As traditionally treated, Mirabilis carletonii (stems short pilose) and M. exaltata (stems glabrous), both from the eastern portion of the range of M. glabra, have leaves broader than 10 mm. Correlated with this is the presence of two to three flowers in the involucres. The narrower-leaved M. glabra, in the strict sense, has one or occasionally two flowers per involucre.

Stems erect or ascending, sparsely to moderately leafy mostly in proximal ²/3, narrowly forked, usually with main axis, 5-20 dm, glabrous, glandular-puberulent, or puberulent with curved hairs, when pubescent, hairs usually densest distally. Leaves strongly ascending at 5-25°, progressively reduced toward inflorescence; petiole 0-1.3 cm; blade glaucous or grayish green, linear to narrowly ovate or ovate-oblong, 5-10 × 0.2-7.5 cm, thick and somewhat coriaceous, base attenuate to obtuse, round, truncate, or subcordate, apex acute to obtuse, occasionally round, surfaces glabrous to short pilose. Inflorescences usually terminal, sometimes also with short branches in distal axils, open, with main axis and short branches; peduncle 5-10 mm, usually spreading glandular-pilose, sometimes merely puberulent or glabrous, crosswalls of hairs pale; involucres pale green, widely bell-shaped, 3-6 mm in flower, 7-12 mm in fruit, glabrous except for few small hairs on margins to spreading glandular-pilose, 60-90% connate, lobes broadly ovate, rounded. Flowers 1-3 per involucre; perianth white to pale pink, 0.6-0.9 cm. Fruits grayish to greenish brown (ribs usually paler), narrowly obovate and tapering at both ends, 4-5.5 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes very lightly puberulent with hairs 0.1 mm; ribs narrow and keel-like to acute or acute-rounded, 0.2-0.5 times width of sulci, 0.5 times as wide as high, smooth; sulci lightly to prominently tuberculate.

Ariz., Colo., Kans., Nebr., N.Mex., Okla., Tex., Utah; Mexico (Chihuahua).

Flowering late spring-early fall.

Sandy soils in grasslands or among oaks, juniper, or mesquite, disturbed areas; 500-2100m.

Oxybaphus glaber S. Watson, Amer. Naturalist 7: 302. 1873; Allionia carletonii Standley; A. exaltata Standley; A. glabra (S. Watson) Kuntze; Mirabilis carletonii (Standley) Standley; M. exaltata (Standley) Standley; Oxybaphus carletonii (Standley) Weatherby; O. exaltatus (Standley) Weatherby

Allionia exaltata Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 355
1909.
Oxybaphus exaltatus Weatherby, Proc. Am. Acad. 49: 492. 1913.
Stems few or solitary from a stout woody root, erect, about 15 dm. high, stout, glabrous, glaucescent below, simple or sparsely branched below the inflorescence, the internodes elongate ; petioles stout, 3-10 mm. long, glabrous; leaf-blades elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate, 4.5-7 cm. long, 0.7-2 cm. wide, acute at the base and apex, entire or subsinuate, thick and succulent, often glaucous or glaucescent beneath, glabrous; inflorescence a large open panicle, much branched, the branches slender, ascending, glabrous or very sparsely short-pilose with viscid hairs, the peduncles slender, elongate, short-pilose or glabrous, the involucres 3-4 mm. long at anthesis, 10-12 mm. long in fruit, sparsely short-pilose or glabrous, the lobes short, rounded; flowers usually 3 in each involucre; fruit obovoid, 4.5 mm. long, brownish, glabrous, the angles acute, narrow, smooth, the sides transverse-rugulose ; seed obovoid, pale yellowish-brown.
Type locality: Cimarron Valley, Cherokee Outlet, Oklahoma. Distribution: Oklahoma.

