He erases sabe tye sseseattt a Triesies ae? tlie ee obs Tips be be ot setgereeteysnres ib ihyrsigen det 1 i j eerie cium SS -~« i-4=0- 0° &~ @- 8 — 6.8 BE EO * . si ‘© . si™ * - oy esi) : ; > nt | ei* Hy e'* y ttt: - ents Yi o.% 3" si* o.7i* tL | - ’ : .*j ? : ai* | i ¢ sat | | ° ¢ {> ° r : : ; . fi : . : | ‘ ; i+" . oie sys . re $ at 4} 1 art i : eiei* f j : +? ee r sbataaie : - : : | | - see ~ : iz : gee ees : - s Peewee tes sae tt rhe s ee ay 4 pconeets 2tevers, ; 5 s ae StL. rra7e peli ;¢ ; * + oe ie ; ree Class CLK 149° Copyright N° COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. THE WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA | THE WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA Witmik NAMES, HAUNTS, AND HABITS LENS MARY ELIZABETH PARSONS ILLUSTRATED BY MARGARET WARRINER BUCK FOURTH EDITION REVISED AND CORRECTED PAYOT, UPHAM & COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO 1902 THE LIBRARY @F CONGRESS, Two Copies REcEivep JUL, 7 1902 COPYRIGHT ENTRY \-14 075 ASS|\QO-XXe. Ne $b 48 COPY B. COPYRIGHT, -1897, BY WILLIAM DOXEy. » COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY MARY ELIZABETH PARSONS. e ere e 8 @88 e ee 2 ° e ee eee ° bd ee « e ere eee¢ @ ° as e%6 ese .e STE ° tdi. « 2 > « a¢ * e oe 6.6 e ° cy e %e® HABLE OF CONSENTS PAGE SSE TE | 5a 7 ee Be ie ne PRECMEEEACPES: <0 ee a Be a memo THE BOOK. 8.2.0. 6 IX Peet nTON Of LERMS .2. ..... . .-.. -. &Xit IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA eee, KOS MMMM VAS 6 262 ee Be) exh Pam ee eS eae ST OL lv FLOWER DESCRIPTIONS : — I. WHITE Rn fees ee, ee EE ee 3 NRE PTT Niger nn tat Se Fl i Spee as) ies eg EO CNR ee te Oe ee es a EOZ Pe eoeeuE AND EURPIEE? <<.) on he SUS. 255 OAS NTRS D ge eg le a ae ae ie”) Seam oe ne ay PPeMISeEYPANEFOUS<: oo .- ces we ® 369 ears CATIN INAMES 2. 6°... 0.) ke hn 303 Meera NGrISH NAMES©.) .~ 5°... 5 s . 399 een TPCHINICAL TERMS... . . . 2 4 & 406 EE i eRe et a os he a OF ‘oa be ee a et ted ar ee ee Si te epee en A get alt 5 Bogs ect" " kaa ae ~ re, =) a <* « rae 2X “os ioe _ ¥i5 : ; . ‘ = s v. is oe’? eta x - Sa ee ee 2 z BX taar 4 ee Tard 5, a a ee i ees Raeg o OB sg is % ~ | - a ° : a Se = v ‘ *‘Were I, O God, in churchless lands remaini Far from all voice of teachers or divines, My soul would find in flowers of thy ordaining . Priests, sermons, shrines!”’ A Pt) % : e * PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION In the present edition the flower cuts on pages 43 and 265 have been replaced by new ones; the letter-press has been revised and corrected where necessary; and some omissions in the Latin index have been supplied; while the English index has been entirely made over. The advisability of adding new flowers has occasionally been suggested to the author, but the work has proved to an unexpected degree adequate to the popular need, and for this reason it seems best not to increase the bulk of the volume, lest by so doing it should become impracticable as a field companion. Since the publication of this work our botanical nomenclature has undergone some changes at the hands of a few botanists — but in the present unsettled condition of plant names it has seemed best to be somewhat conservative until such time as new names have proved their title to general adoption, especially as the higher authorities have not as yet recognized these changes. With these few words of explanation we send forth this new edition of ‘‘ THE WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA,’’ with the hope that it may prove helpful in the future as in the past. TAMALPAIS, May 28, 1902. PREFACE To THE thoughtless a flower is often a trivial thing —beau- tiful perhaps, and worthy of a passing glance— but that is all. But to the mind open to the great truths of the universe, it takes on a deeper significance. Such a mind sees in its often humble beginnings the genesis of things far-reaching and mighty. Two thousand years ago one grain of the shower of pollen wafted upon the wind and falling upon a minute undeveloped cone, quickened a seed there into life, and this dropping into the soil pushed up a tiny thread of green, which, after the quiet process of the ages, you now behold in the giant Sequoia which tosses its branches aloft, swept by the four winds of heaven. Whether manifesting itself in the inconspicuous flower upon the tree or in the equally unassuming inflorescence of the vege- table, or unfurling petals of satin or gauze of brilliant hue and marvelous beauty, the blossom is the origin of most that is use- ful or beautiful in the organic world about us. Strip the world of its blossoms, and the higher forms of life must come toa speedy termination. Thus we see the flower playing a won- derfully important part in the cosmos around us. It becomes henceforth not only a thing of beauty for the gratification of the zsthetic sense, but the instrument by which Nature brings about the fullness of her perfection in her own good season. There is perhaps no nature-study that can yield the same amount of pure and unalloyed pleasure with so little outlay as the study of the wild flowers. When one is interested in them, vii PREFACE every walk into the fields is transformed from an aimless ram- ble into a joyous, eager quest, and every journey upon stage or railroad becomes a rare opportunity for making new plant- acquaintances —a season of exhilarating excitement. Mr. Burroughs, that devout lover of nature, says: ‘‘ Most young people find botany a dull study. So it is, as taught from the text-books in the schools; but study it yourself in the fields and woods, and you will find it a source of perennial delight. Find your flower, and then name it by the aid of the botany. There is so much in a name. To find out what a thing is called isa great help. It is the beginning of knowl- edge; it is the first step. When we see a new person who interests us, we wish to know his or her name. A bird, a flower, a place —the first thing we wish to know about it is its name. Its name helps us to classify it; it gives us a handle to grasp it by; it sheds a ray of light where all before was dark- ness. As soon as we know the name of a thing, we seem to have established some sort of relation with it.”’ Having learned the name of a flower or plant, or having been formally introduced to it, as it were, our acquaintance has but just begun. Instead of being our end and aim, as it was with students of botany in the olden times, this is but the be- ginning. If this were our ultimate aim, all our pleasure would be at an end as soon as we had learned the names of all the plants within our reach. But the point of view has changed and broadened. The plant is now recognized as a Living organism, not a dead, unchanging thing. It is vztal; it grows; it is amenable to the great laws of the universe; and we see it daily complying with those laws, adapting itself to its sur- roundings —or perishing. It becomes a thing of absorbing interest when we trace the steps by which it has come to be what it is; when we note its relationship to other closely allied forms, and locate its place in the great world of plants. A thoughtful observation of the structure of plants alone will fill the mind with amazement at the beauty of their mi- nutest parts, the exquisite perfection of every organ. Then it Vili PREFACE is most interesting to notice the various kinds of places where the same plants grow; how they flourish in different soils and climates; how they parry the difficulties of new and unaccus- tomed surroundings, by some change of structure or habit to meet the altered conditions —as clothing themselves with wool, to prevent the undue escape of moisture, or twisting their leaves to a vertical position for the same purpose, or sending their roots deep into the earth to seek perennial sources of moisture, which enables them to flourish in our driest times. It is wonderful to note, too, the methods employed to secure the distribution of the seed—how it is sometimes imbedded in a delicious edible fruit, again furnished with hooks or bris- tles or springs, or provided with silken sails to waft it away upon the wings of the wind. Then the insects that visit plants. It is marvelous to note how plants spread their attractions in bright colors and perfumes and offerings of honey to bees, butterflies, and moths that can carry their pollen abroad, and how they even place hindrances in the way of such as are un- desirable. Studied in this way, botany is no longer the dry science it used to be, but becomes a most fascinating pursuit; and we know of no richer field in which to carry on the study of flowers than that afforded in California. There has been a long-felt need of a popular work upon the wild flowers of California. Though celebrated throughout the world for their wealth and beauty, and though many of them have found their way across the waters and endeared them- selves to plant lovers in many a foreign garden, the story of their home life has never yet been told. It has been the delightful task of the author and the illustra- tor of the present work to seek them out in their native haunts — on seashore and mesa, in deep, cool cafion, on dry and open hill-slope, on mountain-top, in glacier meadow, by stream and lake, in marsh and woodland, and to listen to the ofttimes marvelous tales they have had to unfold. If they shall have 1x PREFACE succeeded in making better known these children of Mother Nature to her lovers and appreciators, and in arousing an interest in them among those who have hitherto found the technical difficulties of scientific botany insurmountable, they will feel amply rewarded for their labors. The present work does not claim by any means to be a complete flora of the region treated. Our State is so new, and many parts of it have as yet been so imperfectly explored, that a comprehensive and exhaustive flora of it must be the work of a future time, and will doubtless be undertaken by some one when all the data have been procured. Such an attempt, however, were it possible, is without the scope of the present work. California, with her wonderfully varied climate and topog- raphy, has a flora correspondingly rich and varied, probably not surpassed by any region of like area in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus the author finds herself confronted with an embarrassment of riches rather than with any lack of mate- rial; and it has often been exceedingly difficult to exclude some beautiful flower that seemed to have strong claims to representation. She therefore craves beforehand the indul- gence of the reader, should he find some favorite missing. In making a choice, she has been guided by the following general principles, and selected, 77vs¢—the flowers most gen- eral in their distribution; second—those remarkable for their beauty of form or color, their interesting structure, history, or economic uses; ¢izvd—those which are characteristically Cali- fornian. At the same time, those which are too insignificant in appearance to attract attention and those too difficult of determination by the non-botanist have been omitted. Flow- ering plants only have been included. Many of our species extend northward into Oregon and Washington. Thus, while this work is called ‘‘THE WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA,”’ it will in a certain measure apply equally well to Oregon and Washington. It has been the aim of the author to picture for the most X PREFACE part the flowers peculiarly Californian, leaving Mrs. Dana’s charming book, ‘‘How to Know the Wild Flowers,”’ to illus- trate those we possess in common with the Atlantic Slope, thus making the works the complements one of the other. Mrs. Dana has kindly permitted the author to use her plan of arrangement —z. e. of grouping all the white flowers in one section, the yellow in another, the pink in a third, and so on, which, in the absence of a key, greatly facilitates the finding of any given flower. The flowers of each section have been arranged as nearly as possible according to their natural suc- cession in the seasons, with one or two exceptions. Such confusion is rife in the nomenclature of Californian plants, and the same plant is so often furnished with several names,— and several plants sometimes with the same name,— that the authority is in every instance quoted, in order to make it perfectly clear what plant is meant by the name given. Wherever allusion is made to the Spanish-Californians, the Spanish-sfeaking Californians are meant, very few of whom are Castilians at the present day, most of whom are of an ad- mixture of races. The flower-cuts are all from pen-and-ink drawings by the illustrator; and all but four are from her own original studies from nature. These four, which it was impossible for her to procure, have been adapted by her from other drawings, by the aid of herbarium specimens. They include Aphyllon fas- ciculatum, Fremontia Californica, Hosackia gracilis, and Bro- diza volubilis. It has been impossible upon so small a page to maintain a uniform relative size in the drawings, for which reason the plant-descriptions in fine print should be consulted for the size. The author and the illustrator desire to make grateful ac- knowledgments to many kind friends throughout the State who have rendered them assistance in numerous ways. Their gratitude is due in particular to Miss Alice Eastwood, of the California Academy of Sciences, who, by her unfailing kindness and encouragement, as well as by her personal assistance, has xi PREFACE rendered them invaluable aid. Also, to Mr. Carl Purdy, of Ukiah, who from his wide experience, as a grower of our native liliaceous plants, has a knowledge of them shared by few or none, and who has generously placed at their disposal the results of his observations. They also tender their thanks to the Southern Pacific and the North Pacific Railways, who, by their generous granting of reduced rates and passes, have made possible a wider personal acquaintance with the flowers than could have otherwise been enjoyed. San Rafael, Cai., October 15, 1897. Xi TABLE OF PEATES PAGE | DIVIES Jae nee Aconitum Columbianum...... 329 BMS 50 Sos as as dle we TNCHICMEO “SULLUED 3. Sees 277 | LPL 28 2 eee Evrodium cicutarium......... 195 Werine HEATHER .........2.-... (BEPOIHMUS BYCWETL Soc. 63s 247 PPPEBME PEEP OX. -. 2.5. ose 2 EMO DOUGIESTI Fee Hs 249 ALLEN 60 Hleuchera micrantha......... 59 AMERICAN BARRENWORT ........ Vancouveria parvifiora....... 89 PaEMONE, WOOD .............-- Anemone quinguefolia ....... 19 PENSE LOWER ....:..5....-5-- Grindelia cunetfolia ......... 177 SDV LE ee Sisyrinchium bellum......... 285 AZURE BEARD-TONGUE.......... Pentstemon QZUveus.......... 309 PaEWO BEE TVES:. 2. 2.52125... Nemophila insignis.......... 291 22; SES Ge EVE CI OH SVAULUS eR as 305 PeeprPbut, CLARKIA: 2.2... 6... ClAF RUG CONLTTINGD vbw os ks 237 BEE-PLANT, CALIFORNIAN....... Scrophularia Californica ..... 343 DELLA SI eee Campanula prenanthoides .... 323 Dl Es DS ee ee Echinocystis fabacea ......... 27 SLC Sy Mentocha Pandleyt. sin. 169 BEPEDING-HIEART ....:.......-- Digemr @, JOFMOSTE oo ae 243 PME EOSSOM.. 05.2... . cde. Ceanothus thyrsifiorus........ 275 eve EVE GRASS, .2.....6050..-. Sisyrinchium bellum ......... 285 SL Soci Gentiana calycosa............ 331 LS EE a Gilia Chamissonis ........... 297 BENE ICARKSPUR .......-.......- DQOERTTIVENE 5 Sia ae ork aan 277 BLUE-AND-WHITE LUPINE ....... Lupinus: G160109 rs S52 301 2 ES re ROR NET TELE CSU Wii Se 303 Pe OWOM RTE Po. 5.. jah: a Ceanothus thyrsifilorus ....... 275 RMMEDNTORET IG 2600. 650, GRA oie wes Oe Aconitum Columbianum...... 329 OT rE ETS es Ss ae dS Brodiasd COpiata y. 2 6.2.5. -> 263 ae ha ieee Fritillaria lanceolata......... 265 ove po TABLE OF “PLATES AR S-1EAD: oer c fae ee Darlingtonia Californica .... 391 CALIFORNIA FUCHSIA . 2: ..4...22 Zauschneria Californica...... 367 AMIPORWTA LILAC 2. \ sates Ceanothus thyrsiflorus........ ark fe AMIPORNIA POPPY,.150¢009 jones Eschscholtzia Californica..... 115 CALIFORNIAN AZALEA (src ons oes kehododendron occidentale.... 87 CALIFORNIAN CENTAURY ........ Erythrea venusta 7) eee 219 CALIFORNIAN ROSE-BAy ........ kehododendron Californicum .. 235 CALIFORNIAN SLIPPERY-ELM .... Fremontia Californica ....... 159 CATAPSO a5. a. «aS ae Calypso borealis... =. ee 4 CANAIGRE 25... ¢.2..- 5 cee Rumex hymenosepalus ....... 379 CANCER-ROOT ©. . .-.\..... Seer Aphylton fasciculatum........ 173 (ORNCHALAGUA . 2. o.oo Erythr@a venustd 57,2. 219 (EAT S-EARS |... cf kee eee ee Calochortus Maweanus ....... 279 (CeAMISE LALLY <.)-73e0 ae ee eee Erythronium giganteum ..... 137 (RAPARRAL LIDS ve eee Lilium rubescens ee 73 REAPARRAL PHA (tou ee. oor Pickeringia montanad......... 231 (OAT. 3 ok ee ee ae Salvia Columbaria... eee 299 CHILICOTHE /sos9 or Meee Etchinocystis fabacea.......... 27 CHRISTMAS-HORNS, =, 207-0026. Delphinium nudicaule........ 347 CLIMBING PENTSTEMON ......... Pentstemon cordifolius ....... 351 (CEOEKS 5.5: Grote a Erodium cicutarium ......... 195 (EDS RER-Lioy i 2 ee ost ae ee Brodieza capiiaia.—. 7 263 REO THES BAG a oie 8 Md One nt 0S on Collinsia bicolor ....7 =e 295 MGUOMBINE SSF a7 See ey ee ee Aquilegia truncaiay. ee 349 COMMON ASTER < {5 ce RO ea Aster Chamissomts . “2.3 333 COMMON MONKEY-FLOWER...... Mimulus luteus: 2 135 CoRrat-ROOn a eee Corallorhiza Bigelovi1 ....... 273 CREAM-COLORED WALL-FLOWER. Lrysimum grandifiorum ..... 133 CREAM-GUPS.. 212 C ee ee Platystemon Californicus ..... 113 CURRANT, CALIFORNIAN WILD... Aibes glutinosum ............ 215 DEERWEED . .: sn ee Hlosackia glabra .. eee 153 DIioGENES’ LANTERN@ 7250-5003? Calochortus pulchellus........ 145 DOG'S-TOOTH VIOLET s2.5 eee eeat Erythronium giganteum ..... 137 DPUTCHMAN’S PIPE +..45 eee Aristolochia Californica...... 375 FArsE LADY’S SLIPPER! eee Epipactis giganted yee 389 PASE MALLOW, .....00.5 eee Malvastrum Thurberi........ 221 HaEsEe: Crpyv-Tips:. 41 eee Leptosyne Douglastt ......... 149 PAREWELL TO SPRING . J): oes Godetia vimined ............. 241 TEMOINAIILY (6a cisions cs Erythronium giganteum ..... 137 FETID ADDER’S-TONGUE ........ Scoliopus Bigelovtt........... 257 FIRECRACKER FLOWER.......... Brodi@a COCCiN€EA.. 1... 2. 10s 239 TABLE” OF PLATES JRE SD aye Eptilobium spicatum........ Four-0’CLOCK, CALIFORNIAN...... Mirabilis Californica ...... Pernice) GLIA. >... se. ee... Gilia dianthoides .......... GeIEATA: 0. 3. ss be Godetia vimined’.........4+ eee Mity-BELL..2........:... Calochortus pulchellus ...... TLE SiS ee BLOOUCVUG DULCE 25 Eee GOOSEBERRY, FUCHSIA-FLOWERED . (ibes Speciosum............ GREAT WILLOW-HERB ............ Epilobium spicatum........ GROUND-IRIS ....... SISA Renae Tris macrosiphon .......... POMP UN Gilia dianthoides .......... SEIN Sr Grindelia cunetfolia........ = LIS Se erie ie CalOChOFtUS.GIDUS oak es HAREBELL, CALIFORNIAN ......... Campanula prenanthoides .. PPS DRODIAIA, ... 5... 5+). n.e- Brodiea grandifiora ....... HEN-AND-CHICKENS .............. Cotyledon Californicum .... Lain S-PONGUE 2... ......-.-...- Cynoglossum grandé...... - PiMGIGPPEREY 9. -.:!....-.--.. 0 =: Vaccinium ovatum ......... HUMMING-BIRD’S TRUMPET........ Zauschneria Caltfornica.... LUEL I Soe ee Monta: Poy poltata.. 5.5% « INDIAN PAINT-BRUSH ............. Castilleta parviflora........ ELD) A S210 COMSOTMICE. woes ws Demian WARRIOR . 1.2... 5.20.00... Pedicularis densiflora ...... BeERIBES PEAR o>... 2.2... 25-6 BY OPLEW MILE. SS an 3k So Ames PRESSES ......0...0..---. Spiranthes Romanzoffianum LANTERN OF THE FAIRIES........ €alochortus G1buS Ooo 8 Ss LARGE-FLOWERED BRODIAA....... Brodie@a grandifiora....... LSS EL) Sea eer Lessingia leptoclada........ Pee NEPINE ALY 2... ..0.25-.:-. LAU. POTUMMEEE B MeoeeeAVEED: foo... es ess - Astragalus leucopsis ....... 0 LSE ee MCHICEZO SALUD po. PURDON AU Ae. 2 2k en oe Arctostaphylos tomentosa .. MAEEPOSAS WUILIP: .) k.)iso Scene Chimaphila Menztesit........ 105 Pusey S-EARS..'. 0. ono nce eee Calochortus Maweanus ....... 279 PUSSY 'S-PAWS. ..... «cp y.cca eee Spraguea umbellata .......... 71 OUININE-BUSHE:..2 2 Garrya elliptica. .. ae 371 RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN ........ Goodyera Menztesit,, ee 99 RATT i= W BED 4c esis eee Astragalus leucopsis ...... See RED-STEMMED FILAREE ......... Erodium cicutarium......... 195 REDWOOD-SORRED . 2.4: S620". Oxalis Orevana, ieee 197 REIN-OREHISGiG i enae ee Re Habenaria elevans).| ae 385 RESIN VRE) = 7.5. ter eene,. Soe ee Grindelia cunetfolia.......... 177 IRS ISOs: Be Antes we on ie tat ae me Fritillaria lanceolata ........ 265 ROMERO) \> snus site pi esas Trichostema lanatum ........ 317 PREM OL WILY hon Ga. og a's OS Lihum rubescens eee 73 SAXIFRAGE, CALIFORNIAN ....... Saxtfraga Californica........ 15 SCARLET BUGLER tick. amine 4ihe os Pentstemon centranthtfolius .. 359 BOeRRLET. GILIAGE mo ktue ieee Gilia aggregata .+.. ae 361 SGARLET HONEYSUCKLE.2...4 .: Pentstemon cordifolius ....... 351 SCARLET LARKSpPUR, NORTHERN . Delphinium nudicaule ....... 347 SCARLET PAINT-BRUSH ...2.../.. Castilleia parviflora.......... 345 SHOOTING-STARS 004 5.05.6 oa. Dodecatheon Meadia ......... 205 SIERRA PRIMROSE). 00. klieeas Primula suffrutescens ........ 251 Xvi GABLE OFS PLATES SW EAGSEL, FREE ..........::-- GOPTYO: CHAPLIED Pe eee se SAULLEL: 2 SCULCHATTOTLUOETOSE sist o tas SWAPDEAGON, VIOLET.......-... Antirrhinum vagans......... SOUS A cee a Sarcodes sanguinea ........ ay Si. Esl. ee Chlorogalum pomeridianum.. SPESMG-MLOSSOM......-....-.-.-- Dentaria Califormica STICKY MONKEY-FLOWER ....... Mimulus glutinosus.......... pee @HM S-VWWORT ..:..........- flypericum concinnum ....... SUMPHUR-E LOWER ......:....... Eriogonum umbellatum...... 20s UES 2 ee CEN OTHET EG ODHAE ee 2 ISEUN Sae BACTIDETOCIUS oe ae SWEET-SCENTED SHRUB, CALIF’N. Calycanthus occidentalis ...... EDD Hemizonia luzulefolia....... _ EG ern MOON CUCP ONS Sign ee De eS ren Lyte Plat olOSsa> oe PESO MENVORT: o.oo ewes Dentaria Californica......... DLC. 26 Eschscholtzia Californica..... Mee WIAULOW, ....5.....052.55. Lavatera assurgentifiora ..... (LEIS s 7 Ce Dendromecon rigidum ....... TRILLIUM, CALIFORNIAN ........ EV TIVEUHE SESSHE. <0 MEGNODEERY ... 2.20... 0.--- 5... Lonicera involucrata ......... ommyinG EIVACINTH ............ BYODUEEUOWUDTIS oes Oe OLE ee ee Sisyrinchium bellum ......... Mieeren NIGHTSHADE ........... OLETEUIE, RIUTEL Oso oh ee Meise ROBIN so... cee ke IPM OUALUME Sn. 4 Rea a __ 22 EST eae eae Whipplea modest: 2. ose Calochortus pulchellus........ 145 NELEOW PANSY 5 ahi hacen eee Viola pedunculata ............ I2I YELLOW SAND-VERBENA ........ Abronia latifolia ~ 2 147 Pea ASUENAS or cas epg ape ete Micromeria Douglas ....... 63 PORIOEA WIANGA:: Yess. es, Shes she oe Anemopsis Californica ....... 77 AEERBRA SANTA CH chs es donee seed Ertodictyon glutinosum ...... 57 YNGADENE. ¢ Shek cane Zygadenus Fremont ......... 7 a ——_..... eee Baccharis Douglasti ......... 107 oe Se a ee Gilta androsacea....vssnae 223 — — —§- ——_ ....... . . es ss Flosackia graciis:>, eee 167 XVill HOW. TO. USE: FRE] BOOK WHEN gathering flowers with a view to ascertaining their names with the help of the botany, the whole plant — root, stem, leaves, flowers, buds, and fruit—should be secured, if possible. This will avoid much uncertainty in the work. The anthers are best seen in the unopened buds, and the ovary in old flowers or those gone to seed. A cross-section of the ovary will show the number of its cells. The flowers should be sorted into colors, and each in turn looked for in its own color-section. In arranging the flowers according to color, some difficulty has been experienced, because the pink blends so gradually into the purple, and the purple into white, etc., that it has been impossible sometimes to say accurately to which section a flower rightly belongs. In such a case search must be made in the other probable sec- tion. Sometimes the same flower occurs in several colors, in which case it is usually put into the section in whose color it most frequently occurs. In the Red Section have been included flowers of a scarlet hue, not those of crimson or magenta hues, as these have a tendency to merge into pink or purple. Flowers of a greenish-white are usually put into the White Section, those of more decided green into the Miscellaneous. It is an excellent plan for the student to write a careful de- scription of his plant before beginning to look for it in the book; commencing with the root, passing on to stem, leaves, inflores- cence, calyx, corolla, etc., taking the order of the technical descriptions in the book. This will serve to do away with that vacillating condition of mind which is often the result of Xix HOW TO CSE THE BOOK reading a number of plant-descriptions before fixing firmly in mind the characters of the specimen under consideration. A magnifying-glass— or a small dissecting microscope and a good Zeiss lens, if more careful work is to be done,—a couple of dissecting needles, a pocket-knife, and a small three- or four-inch measure, having one of the inches divided into lines, will be required for examining specimens. It is also a good plan to make a note of the date and place of collection of all plants, as it is often of great interest to know these facts at some future time. Plants are grouped into great orders, or families, which are made up of a number of genera, each genus consisting of a number of species. Every plant has two Latin names; the first a generic name, answering to the last name of a person; the second a specific name, answering to a person’s given name. The latter is usually descriptive of some quality or character of the plant, the name of the place where found, or of its discoverer, or of some person in whose honor it is named. This dual name serves to clearly distinguish the species from all others, especially when the name of the person by whom the specific name was bestowed is added. Each plant-family bears an English title, which is usually the name of its best-known genus. Thus the order Legwam?