Allionia exaltata Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 355
1909.
Oxybaphus exaltatus Weatherby, Proc. Am. Acad. 49: 492. 1913.
Stems few or solitary from a stout woody root, erect, about 15 dm. high, stout, glabrous, glaucescent below, simple or sparsely branched below the inflorescence, the internodes elongate; petioles stout, 3-10 mm. long, glabrous; leaf-blades elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate, 4.5-7 cm. long, 0.7-2 cm. wide, acute at the base and apex, entire or subsinuate, thick and succulent, often glaucous or glaucescent beneath, glabrous; inflorescence a large open panicle, much branched, the branches slender, ascending, glabrous or very sparsely short-pilose with viscid hairs, the peduncles slender, elongate, short-pilose or glabrous, the involucres 3-4 mm. long at anthesis, 10-12 mm. long in fruit, sparsely short-pilose or glabrous, the lobes short, rounded; flowers usually 3 in each involucre; fruit obovoid, 4.5 mm. long, brownish, glabrous, the angles acute, narrow, smooth, the sides trans verse-rugulose ; seed obovoid, pale yellowish-brown.
Type locality : Cimarron Valley, Cherokee Outlet, Oklahoma. Distribution: Oklahoma.

Allionia carletoni Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 355
1909.
Oxybaphus hirsutus Holz. Contr. IT. S. Nat. Herb. 1: 213. 1892. Not O. hirsutus Sweet, 1825. Oxybaphus nyctagineus pilosus Holz. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 1: 213. 1892. Not 0. nyctagineus
pilosus A. Gray, 1859. Oxybaphus Carletoni Weatherby, Proc. Am. Acad. 49: 492. 1913.
Stems few or solitary, erect, 6-12 dm. high, stout, glaucous below, simple or sparsely branched below the inflorescence, densely viscid-pilose with short slender fulvous hairs; leaves sessile or subsessile, the very stout broad petioles 4 mm. long or shorter, the blades broadly deltoid-ovate to ovate or ovate-oblong, 4—8 cm. long and 1-4 cm. wide, or larger, subcordate to obtuse at the base, narrowed to the obtuse or acute apex, entire or subsinuate, thick and succulent, green, or often glaucous beneath, densely short-pilose with viscid hairs, or sometimes glabrate in age; inflorescence ample, paniculate, the branches stout, opposite, densely viscid-pilose, the bracts very small, the peduncles slender, elongate, the involucres 5-6 mm. long at anthesis, in age 12-18 mm. broad, densely viscid-pilose, the lobes broadly rounded; flowers usually 3 in each involucre, the perianth sparsely pilose, pink; stamens usually 3, exserted; fruit obovoid, 5 mm. long, brown, glabrous, the angles acute, narrow, smooth, the sides rugulose or obscurely tuberculate, conspicuously raphidulous; seed broadly obovoid, 3—3.5 mm. long, pale-brown.
Type locality: Barber County, Kansas. Distribution: Oklahoma and southern Kansas.

Allionia glabra (S. Wats.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 533. 1891
Oxybaphus glaber S. Wats. Am. Nat. 7: 301. 1873.
Oxybaphus glaber recedens Weatherby, Proc. Am. Acad. 45: 425. 1910.
Allionia glabra recedens Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 13: 406. 1911.
Stems few or solitary, erect, 8-15 dm . high, usually simple up to the inflorescence or with a few sterile branches below, stout, glaucous or glaucescent, glabrous; leaves distant, or crowded below, sessile, the blades linear, 5-12 cm. long, 2-7 mm. wide, long-attenuate to the base, gradually narrowed to the obtuse or acute apex, entire, thick and succulent, glaucous beneath, glabrous; inflorescence a loose terminal panicle 1-4 dm. long, much branched, the branches very slender, opposite, glabrous or sparsely short-pilose with viscid hairs; involucres slenderpedunculate, at anthesis about 3.5 mm. long, in age 12-15 mm. broad, viscid-pilose or glabrous and ciliate, shallowly lobed, the lobes ovate-orbicular, rounded at the apex; flowers usually solitary, sometimes 2, in the involucre, mostly cleistogamous, the perianth about 7 mm. long, white or pale-pink, glabrous; stamens 5, short-exserted ; anthocarp obovoid, about 5 mm. long, olivaceous, glabrous, the angles acute, narrow, smooth, the sides obtusely short-tuberculate or rugose; seed broadly obovoid, 3 mm. long, pale-brown.
Type locality: Kanab, Utah.
Distribution: In dry soil, southeastern Utah to Chihuahua, western Texas, and Kansas.