- nos@ is known as the ‘‘Pea Family’’ because Lathyrus, or the pea, is its best-known genus. In many instances the English names borne by orders in the Eastern States have no signifi- cance with us, as the type genus is not found in our flora. In such cases we have given the name of the genus best known among us, to which we have added the other; thus, ‘‘ Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family.” Most of our plants have common English names, and the same plant is often known by one name in one locality and by another in another. Hence, while these names are often pretty and apt, they cannot serve for the accurate identification of the plant. For this we must consult its Latin name, by which it is known all over the world. XX WOW TO USE” THE BOOK Wherever the terms used are not understood, reference should be made to the ‘‘Explanation of Terms’’ or to the Glossary. For identification of species not found in the present work, other books should be consulted. The two large volumes of the botany of the Geological Survey of California are the most complete of anything thus far published. In addition to these, ‘‘The Synoptical Flora of North America,’’ as far as published (the Gamopetale, the Composite, and some orders of the Poly- petale), furnishes valuable aid. Professor E. L. Greene’s works, ‘‘The Botany of the Bay Region,’’ ‘‘Pittonia,’’? and ‘‘Flora Franciscana,’’ furnish excellent plant-descriptions for the more advanced botanist. The author’s technical descrip- tions have in every instance been verified by comparison with one or more of the above works. Miss Eastwood’s little volume, recently published as Part Second of ‘‘Bergen’s Elements of Botany,’’ (and also issued in separate form), is recommended for use in connection with the present work, as it embodies in compact form a general view of the method of classification of plants, showing their places in the plant-world and their relations to one another. It also contains very clear descriptions of plant-families. To the student who becomes interested in knowing more about the structure of plants, Gray’s ‘‘Structural Botany’’ will prove useful; and the large work of Oliver and Kerner (translated from the German) will prove a fascinating book. EXPLANATION OF TERMS [The following simple definitions of the more common terms used have been mostly taken or adapted from the works of Asa Gray and others, and will prove useful to those unacquainted with botany, or to those whose memories require refreshing. ] ROOTS The root is that portion of the plant which grows down- ward, fixing it to the soil, and absorbing nourishment from the latter. True roots produce nothing but root-branches or rootlets. Simple or unbranched roots are named according to their shapes — conical, when like the carrot; napiform, when like the turnip; fusiform, when like the long radish. Multiple, or branched, roots may be — fascicled, or bunched, as in the dahlia; tubercular, when furnished with small tubers; fibrous, when threadlike. STEMS The stem is the ascending axis of the plant, which usually bears the leaves, flowers, and fruit. The points on the stem to which the leaves are fastened are called the nodes; and the portions of stem between the nodes are called the internodes. The angle formed by the upper side of the leaf and the stem is called the axil. XXii BPXEEANATION OF TERMS Stems aboveground are classed as — erect, when growing upright; procumbent, when lying on the ground without rooting; decumbent, when lying on the ground with the tip ascending; diffuse, when loosely spreading; creeping, when growing on the ground and rooting. Stems underground are classed as rhizomes (or rootstocks) tubers, corms, and bulbs, the forms passing into one another by gradations. A rhizome, or rootstock, is a horizontal underground stem. It is sometimes thick, fleshy, or woody, as in the iris; ; a tuber is a short, much thickened rootstock, having eyes or buds—of which the potato is an example; a corm is a depressed and rounded, solid rootstock; it may be called a solid bulb; the garden cyclamen is an example; a a bulb is a leaf-bud, commonly underground, with fleshy scales or coats; the lily is an example. LEAVES Leaves are the green expansions borne by the stem, out- spread in the air and light, in which assimilation is carried on. They may be said to be the stomachs of the plant. A typical leaf consists of three parts—the blade, the foot-stalk (or peti- ole), and a pair of stipules. Yet any one of these parts may be absent. The blade is the expanded portion of the leaf and the part to which the word /eaf, in its commonest sense, is applied; the stipules are small, usually leaflike bodies borne at the base of the petiole, usually one on either side; the petiole is the stalk of the leaf. XXiil EXPLANATION OF) TERMS Leaves are simple, when having but one blade; compound, when having more than one, when each blade is called a leaflet. Compound leaves are said to be— pinnate, when the leaflets are arranged along the sides of a petiole, or rather of its prolongation, the rachis; abruptly pinnate, with an even number of leaflets; odd-pinnate, with an odd leaflet at the end. palmate, or digitate, when the leaflets all diverge from the summit of the petiole, like the fingers of a hand. VENATION The venation, or veining, of leaves relates to the mode in which the woody tissue, in the form of ribs, veins, etc., is dis- tributed in the cellular tissue. There are two principle modes — the parallel-veined, of which the iris is an example; the veticulated-veined, or netted-veined, of which the Elm is an example. Small veins are called veinlets. FORM As to general form, or outline, leaves are: — Those broadest in the middle — peltate, or shield-shaped, when rounded, with the stem attached to the center, or near it—as in the garden nasturtium; orbicular, when circular in outline, or nearly so; oval, when having a flowing outline, with the breadth considerably more than half the length, and both ends alike; elliptical, when having a flowing outline, twice or thrice as long as broad, and both ends alike; oblong, when nearly twice or thrice as long as broad; linear, when narrow, several times longer than wide, and of about the same width throughout; acerose, when needle-shaped — like the Pine. XXiv EXPLANATION: (OF (TERMS Those broadest at the base — deltotd, when having the triangular shape of the Greek letter delta; ovate, when having an outline like the section of a hen’s-egg, the broader end downward; lanceolate, or lance-shaped, when several times longer than broad, and tapering upward, or both upward and downward; subulate, when shaped like an aw]; cordate, when ovate, with a heart-shaped base; rentform, when like the last, only rounder and broader than long; auriculate, when having a pair of small blunt projec- tions, or ears, at the base; sagittate, or arrow-shaped, when those ears are acute and turned downward, the body of the leaf tapering upward; hastate, or halberd-shaped, when the ears or lobes point outward. Those broadest at the apex — - obovate, when inversely ovate; oblanceolate, when inversely lanceolate; spatulate, when rounded above, and long and narrow below, like a druggist’s spatula; cuneate, or wedge-shaped, when broad above, tapering by straight lines to an acute base; obcordate, when inversely cordate. Sometimes no one of the above terms will describe a leaf, and it becomes necessary to combine two of them; as, /zvear- Spatulate, ovate-lanceolate, etc. THE APEX Leaves are classified according to their apices; as — emarginate, when having a decided terminal notch; truncate, when abruptly cut off; XXV EXPLANATION OF TERMS obtuse, when ending ina blunt or roundish extremity; acute, when ending in an acute angle, without special tapering; acuminate, when tapering into a narrow, more or less prolonged end; mucronate, when abruptly tipped with a small, short point. THE MARGIN Leaves are classified according to their margins; as— entire, when the margin is completely filled out to an even line; vepand, or undulate, when the margin is a wavy line; dentate, or toothed, when the teeth point outward; crenate, or scalloped, when dentate, with the teeth rounded; serrate, when having small sharp teeth directed forward; zmcised, when cut by sharp and irregular incisions more or less deeply; lobed, when cut not more than half-way to the midrib, and the divisions or their angles are rounded; cleft, when cut half-way down or more, and the lobes or sinuses are narrow or acute; parted, when the cutting reaches almost but not quite to the midrib; divided, when the blade is cut into distinct parts, thus making the leaf compound. All these terms may be modified by the words fpznnate or palmate, thus — pinnately parted, pinnately divided, palmately parted, palmately divided, etc.; also by the adjectives once, twice, thrice, etc. TEXTURE Leaves vary as to texture, and may be— coriaceous, or leathery; fleshy, or thick; succulent, or juicy; herbaceous, or thin. scartous, or dry and thin; XXV1 EXPLANATION (OF (TE RIMES. ARRANGEMENT According to their arrangement on the stem, leaves are — alternate, when distributed singly at different heights on the stem; opposite, when two stand opposite each other at the nodes; whorled, when more than two are borne at a node, equi- distant in a circle around the stem. INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence is a term commonly applied to the mode of flowering —z. e. to the arrangement of blossoms on the stem and their relative positions to one another. A peduncle is the stem of a solitary flower, or the main stem of a flower-cluster; a scape is a peduncle growing from the ground; a pedicel is the stem of each flower in a cluster; a bract is a small floral leaf; an involucre is a collection of bracts around a flower- cluster or around a single flower. Flowers may be solitary or clustered. Solitary flowers or flower-clusters are — terminal, when borne at the summit of the stem; axillary, when borne in the axils of the leaves. A flower-cluster is called — a raceme, when the flowers are arranged along the axis upon pedicels nearly equal in length; a corymb, when the flowers are arranged as in the raceme, with the lower pedicels elongated, making the cluster flat-topped; an umbel, when the pedicels arise from the same point, like the rays of an umbrella, and the cluster is flat- topped; XXVII EXPLANATION OF TERMS a panicle, when compound, irregularly made up of a number of racemes; a spike, when like a raceme, the flowers being without pedicels; a spadix, when it is a fleshy spike, generally enveloped by a large bract, called a spathe, as in the calla-lily; an ament, or catkin, when it is a pendent spike, with scaly bracts, like the Willow; a head, when it isashortened spike, with a globular form; a cyme, when it is branched and flat-topped, usually compound, with the older flowers in the center of each simple cluster. THE INDIVIDUAL FLOWER A complete flower consists of stamens and pistils (the organs of reproduction), and calyx and corolla (the floral envelops which protect the stamens and pistils). But any one of these organs may be absent. The calyx is the outer floral envelop, which is more often green, though it is sometimes colored. It may consist of a number of separate parts, called sepals, or these may be more or less united. The corolla is the inner floral envelop. It is usually colored, and forms the most beautiful feature of the flower, and plays an important part in attracting insects to it, which may carry on the work of fertili- zation. It may consist of a number of separate parts, called petals, or these may be more or less united, in which case the corolla is said to be gamopetalous. When the calyx and corolla are much alike, and seem like one floral circle, this is referred to as a perianth. The stamens and pistils are called the essential organs of a flower, because they are necessary to the maturing of the fruit. XXVIIl EXPLANATION OF (TERMS. Perfect flowers have both sets of essential organs. Imperfect flowers have but one set of essential organs. Staminate (or male) flowers have only stamens. Pistillate (or female) flowers have only pistils. Neutral flowers have neither. THE STAMEN The stamen consists of two parts—the filament and the anther. The filament is the stalk of the stamen. The anther is the little case holding the pollen, or powdery substance, which, falling upon the stigma, is conducted downward into ‘the ovary, where it quickens the ovules into life. The anther normally consists of two cells, which more often open length- wise for the discharge of the pollen, though they sometimes open by terminal pores or chinks, or by uplifting lids. Stamens sometimes undergo a morphological change, tak- ing the form of scales or other bodies (as is the case in many of our rodizas), when they are called staminodia. (RHE S PIS ME The pistil is the organ occupying the center of the flower. It consists of three parts—the ovary, or the enlarged part below, consisting of one or more cells or cavities, and con- taining the ovules, or unfertilized seed; the style, or the stem which upholds the stigma; the stigma, or the roughened por- tion which receives the pollen. The pistil is szmfle, when it has but one ovary, style, stigma, etc.; compound, if any one of these is duplicated. Pia PRUEE The fruit is the ripened ovary. After the ovules have been fertilized, the ovary is called a pericarp. Fruits may be either fieshy or ary. XX1X EXPLANATION OF TERMS The following are some of the principal kinds of dry fruits: — A capsule is a dry, dehiscent (splitting) fruit, composed of more than one carpel or division; an akene is a small, dry, hard, one-celled, one-seeded indehiscent fruit; a follicle is a pod formed from a single pistil, dehiscing along the ventral suture only; a legume is a simple pericarp, opening by both seams. a samara is a dry, indehiscent fruit, having a wing. The following are some of the principal kinds of fleshy fruits: — A pome is a fruit like an apple or pear; the pepo, or gourd, fruit is like that of the melon, squash, eic.2 the drupe is like that of the cherry, plum, and peach; the berry is like that. of the grape, currant, and tomato. Aggregate fruits are those in which a cluster of carpels, all of one flower, are crowded upon the receptacle into one mass; as in the raspberry and blackberry. XXX IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA [To avoid too long technical descriptions in the body of the work, a few of the more important plant families and genera have been inserted below, to which reference has been made in the technical descriptions. ] FAMILIES Crucifere. Mustard Family. Herbs with pungent, watery juice. Leaves.—Alternate; without stipules; entire or divided. /Vowers.— Generally in racemes. Sepals.— Four. /eta/s.— Four; usually with narrowed base or claw; the blades spreading to form a cross. .Sfamens.— Six; two of them shorter than the other four. Ovary.—Two-celled; rarely one-celled. Style undivided, ornone. Stigma entire or two- lobed. Fruit.—A silique —7. é@. a cap- sule, in which the walls separate upward away from acentral partition. The Mustard family is a very large one, comprising over a hundred and seventy genera, and containing between one and two thousand species. It is widely distributed over all parts of the world, but is most abundantly represented in the cooler or temperate regions. It furnishes us with many useful plants; such as the mustard, horseradish, radish, cabbage, turnip, cau- liflower, etc. The genera of this order are very closely allied, and very difficult of discrimination. The fruit, as well as the flower, is necessary in the study of any given species. Leguminose. Pea Family. The order Leguminose is divided into three well-marked sub-orders—the Pea family proper, the Brasiletto family, and the Mimosa family. But as all our genera, save Cerc7s, fall under the first, we shall describe that only. XXX1 IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA PAPILIONACE&. Pea Family proper. Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves.—Usually alternate; compound; with stipules; the latter sometimes transformed into thorns or tendrils. Flowers.—Seldom solitary; usually in spikes, racemes or umbels. Calyx.— Five-toothed; often bilabiate. Coro//a.—Irregular; of five petals; papilionaceous —1. e. the two lower petals more or less cohe- rent, forming the £ee/,; the two lateral ones often adherent to the keel, called the wigs; the upper petal called the standard or banner. Sta- mens and pistil inclosed in the keel. Stamens.—Ten; their filaments either coherent into a tube surrounding the pistil; or nine of them united into a sheath, open above, the tenth lying in front of the cleft; or rarely all distinct. Ovary.—Superior; one-celled. Stv/e.— Simple and incurved. Stigma.—Simple. Fruit.i—A two-valved pod, of which the garden pea is typical. The Pea family, including its three sub-orders, is one of the most important plant-families known. It is distributed over almost the entire world, and furnishes some of the most valu- able products to man. The Judas-tree, the numerous acacias, and the sweet pea, are well known in our gardens; while among our most valuable vegetables are the bean, the pea, and the lentil. The clover and alfalfa are extremely important forage plants. The order furnishes several important timber-trees, in differ- ent parts of the world, such as the Rosewood, the Laburnum, and the Locust; and yields numerous products of economic importance, such as licorice, senna, gum Senegal, gum Arabic, gum tragacanth, balsam of copaiba, balsam of Tolu, indigo, logwood, red sandalwood, etc. Composite. Composite Family. Herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves.—Usually alternate; without stipules. Flowers.—In a close head on a common receptacle, surrounded by an involucre, whose divisions are called scales or bracts. Calya-tube.— Adnate to the one-celled ovary; its limb (called a pappus) crowning its summit in the form of bristles, awns, scales, teeth, etc.; or cup- shaped; or else entirely absent. Coro//a.— Either strap-shaped or tubular; in the latter chiefly five-lobed. Stamens.—Five (rarely four); on the corolla; their anthers united ina tube. S¢yv/e.—Two-cleft at the apex. /ruit.—An akene. Flowers with strap-shaped corollas are called ray-flowers or rays. The tubular flowers compose the disk. The Composite family is the largest of all plant-families, numbering twelve thousand species and upward, and is widely XXXil MPORLANT PLANT FAMILIES AND .GENERA distributed over the world. In the cooler parts of the world the plants are mostly herbaceous, but toward the tropics they gradually become shrubs, and even trees. In North America they comprise about one sixth of all the flowering plants. For so large a family there are comparatively few useful plants found in it. Among the products of the order, may be mentioned chicory, lettuce, the artichoke, the vegetable oyster, arnica, chamomile-flowers, wormwood, absinth, elecampane, coltsfoot, taraxacum, oil of tansy, etc. But our gardens owe to this family innumerable beautiful and showy plants — such as the China aster, the chrysanthemum, the cosmos, zinnia, dahlia, ageratum, gaillardia, coreopsis, sunflower, etc., etc. The plants of this family are quickly recognized by the flowers being always borne ina head and surrounded by an involucre, and presenting the appearance of a single flower. The heads are sometimes made up entirely of one kind of flower. The dandelion and the chicory are examples of a head made up entirely of ray-flowers, while the thistle consists of tubu- lar flowers only. The more common arrangement, however, is the mixed one, comprising both tubular disk-flowers and strap- shaped rays, as in the daisy. The seeds are usually furnished with silken down or a delicate parachute to waft them abroad. The identification of the flowers of this order is a very diffi- cult matter, even for experienced botanists. Labiate. Mint Family. Herbs with square stems. Leaves.— Opposite; usually aromatic. Flowers.—Axillary, or often in whorls or heads. Corol/a.— Bilabiate (rarely regular). Stamens.—Four (or only two). Ovary.— Deeply four-lobed; becoming four seedlike nutlets. Style single; arising from the midst of the lobes. The plants of this order are easily recognized by the traits in the above description. But some of these traits are shared by the plants of the Figwort family, which have also the bilabiate corolla. The distinguishing character, however, is always to be found in the four-lobed ovary —for the Figworts have a two-celled ovary. This order is a large one; and there are no noxious or XXX1l1l IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA poisonous plants to be found in it. On the contrary, it com- prises many useful plants, too well known almost to need enumeration—such as the lavender, peppermint, sage, hore- hound, thyme, spearmint, horsemint, pennyroyal, etc. GENERA CEANOTHUS, L. Buckthorn Family. Shrubs or small trees, sometimes spinescent. Leaves.— Opposite or alternate; petioled; variously toothed or entire. //owers.— Blue or white; small, usually not more than two or three lines across; borne in showy thyrsoid or cymose clusters. Calyx.—Petaloid; with short tube and five-cleft border, the lobes acute and connivent. /eta/s.—Five; long-clawed; hooded; inserted on the calyx-tube. Stamens.— Five; opposite the petals; long exserted. Ovary.—Three-lobed; three- celled. Style short; three-cleft. rwit.—Dry; consisting of three dehiscent nutlets; sometimes crested. The genus Ceanothus is mainly a Western one. Of its thirty or more species, two thirds are found in the region between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. In California we have about twenty species; and these all hybridize to such an extent, that often the determination of any given species is a very difficult matter. The genus reaches its culmination in the mountains of Santa Cruz County, where there are many beautiful species. Many of the species are commonly known as ‘‘ California lilac.”’ Lupinus, Catullus. Pea Family. Leaves.— Palmately divided, with from one to sixteen leaflets; stip- ules adnate; seldom conspicuous. Lea/le/s.— Entire; sessile. /Vowers. —In terminal racemes, whorled or scattered. Calya.— Deeply bila- biate; upper lip notched; lower usually entire, or occasionally three- toothed or cleft. Corolla.—Papilionaceous. Standard.— Broad, with sides reflexed. Wings.—Falcate; oblong; commonly slightly united at the tip in front of and inclosing the falcate, usually slender, pointed keel. Stamens.—With their filaments united in a tube; of two forms; five with longer and basifixed anthers; the alternate five with shorter and versatile ones. Pod.— Compressed; straight; two-valved. Style slender. Stigma bearded. The Lupines are mostly plants of Western America. In fact, they are so abundant between the Rocky Mountains and XXXIV IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA the Pacific Ocean that that territory is known among botanists as the ‘‘ Lupine Region.”’ The species, which are very numerous, are difficult of deter- mination, requiring very long technical descriptions, which can- not be given in a work like the present. For this reason we have been able to give but a few of the more easily recognized. We have in California upwards of forty species. They are of little economic importance, although one or two species have been found very useful in the reclaiming of sand-dunes. Several species have been cultivated for ornament. The leaves are often beautiful and the flower-clusters showy. The generic name is supposed to come from the Latin adjective /upinus, signifying of the nature of a wolf, and to have been given because of the voracity evinced by the species in exhausting the soil. ASTRAGALUS, Tourn. Pea Family. Herbs, or sometimes plants woody at base. Leaves.—Alternate; with stipules; unequally pinnate. //owers.— Rather small; chiefly in simple axillary spikes or racemes, upon a commonly elongated pedun- cle; papilionaceous. Calyx.— Five-toothed. Corolla and its slender- clawed petals usually narrow. Keel not pointed. Stamens.— Nine united; one free. Ovary.—One-celled; sometimes apparently two- celled. Fod.—Very various; commonly inflated. Seeds.—Few to many on slender stalks; generally small for the size of the pod. The genus Astragalus is a very large one, comprising many species in most parts of the world, save Australia and South Africa. About two hundred species are native of North America, most of which are found in the region west of the Mississippi River. Of these several are known as ‘‘loco-weed,”’ and are poisonous to sheep and cattle. Very few species of this genus have any economic value. A. gummifer and some other similar species of Western Asia, low, spiny shrubs, yield the gum tragacanth of commerce. CENOTHERA, L. Evening-Primrose Family. Herbs, or plants sometimes woody at the base. Zeaves.—Alter- nate. /lowers.—Axillary or in spikes or racemes. Calya-tube.— More or less prolonged above the ovary with four reflexed segments. XXXV IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA Petals.—Four; obcordate to obovate; sessile; yellow to white, often tinged with red or turning red in fading. Stamens.—Eight; equal; or those opposite the petals shorter. Anthers perfect; two-celled; versa- tile. Ovary.—Four-celled; many ovuled. Style filiform. Stigma four-lobed or capitate. Avuit.—A capsule with the seeds in one or two rows in each cell. The name (nothera is from two Greek words, meaning wine and a hunt, or pursuit. Mr. Gray tells us that it was given in ancient times to some plant whose roots were eaten to provoke a relish for wine. This is a large genus, containing a hundred or more species, which are mostly confined to America, about a quarter of them. being Californian. Many of them are very beautiful and have long been favorites in gardens. The flowers are yellow or white, and are commonly designated as ‘‘evening primroses,’’ as many of them open upon the edge of evening. GODETIA, Spach. Evening-Primrose Family. The genus Godefza is closely allied to that of Gnothera; but is distinguished from the latter in several points. Its flowers are purple, lilac, or rose-colored—never yellow; the anthers are basifixed—z. e. fixed by their bases—not versa- tile; and the stigma, instead of being capitate, has four linear lobes. The plants of this genus were formerly included under CG:nothera; but it has been thought best to put them into a separate genus, which has been named for a Dr. Godet. There are numerous species, many of them very beautiful and showy. They vary a great deal under different conditions and in different seasons, and are not well understood by bota- nists as yet. The genus is confined to the western coast of North Amer- ica, and is most largely represented in California. The species flower mostly in late spring and early summer, which has given rise to the pretty name of ‘‘ farewell to spring’”’ for the plants of this genus. XXXVI WMPORTANE PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA Gitta, Renz. and Pav. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Herbs or plants somewhat shrubby at base. Leaves.— Opposite or alternate; simple or compound; without stipules. Many species with showy flowers. All the parts of the flower five, except the pistil, which has a three-celled ovary and a three-lobed style. Calyx.— Imbricated in the bud. Corolla.— Regular; funnel-form, salver-form, or some- times short campanulate or rotate; convolute in the bud. Stamens.— Five; on the corolla alternate with its lobes; distinct. Filaments mostly slender; sometimes unequal in length; not bearded at base. This genus was named in honor of Philip Gil, a Spanish botanist. In America the name is pronounced 72/’z-a, though according to the rules of the Spanish language he’/z-a would be the correct pronunciation. This is a comparatively large genus, comprising about a hundred species, most of which are native to the western parts of the United States. The flowers are often showy and beau- tiful, and some of them closely resemble the phloxes. A num- ber are cultivated under the botanical name of Jfomopszis or Leptosiphon. PHACELIA, Juss. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Herbs, mostly branched from the base and hairy. Leaves..—Alter- nate; the lower sometimes opposite; simple or compound. flowers. —Usually in one-sided scorpioid racemes. Calyx.— Deeply five- parted; without appendages. Corvolla.— From almost rotate to nar- rowly funnel-form; five-lobed; with ten vertical plates or scales at the base within. S¢amens.—Five; equally inserted low or at the base of the corolla. Ovary.—One-celled. Styles two; or one which is two- cleft. #7uit.—A capsule. The name Phacelia is from a Greek word signifying a fas- cicle, or bunch, and refers to the fascicled or clustered flower- racemes. This genus is closely allied to Memophila, but differs from it in several points. The calyx is not furnished with append- ages at the sinuses; the corolla is imbricated in the bud— z. e. the lobes overlap one another in the manner of bricks in a wall,—and is not convolute, or rolled up, as in Memophdla. This is mainly a North American genus, having about fifty species, about thirty of which are Californian. Many of the XXXVI IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA species have beautiful and showy flowers, and are cultivated in gardens. The blossoms are blue, violet, purple, or white, but never yellow (save sometimes in the tube or throat). Mimutus, L. Figwort Family. Leaves.—- Opposite; simple. //owers.—Axillary on solitary pedun- cles; sometimes becoming racemose by the diminution of the upper leaves to bracts. Calyx.—Tubular or campanulate; mostly five-angled and five-toothed. Corol/a.—Funnel-form; bilabiate; the upper lip erect, two-lobed; the lower three-lobed; a pair of ridges, either bearded or naked, running down the lower side of the throat. .Stasmens.—Four. Anthers often near together in pairs, with divergent cells. Ovary.— Superior; two-celled. Style filiform. Stigma two-lipped, with the lips commonly dilated and petaloid. The genus J/imulus is so named from the shape of the corolla, which is supposed to resemble the gaping countenance of an ape. It comprises forty or fifty species, and affords us some of our most beautiful flowers. The greater number of species and the handsomest are Pacific, and several of our Californian species are especially prized in cultivation. The plants of the genus are all known as ‘‘monkey- flowers.”’ They exhibit an interesting character in the struc- ture and movements of the stigma. It is usually composed of two somewhat expanded lips. These are extremely sensitive, and when touched, or when pollen has been received by them, they close quite rapidly. ORTHOCARPUS, Nutt. Figwort Family. Low herbs; almost all annuals. Zeaves.—Mainly alternate; sessile; often cut into from three to five filiform divisions; the upper passing into the bracts of the dense spike and usually colored, as are the calyx- lobes. Calya.—Short-tubular or oblong-campanulate; evenly four- cleft, or sometimes cleft before and behind and the divisions again cleft. Corolla.— Tubular; the upper lip, or galea, little or not at all longer than the lower; small in comparison with the large, inflated, one- to three-saccate lower one, which usually bears more or less conspicuous teeth. Stamens.— Four; inclosed in the upper lip. Ovary.—Two- celled. Style long. Stigma capitate. /ruit.—A capsule. The genus Orthocarpus is mainly Californian, comprising within our borders something less than twenty species. Most XXXVIII IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA of them are to be found from San Francisco northward and in the mountains. They are closely related to the Castilleias, and resemble them closely in habit. The difference between the two genera lies in the relative sizes of the upper and lower lips of the corolla. In Castlleta the upper lip is the larger and more prominent; while in Orthocarpus the lower is much more con- spicuous, often consisting of three inflated sacs. The species are quite difficult of determination. ‘‘Owl’s clover’? is a common English name for the plants of this genus. PENTSTEMON, Mitchell. Figwort Family. Perennial herbs, or rarely shrubby. Zeaves.— Opposite, rarely whorled; the upper sessile or clasping; the floral gradually or abruptly reduced to bracts. /lowers.— Usually red, blue, purple, or white, rarely yellow; in raceme-like panicles. Calyx.-— Five-parted. Corolla. —With a conspicuous and mostly elongated or ventricose tube; the throat swelling out on the lower if on either side; the limb more or less bilabiate, with the upper lip two-lobed and the lower three-cleft, re- curved, or spreading. Stamens.— Four perfect; a fifth with a bearded filament only. Anther cells mostly united or running together at the summit. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style long. Stigma entire. The name Pextstemon is from two Greek words, signifying fiveand stamen. It was bestowed upon this genus because the fifth stamen is present, though sterile. The genus is a large one, comprising seventy species, most of which are North American, though a few are Mexican. It is most abundantly represented in the Pacific States and the States west of the Mississippi. California has over twenty species, many of them very beautiful, a number of them being in cultivation. ‘‘Beard-tongue’’ is the common English name for the plants of this genus. From so many charming species it has been very difficult to select; and if the reader finds some beautiful flower of this genus which is unnamed in these pages, he is advised to con- sult the technical botanies. XXX1X IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA CaLocHortus, Pursh. , Lily Family. Stem.— Branching; from a membranous-coated, sometimes fibrous- coated corm. Leaves.— Few; linear-lanceolate; the radical one or two much larger than those of the flexuous or erect stem. /Alowers.— Few to many; showy; terminal or axillary, or umbellately fascicled. Feri- anth.— Deciduous; of six more or less concave segments; the three outer lanceolate, greenish, more or less sepal-like; the inner (petals) mostly broadly cuneate-obovate, usually with a conspicuous glandular pit toward the base, which is apt to be hidden by long hairs. Stamens. —Six. Anthers erect; basifixed. Ovary.—Three-celled; three-angled. Stigmas three; sessile; recurved. Capsule.—Three-angled or winged. The Calochorti are the most widely diffused of all the lilia- ceous plants of the Pacific Coast, and comprise some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. ‘‘On the north they reach British America; one species is to be found as far east as Nebraska; and several are natives of Northern Mexico; and within these limits no considerable section of country is desti- tute of some species.’’* They are so closely allied to the true tulips that the common designation of them as ‘‘tulips’’ is not at all amiss. The name Calochortus signifies beautiful grass. The mem- bers of the genus fall naturally into three general groups: — First—The GLoseE Tu.ips, which have flexile stems, sub- globose, nodding flowers, and nodding capsules. Of these there are three —C. albus, C. pulchellus, and C. amenus. Second —The STAR Tutips, having low, flexile stems, erect, star-like flowers, with spreading petals, and nodding capsules. They comprise C. Benthami, C. Maweanus, C. ceruleus, C. apiculatus, C. elegans, C. Tolmet, C. umbellatus, etc. Third —The Mariposa Tutirs, which are usually tall, fine plants, with stiff, erect stems, having erect, cup-shaped or open- campanulate flowers, usually large and handsome, followed by erect capsules. They have a few narrow, grass-like, radical leaves, which have usually dried away by the time of flowering, which is in early summer, after the ground has become dry and hard. These inhabit our dry, open hillsides and grassy slopes, loving * Mr. Carl Purdy. xl MME ORLANT PLANT FAMILIES AND GENERA a stony, clayey, sandy, or volcanic soil. They comprise over thirty different known forms, and others are constantly being discovered. They have a tendency to hybridize, and the various forms sport and vary, and run into one another in such a wonderful manner that the exact determination of all the species is an impossible task to all but a few experts—and even they are not certain about them all yet. We have given only a few of the commonest or best-characterized species. Mariposa is the Spanish word meaning dutterfly, and was applied on account of the marvelous resemblance of the mark- ings of the petals of some of the forms to the wings of that insect. xli INTRODUCTORY SITUATED on the western verge of the continent, so far removed from the other parts of our country, not only by great distance, but by those mighty natural barriers that traverse the continent from north to south, California is eminently individual in her natural features. Stretching through nine and one half degrees of latitude, with a sea-coast of seven hundred miles, and several ranges of fine and lofty mountains, there is prob- ably not another State in the Union that has so wonderful a diversity of climate and vegetation. Her shores, bathed by the warm Japan Current, or Ku-ro Si-wa, which is deflected southward from Alaska, are many degrees warmer than their latitude alone would warrant. Her general topography is simple and readily understood. The Sierra Nevada, or ‘‘snowy range,’’ upon the eastern boun- dary, with its granite summits and its shoulders clothed with successive belts of majestic coniferous forests, with an occasional snow-peak towering above the range, forms the eastern wall of the great Central Valley, which is inclosed upon the west by the Coast Range, less in height than the Sierra, but equally beautiful, less forbidding, more companionable. The great Central Valley, four hundred and fifty miles long, is drained by two rivers, which meet in its center and break through the Coast Range, delivering their waters to the ocean through the Golden Gate. The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers receive many important tributaries from the east, fed by the melting snows of the Sierras, and flow through one of the most fertile regions of the world. xlii INDTROPUCTORYS The Sierras may be divided into five different belts, of vary- ing altitudes along the length of the range, beginning with the foothill region, which may be termed the chaparral region. This is succeeded by the yellow-pine belt, above which is the sugar-pine, or upper forest, belt, which is in turn succeeded by the sub-alpine, while the alpine dominates all. The Coast Range is channeled on both sides by many ee tiful wooded cafions, affording homes for some of our loveliest flowers. Mr. Purdy writes of it: This ‘‘is not a continuous range, but a broken mass of parallel ridges from forty to sev- enty miles wide, with many other chains transverse to the gen- eral trend of the range, and inclosing numerous valleys, large and small, of widely different altitudes. In the Coast Range there is no warm belt, but isolated warm spots. Climate here can only be ascertained by experience. The geological forma- tion of the ranges and the character of soils constantly vary, and often widely at short intervals. Hence the flora of this region is particularly interesting. It is hardly probable there is a more captivating field for the botanist in the world.”’ In the north and the south the two great ranges meet in some of the noblest snow-peaks on the continent. Below their southern junction, to the eastward, lies an arid desert region, and above their northern junction extends a dry and elevated plateau to the northeast. Thus there arises a great diversity of natural condition. As all living organisms are greatly influenced by their environment, the flora naturally distributes itself along the lines of climatic variation. Thus we have alpine species on the snowy heights of the Sierras, and sub- alpine forms luxuriating in the meadows fed from their snows; inland species in the Central Valley, and following some dis- tance up its eastern and western walls; the leathery and hardy forms of the wind-swept coast; the curious prickly races of arid regions; delicate lovers of the cool and shaded brook; dwellers in marshes and on lake borders; denizens of dry, rocky hill-slopes, exposed to the glare of the sun; and inhabiters of shaded woods. It may be said that the most characteristically xlili INTRODUCTORY Western plants of our flora are to be found in the Central Val- ley, in the lower belts of the Sierras, and in the valleys of the Coast Range, many of which extend beyond our borders, both northward and southward. Many of our alpine species are common to the East, and our maritime flora is of necessity somewhat cosmopolitan, containing many introduced species from various parts of the world. The climate of California is divided into two seasons—the wet and the dry,—the former extending from October to May, the latter occupying the remaining months of the year. And this climatic division coincides almost exactly with the area of the State. Of course, these dates are not absolute, as shows may occur beyond their limits. It will be readily seen that the rainy season, or the winter, so-called, is the growing time of our year—the time when the earth brings forth every plant in his kind. On the other hand, the summer is the time of rest. Most of the plant-life having germinated after the first moisture of the fall, grows luxuriantly during the showery months of winter, blossoms lavishly in the balmy sunshine of early springtime, produces seed in abun- dance by early summer, and is then ready for its annual rest. Instead of shrouding the earth in snow during our period of plant-rest, as she does in more rigorous climes, Nature gently spreads over hill and valley a soft mantle of browr. When the first shrill notes of the cicada are heard in late spring, we awake to a sudden realization that summer is at hand, and, looking about us, we see that the flowers have nearly all vanished; hill and valley no longer glow with great masses of color; only a few straggling species of the early sum- mer remain; but they too are soon gone, and soft browns and straw-colors prevail everywhere. It is then that the deep, rich greens of our symmetrically rounded Live-Oaks, so character- istic of this region, show in fine contrast against this delicate background, forming a picture that every Californian dearly loves; the Madrofo and the Laurel spread their canopies of xliv INTRODUCTORY grateful shade; while the Redwood affords cool retreats from the summer sun. Then our salt marshes, as though realizing the need of refreshing verdure, put on their most vivid greens; and our chaparral-covered hill-slopes make walls of bronze and olive. Perhaps no coniferous forests in the world are so beautiful or so attractive as the Redwood forests of our Coast Ranges; and they play so important a part in the distribution of our plants, it will not be out of place to devote a little space to them here. The main Redwood belt is of limited range, extending along the Coast from Monterey County to Humboldt County, and nowhere exceeding twenty miles in breadth. Straggling trees may be found beyond these limits, but nowhere a forest growth or trees of great size. In its densest portion, the stately and colossal trees are too close together to permit of a wagon pass- ing between them. Mr. Purdy writes: ‘‘ The Redwood is not only a lover of moisture, but to an extent hardly to be believed, unless seen, a condenser and conserver of moisture. Their tops reach high into the sea of vapor, and a constant precipitation from them, like rain, takes place. The water stands in puddles in the roads under them. This causes the densest of undergrowth; hazels, huckleberries, various Ceanothi, ferns of large size and in greatest profusion, large bushes of rhododendron, and numerous other plants make the forest floor a perfect tangle in moister portions.”’ Many charming plants find their homes aiid the cool shade of these noble trees. Trillium, and scoliopus, and dog’s-tooth violets vie with clintonias and vancouverias in elegance and grace, while little creeping violets, and the lovely redwood- sorrel, and the salal make charming tapestries over the forest floor about these dim cathedral columns. On the other hand, the open forest belts of the Sierras, which are of far greater extent, present another and quite different flora from that of the Coast Range and the Redwood xlv INTRODUCTORY belt. There may be found many interesting plants of the Heath family — cassiope, bryanthus, chimaphila, ledum, various pyrolas, and the snow-plant; there the aconite, false hellebore, eriogonums and gentians, and new and beautiful pentstemons and Mimuli and lilies deck the meadows and stream-banks. After the season of blossoming is over in the lowlands, we may pass on up into the mountains and live again through a vernal springtime of flowers. Perhaps in no country in the world does the arrival of the spring flowers ‘‘so transform the face of Nature as in Califor- nia.” The march of civilization has brought changes in its wake; the virgin soil has been broken and subdued into grain- fields and vineyards; still enough of the lavish blossoming is left us to appreciate Mr. Muir’s description of the face of the country as it appeared years ago. Hesays: ‘‘When Califor- nia was wild, it was one sweet bee-garden throughout its entire length, north and south, and all the way across from the snowy Sierra to the ocean.-:; >. .<- TheGreat Central (iam during the months of March, April, and May was one smooth, continuous bed of honey-bloom, so marvelously rich that in walking from one end of it to the other, a distance of four hun- dred miles, your foot would press about a hundred flowers at every step. Maints, gilias, nemophilas, castilleias, and innumer- able Compositz were so crowded together, that had ninety-nine per cent of them been taken away, the plain would still have seemed to any but Californians extravagantly flowery. The radiant, honeyful corollas, touching and overlapping and rising above one another, glowed in the living light like a sunset sky —one sheet of purple and gold. . . . Sauntering in any direction, hundreds of these happy sun-plants brushed against my feet at every step and closed over them as if I were wading in liquid gold. The air was sweet with fragrance, the larks sang their blessed songs, rising on the wing as I advanced, then sinking out of sight in the polleny sod; while myriads of wild bees stirred the lower air with their monotonous hum — monot- onous, yet forever fresh and sweet as everyday sunshine.”’ xlvi PRELUDE O LAND OF THE WEsT! I know How the field-flowers bud and blow, And the grass springs and the grain To the first soft touch and summons of the rain! _ O, the music of the rain! O, the music of the streams! —Ina D. COOLzRITH. Toward the end of our long cloudless summer, after most other flowers have stolen away, Mother Nature marshals her great order of Composite for a last rally; and they come as welcome visitants to fill the places of our vanished summer friends. Asters and goldenrods, grindelias, lessingias, and the numer- ous tarweeds, with their cheerful blossoms, relieve the sober browns of sun-dried hill-slopes and meadows, or fringe with color our roadsides and salt marshes. But even these late-comers weary after a time, and one by one disappear, till there comes a season when, without flowers, Nature seems to be humbled in sackcloth and ashes. The dust lies thick upon roadside trees, a haze hangs like a veil in the air, and the sun beats down with fierce, continued glare. As this wears on day after day, a certain vague expectancy creeps gradually over the face of things—a rapt, mysterious aspect, foreboding change. One day there is a telltale clarity in the atmosphere. Later, the sky darkens by degrees, anda dull, leaden hue spreads over the vault of heaven. Nature xlvii PRELUDE mourns, and would weep. Her heart is full to bursting; still the tears come not. The winds spring up and blow freshly over the parched land. A few hard-wrung drops begin to fall, and at length there closes down a thoroughgoing shower. The flood-gates are opened at last; the long tension is over, and we breathe freely once more. During this first autumn rain, those of us who are so fortu- nate as to live in the country are conscious of a strange odor pervading all the air. It is as though Dame Nature were brew- ing a vast cup of herb tea, mixing in the fragrant infusion all the plants dried and stored so carefully during the summer. When the clouds vanish after this baptismal shower, every- thing is charmingly fresh and pure, and we have some of the rarest of days. Then the little seeds, harbored through the long summer in Earth’s bosom, burst their coats and push up their tender leaves, till on hillside and valley-floor appears a delicate mist of green, which gradually confirms itself into a soft, rich carpet—and all the world is in verdure clad. Then we begin to look eagerly for our first flowers. x} vill BEOWER DESCRIPTIONS A FANCY I think I would not be A stately tree, Broad-boughed, with haughty crest that seeks the sky! Too many sorrows lie In years, too much of bitter for the sweet: Frost-bite, and blast, and heat, Blind drought, cold rains, must all grow wearisome, Ere one could put away Their leafy garb for aye, And let death come. Rather this wayside flower: To live its happy hour Of balmy air, of sunshine, and of dew. A sinless face held upward to the blue; A bird-song sung to it, A butterfly to flit On dazzling wings above it, hither, thither,— A sweet surprise of life,—and then exhale A little fragrant soul on the soft gale, To float— ah! whither ? —INA D. COOLBRITH. ee ae tle le [ White or occastonally or partially white flowers not described in the White Section. Described in the Yellow Section :— ANAGALLIS ARVENSIS—Pimpernel. BRODIZA LACTEA— White Bro- dizea. CALOCHORTUS WEED!II—Mariposa Tulip. Cuscuta—Dodder. ERIOGONUM URSINUM. ERYSIMUM GRANDIFLORUM — Cream-colored Wallflower. ESCHSCHOLTZIA CALIFORNICA— California Poppy. FLG:RKIA DouGLAsiI— Meadow- Foam. , HEMIZONIA LUZULA2FOLIA — Tar- weed. HOSACKIA BICOLOR. MELILOTUS ALBA—White Sweet Clover. PTEROSPORA ANDROMEDEA—Pine- Drops. VERBASCUM BLATTARIA — Moth- Mullein. Described in the Pink Section :— APOCYNUM CANNABINUM—Ameri- can-Indian Hemp. DOoODECATHEON CLEVELANDI— Shooting-Stars. GILIA ANDROSACEA. LEwWISIA REDIVIVA—Bitter-Root. OXxALIS OREGANA--Redw’d-Sorrel. PHLOx DouGLasii—Alpine Phlox. RHUS INTEGRIFOLIA—Lemonade- Berry. RHUS LAURINA—Sumach. SILENE GALLICA. TRIENTALIS EUROPA — Star- Flower. Described in the Blue and Purple Section : — BRoODL£A LAXA—Ithuriel’s Spear. CALOCHORTUS CATALINA—Cata- lina Mariposa Tulip. CALOCHORTUS MAWEANUS—Cat’s- Ears. CALOCHORTUS UMBELLATUS— White Star-Tulip. CEANOTHUS DIVARICATUS — Wild iiilac. CEANOTHUS THYRSIFLORUS—Cali- fornia Lilac. COLLINSIA BICOLOR—Collinsia. DELPHINIUM. FRITILLARIA LILIACEA—White Fri- tillary. Ir1s DoUuGLASIANA—Douglas Iris. IRIS MACROSIPHON—Ground Iris. POLYGALA CORNUTA. SCUTELLARIA CALIFORNICA— White Skullcap. TRILLIUM SESSILE—Calif. Trillium. Described in the Red Section -- GILIA AGGREGATA—Scarlet Gilia. AQUILEGIA CCERULEA. Described in the Miscellaneous Section :-— CEPHALANTHERA OREGANA— Phantom Orchis. CyYPRIPEDIUM CALIFORNICUM— California Lady’s Slipper. CyPpRIPEDIUM MONTANUM— Mountain Lady’s Slipper. PROSARTES MENzIESII—Drops of Gold. ] WHITE TOOTHWORT. PEPPER-ROOT. SPRING-BLOSSOM. Dentaria Californica, Nutt. Mustard Family. Roots. —Bearing small tubers. Stems.—Six inches to two feet high. oof-leaves. Simple and roundish or with three leaflets. Stes- leaves. —Usually with three to five pinnate leaflets, one to three inches long. lowers. —White to pale rose-color. Sepal: sand Petals.—Four. Stainens. —Four long and two short. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style simple. Pod. —Slender; twelve to eighteen lines long. Sy2.—Carda- mine paucisecta, Benth. Had. —Throughout the Coast Ranges. What a rapture we always feel over this first blossom of the year! not only for its own dear sake, but for the hopes and promises it holds out, the visions it raises of spring, with flower-covered meadows, running brooks, buds swelling every » where, bird-songs, and the air rife with perfumes. It is like the dove sent forth from the ark, this first tenta- tive blossom, this avant courier of the great army of Crucifers, or cross-bearers, so called because their four petals are stretched out like the four arms of a cross. It is usually in some sheltered wood that we look for this first shy blossom; but once it has proved the trustworthiness of the skies, it is followed by thousands of its companions, who then come out boldly and star the meadows with their pure white constellations. The Latin name of this genus (from the the word dens, a tooth), translated into the vernacular, becomes toothwort, the termination wor? signifying merely plant or herb. It was so named because of the toothed rootstocks of many species. The little tubers upon the root often have a pungent taste, from which comes one of the other common names—‘ pepper- root.”’ Various other names have been applied to these flowers, such as ‘‘lady’s smocks” and ‘‘milkmaids.”’ ———_— — = i /// i Edi LZ Lief UI ie a, TOOTHWORT—Dentaria Californica. WHITE ZYGADENE. Zygadenus Fremonti, Michx. Lily Family. Bulb.—Dark-coated. Leaves.—Linear; a foot or two long; deeply channeled. Scafe.—Three inches to even four feet high. Flowers.— White. ferianth Segments.—Six; strongly nerved; bearing at base yellow glands; inner segments clawed. Stamens.—Six; shorter than the perianth. Ovary.—Three-celled. Styles three; short. Capsaule.— Three-beaked. AHab.