Allionia glabra (S. Wats.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 533. 189L
Oxybaphus glaber S. Wats. Am. Nat. 7: 301. 1873.
Oxybaphus glaber recedens Weatherby, Proc. Am. Acad. 45: 425. 1910.
Allionia glabra recedens Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 13: 406. 1911.
Stems few or solitary, erect, 81 5 dm . high, usually simple up to the inflorescence or with a few sterile branches below, stout, glaucous or glaucescent, glabrous; leaves distant, or crowded below, sessile, the blades linear, 5-12 cm. long, 2-7 mm. wide, long-attenuate to the base, gradually narrowed to the obtuse or acute apex, entire, thick and succulent, glaucous beneath, glabrous; inflorescence a loose terminal panicle 1-4 dm. long, much branched, the branches very slender, opposite, glabrous or sparsely short-pilose with viscid hairs; involucres slenderpedunculate, at anthesis about 3.5 mm. long, in age 12-15 mm. broad, viscid-pilose or glabrous and ciliate, shallowly lobed, the lobes ovate-orbicular, rounded at the apex; flowers usually solitary, sometimes 2, in the involucre, mostly cleistogamous, the perianth about 7 mm. long, white or pale-pink, glabrous; stamens 5, short-exserted ; anthocarp obovoid, about 5 mm. long, olivaceous, glabrous, the angles acute, narrow, smooth, the sides obtusely short-tuberculate or rugose; seed broadly obovoid, 3 mm. long, pale-brown.
TypB locality: Kanab, Utah.
Distribution: In dry soil, southeastern Utah to Chihuahua, western Texas, and Kansas,

Wedeliella glabra (Choisy) Cockerell, Torreya 9: 167. 1909
Allionia incarnata glabra Choisy, in DC. Prodr. 13 2 : 435. 1849. Wedelia glabra Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 332. 1909.
Annual; stems 2-8 dm. long, slender, often tinged with red, puberulent, or villous above, very slightly or not at all viscid, often glabrate below; leaves of a pair unequal, the smaller about half the size of the larger, the petioles 3-18 mm. long, the blades ovate-oval, oval, or oblong, rarely ovate-deltoid, 1-4 cm. long, 0.6-2.2 cm. wide, subcordate to broadly cuneate at the base and usually unequal, broadly rounded or obtuse at the apex, often crispate and sinuate, yellowishgreen above, glaucous beneath, puberulent or glandular-puberulent when young but soon glabrate, the veins coarse and very prominent beneath; involucres numerous, 5-7 mm. long, on slender peduncles 3.5 cm. long or shorter, the lobes rounded-obovate, apiculate, puberulent and usually shortvillous, finely reticulateveined ; perianth 7-8 mm. long, white or pink, shortvillous outside; fruit pale-brown or olive, 3.5 mm. long, 3-costate on the inner surface, coarsely and shallowly rugose, the margins incurved or spreading, each with 5-8 long slender teeth, the outer surface bearing 2 rows of long-stipitate glands; seed narrowly obovate, 2 mm. long, pale-brown.
Type locality: Near the City of Mexico, Mexico.
Distribution: In dry sandy soil, Arizona to western Texas, Durango, Zacatecas, and Oaxaca; probably also in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado.
14, NYCTAGINIA Choisy, in DC. Prodr. 13 2 : 429. 1849.
Perennial herbs with tuberous roots, much branched, viscid-pubescent. Leaves opposite, petiolate, the blades broad, entire or sinuate. Flowers perfect, in long-pedunculate, axillary and terminal, many-flowered heads, each head surrounded by an involucre of numerous narrow unequal bracts; perianth deep-red, funnelform, the tube slender, elongate, constricted above the ovary, abruptly expanded into <* 5-lobed induplicate-plicate limb (or the limb rarely, perhaps abnormally,. 6-lobed), the lobes entire or emarginate. Stamens 5-8; filaments capillary, unequal, dilated and connate at the base, adnate to the perianthtube ; anthers didymous, exserted. Ovary oblong; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate, papillose. Anthocarp coriaceous, turbinate, constricted above the base, umbonate at the apex, finely costate. Seed with a membranaceous testa adherent to the pericarp; embryo uncinate, the broad cotyledons enclosing the copious farinaceous endosperm; radicle elongate, descending.
Type species, Nyctaginia capitata Choisy.