—Coast Ranges, San Diego to Humboldt County. The generic name, Zygadenus, is from the Greek, and sig- nifies yoked glands, referring to the glands upon the base of the perianth segments. We have several species, the most beautiful and showy of which is Z Fremonti. This is widely distributed, and grows in very different situations. In our central Coast Range its tall stems, with their lovely clusters of white stars, make their appearance upon rocky hill-slopes with warm exposure, in the shelter of the trees, soon after the toothwort has sprinkled the fields with its white bloom. In the south it rears its tall stems upon open mesas, unprotected by the shelter of friendly tree or shrub, and in some localities it makes itself at home in bogs. It is possible that the future may reveal the presence of more than one species. It has sometimes been called ‘‘soap-plant’’; but this name more appropriately belongs to Chlorogalum. It somewhat resembles the Star of Bethlehem of Eastern gardens. The fact that it grows in boggy places has given rise to the name of ‘‘water-lily’’ in certain localities; but this ought to be discoun- tenanced, as it bears not the slightest resemblance to the mag- nificent water-lily of Eastern ponds. Another species —Z. venenosus, Wats. — is found from Mon- terey and Mariposa Counties to British Columbia. This may be distinguished from the above by its narrow leaves—only two or three lines wide,— usually folded together, and by its smaller flowers, with perianth segments only two or three lines long; and also by the fact that the stamens equal the segments in length. The bulb is poisonous, and our Northern Indians call it ‘‘ death camass,’’ while the farmers in the Sierras call it ‘‘ Lobelia,’”’ not 6 ZYGADENE—Zygadenus Fremonti. WHITE because of any resemblance to that plant, but because its poi- sonous effects are similar to those of the latter. It is fatal to horses, but hogs eat it with impunity, from which it is also known as ‘‘hogs’ potato.’’ It is found in moist meadows or along stream-banks, in June and July. POISON-OAK. Rhus diversiloba, Torr. and Gray. Poison-Oak or Cashew Family. Shrubs.—Three to fifteen feet high. Leaflets.— One to four inches long. /lowers.— Greenish white; small. Sepals and FPetals.—Usu- ally five. Stamens.—As many or twice as many as the petals. Ovary. —One-celled. Styles three; distinct or united. /77z/.—A small, dry, striate, whitish drupe. /7a6.—Throughout California. The presence of the poison-oak in our woods and fields makes these outdoor haunts forbidden pleasures to persons who are susceptible to it. It is closely allied to the poison-ivy of the Eastern States, and very similar in its effects. Itisa charming shrub in appearance, with beautiful glossy, shapely leaves; and in early summer, when it turns to many shades of scarlet and purple-bronze, it is especially alluring to the unsus- pecting. It is quite diverse in its habit, sometimes appearing as an erect shrub, and again climbing trees or rock surfaces, by means of small aerial rootlets, to a considerable height. Horses eat the leaves without injury; and the honey which the bees dis- till from its small greenish-white flowers is said to be excellent. Many low plants seek the shelter of these shrubs, and some of our loveliest flowers, such as Clarkias, Godetias, Collinsias, Brodizas, and larkspurs, seem to realize that immunity from human marauders is to be had within its safe retreat. The remedies for oak-poisoning are numerous; and it may not be out of place to mention a few of them here. Different remedies are required by different individuals. Any of the following plants may be made into a tea and used as a wash: Grindelia, manzanita, wild peony, California holly, and Rham- nus Purshiania, or Californica. Hot solutions of soda, Epsom salts, or saltpeter are helpful to many, and the bulb of the 8 HUE) ul, i yfyf! ({ Ah SAH || \\ \ NR St . \ \ SSA HERS RAW WKY —— e yh eg! My mm TSN Lhe AOA Pid Ret bat aes Hl, Lz Py E y POISON-OAK—Rhus diversiloba. WHITE soap-root,— Chlorogalum pomeridianum — pounded to a paste and used as a salve, allowing it to dry upon the surface and remain for some hours at least, is considered excellent. In fact, any pure toilet soap may be used in the same manner. WAKE-ROBIN. Trillium ovatum, Pursh. Lily Family. Rootstock.—Thickened. Sfem.— Erect; stout; a foot or more high; bearing at summit a whorl of three sessile leaves. Leaves.— Rhomboidal; acuminate; netted-veined; five-nerved; two tosix inches long. /Vower.— Solitary; pure white, turning to deep rose; peduncle one to three inches long. Sefals.—Three; herbaceous. Peta/s.— One or two inches long. S¢éamens.—Six. Ovary.—Three-celled. Stigmas three; sessile. Capsule.— Broadly ovate; six-winged. Hab.—The Coast Ranges, from Santa Cruz to British Columbia. The wake-robin is in the vanguard of our spring flowers, and a walk into some high, cold cafion while the days are still dark and short will be amply rewarded by the finding of its white and peculiarly pure-looking blossoms standing upon the bank overlooking the streamlet. The blossoms remain unchanged for a time, and then, as they fade, turn to a deep purplish rose-color. Our wake-robin so closely resembles 7: gvandiflorum, Salisb., of the Eastern States, that it seems a pity it should have been made into a different species. BEACH-STRAWBERRY. Fragaria Chilensis, Ehrhart. Rose Family. F1ab.—The coast, from Alaska to San Francisco and southward. This beautiful strawberry is found growing near the sea- shore, where its large, delicious berries are often buried beneath the shifting sand, becoming bleached in color. It sometimes covers acres with its thick, shining, dark-green leaves, among which are sprinkled its large pure-white flowers, an inch or more across. The wood-strawberry — /. Californica —is very common in the Coast Ranges; but for the most part it is dry and flavorless. 10 Yi i Wily \ Waele Nt \ Ni} AS ) \ \, AY N AY . a \ Ai WW WN ~ \ ~~ = —S = == SS ~ WAKE-ROBIN—Trillium ovatum. WHITE MANZANITA. BEARBERRY. Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Dougl. Heath family. Shrubs three to twenty-five feet high, with purple-brown bark. Leaves.— Pale. Flowers.—White or pinkish; in crowded clusters. Corolla.— Four or five lines long; campanulate. S/asmens.—Ten; filaments dilated and bearded at base; anthers two-celled, opening ter- minally, each cell furnished with a long downward-pointing horn. Ovary.— Globose; five to ten-celled. Style simple. /7u7¢.— Six lines in diameter, containing several bony nutlets. Sy#.—Arctostaphylos pungens, HBK. AHab.—Throughout the State. Of all our shrubs, the manzanita is the most beautiful and the best known. Sometimes as early as Christmas it may be found in full bloom, when its dense crown of pale foliage, sur- mounting the rich purple-brown stems, is thickly sown with the little clusters of fragrant waxen bells. After the blossoms have passed away, the shrubs put forth numerous brilliant scarlet or crimson shoots, which at a little distance look like a strange and entirely new kind of blossoming. The manzanita is closely allied to the madrofo, and resembles it in many ways, particularly in the annual peeling of its rich red bark and in the form of its flowers. The Greek generic name, translated into English, becomes ‘‘bearberry.”’ The pretty Spanish name— from manzana, apple, and the diminutive, z4a,—was bestowed by the early Spanish-Californians, who recognized the resemblance of the fruit to tiny apples. We have a dozen or more species of Arctostaphylos, but A. manzanita is the commonest of them all. It varies greatly in size and habit. In localities most favorable it becomes a large, erect shrub, with many clustered trunks, while in the Sierras it finds but a precarious footing among the granite rocks, often covering their surfaces with its small tortuous, stiff branches. The leaves, by a twisting of their stalks, assume a vertical posi- tion on the branches, a habit which enables many plants of dry regions to avoid unnecessary evaporation. The largest manzanita known is upon the estate of Mr. Tiburcio Parrott, in St. Helena, Napa County, California. It I2 y )} ) y ] y ? Y Wy Y) My Y iy y } —— Ss > . ~ SSH = ~S — ——— MANZANITA—Arctostaphylos tomentosa. WHITE is thirty-five feet high, with a spread of branches equal to its height, while its trunk measures eleven and a half feet in cir- cumference at the ground, soon dividing into large branches. It is a veritable patriarch, and has doubtless seen many cen- turies. According to an interesting account in ‘‘Garden and Forest,’’ it once had a narrow escape from the ax of a wood- man. A gentleman who was a lover of trees, happening to pass, paid the woodman two dollars to spare its life. Years ago no traveler from the East felt that he could return home without a manzanita cane, made from as straight a branch as could be secured. The berries of this shrub are dry and bony and quite un- satisfactory. They are, however, pleasantly acid, and have been put to several uses. It is said that both brandy and vinegar are made from them, and housewives make quite a good jelly from some species. Bears are fond of the berries, and the Indians eat them, both raw and pounded into a flour, from which mush is made. The leaves made into a tincture or infusion are now an officinal drug, valued in catarrh of the throat or stomach. From Monterey to San Diego is found A. glauca, Lindl., the great-berried manzanita. It closely resembles the above, but its berries are three fourths of an inch in diameter. Of the same range as the last is A. dzcolor, Gray, whose leaves are of a rich, shining green above and white and woolly beneath. Its berries are the size of a pea, yellowish at first, and turning red later. CALIFORNIAN SAXIFRAGE. Saxtifraga Californica, Greene. Saxifrage Family. Leaves.— Few; all radical; oval; one to two inches long, on broad petioles six to twelve lines long. Scafe.— Six to eighteen inches high. flowers.—White or rose; four or five lines across. Calya.— Deeply five-cleft, with reflexed lobes. /eta/s.— Borne on the calyx. Stamens. —Ten. Ovaries.—Two; partly united. Styles short. Stigmas capi- tate. Syn.—S. Virginiensis, Michx. Hab.—Throughout the State. In the rich soil of cool northward slopes, or on many a mossy bank amid the tender young fronds of the maidenhair, 14 CALIFORNIAN SAXIFRAGE—Savifraga Californica. WHITE may be found the delicate clusters of our little Californian saxi- frage. The plants are small, with but a few, perhaps only one or two, oval, rather hairy leaves, lying upon the ground, and a slender red scape upholding the dainty cluster of small white flowers. The tips of the calyx-lobes are usually red, and the wee stamens are pink. . We have several species of saxifrage, most of which are plants of exceeding delicacy and grace, and with small flowers. MINER’S LETTUCE. INDIAN LETTUCE. Montia perfoliata, Howell. Purslane Family. Smooth, succulent herbs. Radical Leaves.—Long-petioled; broadly rhomboidal. S¢tems.— Simple; six to twelve inches high, having, near the summit, a pair of leaves united around the stem. F/owers.—White. Sepals.—Two. Fetals.— Five, minute. Stamens.— Five. Ovary.— One-celled. Style slender. Stigma three-cleft. Sy2.— Claytonia per- foliata, Don. Hab.—Throughout California. Though our Indian lettuce is closely allied to the Eastern ‘‘Spring Beauty,’’ one would never suspect it from its out- ward appearance and habit. The little flower-racemes look as though they might have pushed their way right through the rather large saucer-like leaf just below them. The succulent leaves and stems are greedily eaten by the Indians, from which it is called ‘‘ Indian lettuce.’’ Mr. Powers, of Sheridan, writes that the Placer County In- dians have a novel way of preparing their salads Gathering the stems and leaves, they lay them about the entrances of the nests of certain large red ants. ‘These, swarming out, run all over it. After a time the Indians shake them off, satisfied that the lettuce has a pleasant sour taste equaling that imparted by vinegar. These little plants are said to be excellent when boiled and well seasoned, and they have long been grown in England, where they are highly esteemed for salads. 16 MINER’S LETTUCE—Montia perfoliata. WHITE WOOD ANEMONE. WIND-FLOWER. Anemone quinguefolia, L. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Rootstock.— Horizontal. Stem.—Six to fourteen inches high. Leaves.— Radical leaf remote from the stem; trifid; the segments ser- rate. Involucral leaf not far below the flower; three foliolate. Sepals.— Petaloid; five or six; usually bluish outside. e/a/s.—Wanting. Sfa- mens and Pistils—Numerous. Akenes.—Two lines long; twelve to twenty. Syxz.—Anemone nemorosa, L. Hab.—The Coast Ranges, in moist shade. The delicate blossoms of the wood anemone might at first be confounded with those of the toothwort by the careless observer, but a moment’s reflection will quickly distinguish them. The anemone is always a solitary flower with many stamens, and its petals are of a more delicate texture. It grows upon wooded banks or cool, shaded flats among the redwoods. There are many quaint traditions as to the origin of its name, and poets have from early times found something ideal of which to sing in these simple spring flowers. The generic name has the accent upon the third syllable, but, when Anglicized into the common name, the accent falls back upon the second. OSO-BERRY. Nuttallia cerasiformis, Torr. and Gray. Rose Family. Deciduous shrubs; two to fifteen feet high. Leaves.—Broadly ob- lanceolate; two to four inches long; narrowed into a short petiole. Flowers.—White; in short terminal racemes; dicecious; three to eleven lines across. ._ Calya.—Top-shaped, with five-lobed border. /efa/s.— Five; inserted with ten of the stamens on the calyx; broadly spatulate. Stamens.— Fifteen. Ovaries.— Five. Styles short. Fru2t.— Blue- black, oblong drupes; six to eight lines long. /7ab.— Chiefly the Coast Ranges from San Luis Obispo to Fraser River. About the same time that the beautiful leaves of the buck- eye are emerging from their wrappings, we notice in the woods a shrub which has just put forth its clusters of bright-green leaves from buds all along its slender twigs. Amid their delicate green hang short clusters of greenish-white flowers. 18 WOOD ANEMONE—Anemone quinquefolia. WHITE These blossoms have a delicious bitter fragrance, redolent of all the tender memories of the springtime. This shrub is usually mistaken for a wild plum; and the illusion is still further assisted when the little drupes, like min- iature plums, begin to ripen and hang in yellow and purple clusters amid the matured leaves. WILD DATE. SPANISH BAYONET. Yucca Mohavensis, Sargent. Lily Family. Trunk.— Usually simple; rarely exceeding fifteen feet high; six or eight inches in diameter; naked, or covered with refracted dead leaves, or clothed to the ground with the living leaves. Leaves.— Linear- lanceolate; one to three feet long; one or two inches wide; rigid; mar- gins at length bearing coarse recurved threads. /Vowers.—In short- stemmed or sessile, distaff-shaped panicles, a foot or two long; pedicels eventually drooping, twelve to eighteen lines long. /erzanih.—Broadly campanulate. Segments.—Six; thirty lines long; six to twelve wide. Sfamens.— Six; six to nine lines long; filaments white, club-shaped. Ovary.— Oblong; white; an inch or two long, including the slender style. Stigmas three. Avwzt.— Cylindrical; three or four inches long; pendulous, pulpy. Sywz.—Yucca baccata, Torr. Hab.—Southern California, from Monterey to San Diego; coast and inland. The genus Vacca comprises sixteen or eighteen species, and reaches its greatest development in Northern Mexico. Three species are to be found within our borders, two of which are arborescent, Y. arborescens, and Y. Mohavensts. Consider- able confusion has hitherto reigned among the species, but they are now better understood. They are all valuable to our Indians as basket and textile plants, and are useful to them in many other ways. Owing to the structure of the flowers, self-fertilization seems impossible, and scientists who have made a study of the sub- ject say that these plants are dependent upon a little white, night-flying moth to perform this office for them. This little creature goes from plant to plant, gathering the pollen, which she rolls up into a ball with her feet. When sufficient has been gathered, she goes to another plant, lays her egg in its ovary, and before leaving ascends to the stigma and actually pushes the pollen into it, seeming to realize that unless she 20 WHITE performs this last act, there will be nothing for her progeny to -eat. This seems an almost incredible instance of insect intelli- gence; but it is a well-authenticated fact. Yucca Mohavensis, commonly called ‘‘wild date,’ or ‘Spanish bayonet,’’ is more widely distributed within our borders than either of our other species. Its large panicle of overpoweringly fragrant white waxen bells is a striking object wherever seen. On the coast this yucca is often stemless, but in the interior, where it is more abundant, it rises to a considerable height, and culminates upon the Mojave Desert, where the finest specimens are found. The fruit, which ripens in August and September, turns from green to a tawny yellow, afterward becoming brownish purple, and eventually almost black. This has a sweet, suc- culent flesh, and, either fresh or dried, is a favorite fruit among the Indians. Dr. Palmer writes that this is one of the most useful plants to the Indians of New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. They cut the stems into slices, beat them into a pulp, and mix them with the water in washing, as a substitute for soap. The leaves are parched in ashes, to make them pliable, and are afterward soaked in water and pounded with a wooden mallet. The fibers thus liberated are long, strong, and dur- able, and lend themselves admirably to the weaving of the gayly decorated horse-blankets made by the tribes of Southern California. They also make from it ropes, twine, nets, hats, hair-brushes, shoes, mattresses, baskets, etc. WHITE FALSE SOLOMON’S SEAL. Smilacina sessilifolia, Nutt. Lily Family. Rootstock.— Slender; branching; creeping; scars not conspicuous. Stem.—About a foot long (sometimes two); usually zigzag above; leafy. Leaves.—Alternate; sessile; lanceolate; two to six inches long; shining above; spreading ina horizontal plane. //owers.—White; few; in a simple terminal raceme, on pedicels two to seven lines long. Peritanth.— Of six, distinct, spreading segments. Segments.— One and one half to four lines long; lanceolate. Stamens.—Six; half the length of the segments. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style short. Berry.— Nearly black; three to five lines through. /4aé6.— Monterey to British Columbia. The False Solomon’s Seal is one of the prettiest plants in our woods in March, and in many places it almost hides the ground from view. It has a graceful, drooping habit that shows its handsome, spreading leaves to full advantage, and its few delicate little white blossoms are a fitting termination to the pretty sprays. S. amplexicaulis, Nutt., is a very handsome, decorative plant, with fine, tall, leafy stem, and large, feathery panicle of tiny white flowers. The broadened white filaments are the most conspicuous part of these blossoms, which are less than a line long. The berries are light-colored, dotted with red or purple. MIST-MAIDENS. Romanzoffiia Sitchensis, Bongard. Baby-eyes or Water leaf Family. Leaves.— Six to eighteen lines across; smooth. F/lowers.—White, pink, or purple. Calya.— Deeply five-parted. Corol/a.— Funnel-form; five-lobed; four lines long. Stamens.— Five. Ovary.—Two-celled. ffab.— Coast Ranges, from Santa Cruz northward. In appearance these delicate herbs resemble the saxifrages, and they affect much the same sort of places, decking mossy banks and stream borders with their beautiful scalloped leaves and small white flowers. The genus was named in honor of Nicholas Romanzoff, a Russian nobleman, who, by his munificence, enabled some noted botanists to visit this coast early in the century. 2a offia Sitchensis. MAIDENS—Romanz MIST WHITE STRAWBERRY CACTUS. CALIFORNIAN FISH-HOOK CACTUS. LLAVINA. Mamillaria Goodridgii, Scheer. Cactus Family. Oval, fleshy, leafless plants; mostly single, though sometimes clustered; three to five inches long; covered with prominences or tubercles. Zwbercles.— Each bearing a flat rosette of short, whitish spines, with an erect, dark, fish-hook-like central one. /Vowers.— Small; greenish-white. Outer Sepals.—Fringed. FPetals.—About eight; awned. Sfamens.— Numerous. Ovary.—One-celled. Stigmas five or six. ruit.—Scarlet; an inch long. /7ab.—San Diego and neigh- boring islands, and southward. The dry hill-slopes about San Diego afford the most inter- esting field accessible to civilization, z. e. within our boundaries, for the gathering and study of the cacti. Nestling close to the ground, usually under some shrub or vine, you will find the little fish-hook cactus, one of the pret- tiest and most interesting of them all. Its oval form bristles with the little dark hooks, each of which emanates from a flat star of whitish spines. The flowers may be found in April or May, but it is more noticeable when in fruit. The handsome scarlet berries, like old-fashioned coral eardrops, protruding “from among the thorns, are easily picked out, and they very naturally find their way to one’s mouth. Nor is one disappointed in the expecta- tion raised by their brilliant exterior—for the flavor is deli- cious, though I cannot say it resembles that of the strawberry, as some aver. To me it is more like a fine tart apple. THIMBLE-BERRY. Rubus Nutkanus, Mocino. Rose Family. Stems.—Three to eight feet high. Leaves.— Palmately and nearly equally five-lobed; cordate at base; four to twelve inches broad; the lobes acute; densely tomentose beneath. /Vowers.—Few; clustered; white, sometimes pale rose; an inch or two across, with rounded pet- als. Stamens and Pistils.—Numerous. /ruit.— Large; red; “like an inverted saucer;’’ sweet and rather dry. Yad.— Monterey to Alaska. The thimble-berry is unequaled for the canopy of pure light-green foliage which it spreads in our woods. It would 24 - WHITE take the clearest of water-colors to portray its color and tex- ture. The large white flowers, with their crumpled petals, are ~ deliciously fragrant, but with us are never followed by an edible fruit, probably owing to the dryness of our summer climate. In Oregon and northward the berries are said to be luscious. There the bushes grow in the fir forests, where they seem most at home. Rubus spectabilis, Pursh., the salmon-berry, has leaves with three leaflets, and large solitary, rose-colored flowers, which are followed by a salmon-colored berry. These shrubs are exceedingly beautiful when in full bloom. COMMON WILD PEA. Lathyrus vestitus, Nutt. Pea Family. Stems.—One to ten feet high; slender; not winged. Leaves.— Alternate; with small semi-sagittate stipules; pinnate, with four to six pairs of leaflets; tendril-bearing at the summit. Leaflets.— Ovate- oblong to linear; six to twelve lines long; acute. /Jowers.—Whiite, pale rose or violet; seven to ten lines long. Lower Calyx-teeth.— About equaling thetube. Corol/a.—Papilionaceous; the standard veined with purple in the center. Sfamens.— Nine united; one free. Ovary. —Flattened; pubescent. Style hairy down the inner side. (See Legu- minoseé.) Hab.—Sonoma County to San Diego. The genus Lathyrus, which contains the beautiful sweet pea of the garden, affords us several handsome wild species, but most of them are difficult of determination, and many of them are as yet much confused. This genus is quite closely related to Vicia, but, in general, the leaflets are broader, the flowers are larger, and the style is hairy down the inner side as well as at the tip. Lathyrus vestitus is the common wild pea of the south. It is quite plentiful, and clambers over and under shrubs, hanging out its occasional clusters of rather large pale flowers. L. Torreyt, Gray, found from Santa Clara County to Napa in dry woods, is a slender plant, having from one to three small white or pinkish flowers. It is remarkable for and easily distinguished by its very fragrant foliage. 23 WHITE WILD CUCUMBER. BIG-ROOT. CHILICOTHE. Echinocystis fabacea, Naudin. Gourd Family. Tendril-bearing vines, ten to thirty feet long. Root.— Enormous; woody. Leaves.— Palmately five- to seven-lobed; three to six inches broad. //lowers.—Yellowish white; moncecious. Calya-tube.— Cam- panulate; teeth small or none. Corol/la.— Five- to seven-lobed; three to six lines across. Stamtnate Flowers.— Five to twenty in racemes; their stamens two and a half, with short connate filaments and some- what horizontal anthers. Pisti/late Flowers.—Solitary; from the same axils as the racemes. Ovary.—Two- to four-celled. /Avuit.—Two inches long; prickly. Syuz.— MWegarrhiza Californica, Torr. Hab.— Near the coast, from San Diego to Point Reyes. The wild cucumber is one of our most graceful native vines. It drapes many an unsightly stump, or clambers up into shrubs, embowering them with its pretty foliage. Seeing its rather delicate ivy-like habit above ground, one would never dream that it came from a root as large as a man’s body, buried deep in the earth. From this root, it has received two of its common names, ‘‘ big-root’”’ and ‘‘ man-in-the-ground.”’ Sometimes this may be seen upon the ocean beach or rolling about in the breakers, where it has been liberated by the wear- ing away of the cliffs. It is intensely bitter. The seeds have a very interesting method of germinating. The two large radical leaves remain underground, sending up the terminal shoot only. They are so tender and succulent that they would be eaten forthwith, if they showed them- selves above the ground. An oil expressed from the roasted seeds has been used by the Indians to promote the growth of the hair. Authorities have differed about the classification of these plants, and they have been variously called A/egarrhiza, Micrampelis, and Echinocystis, the latter being latest approved. We have several species. One common in the South is & macrocarpa, Greene. This has a large oval, prickly ball, four inches or so long. When mature, this opens at the top, split- ting into several segments, which gradually roll downward, like the petals of a beautiful white lily, showing their pure- white inner surfaces and leaving exposed the four cells in the 26 i i Hi HN gm, “yy « i : iy ay \\ WAN DEM NAY TWIN-BERRY—Lonicera involucrata. YELLOW root is a favorite tonic remedy, and it has become a recognized drug in the pharmacopeeia of our Coast, being used as an- alterative and tonic. The root is tough and hard, of a bright golden yellow, and intensely bitter. The bark of the root is the part that is used medicinally. The shrub is very plentiful in the woods of Mendocino ~ County, where it covers considerable areas. SUNSHINE. FLY-FLOWER. Baeria gracilis, Gray. Composite Family. Six inches or so high; branching freely. Leaves.— Mostly opposite; linear; entire; an inch or so long. /lower-heads.—Yellow; of disk and ray-flowers. Aays.—Ten to fourteen; three or four lines long. Involucre.—Campanulate; of a single series of small lanceolate, herba- ceous scales. A/ab..-From San Francisco southward. Considered singly, the blossom of this plant is a simple, unassuming little flower; but when countless millions of its golden stars stud the nether firmament, it becomes one of the most conspicuous of all our Composite. It literally covers the earth with a close carpet of rich golden bloom, and other plants, such as scarlet paint-brushes, blue Phacelias, and yellow and white tidy-tips, rise out of its golden tapestry. Mile after mile of it whirls by the car-window as we journey along, or long stretches of it gild the gently rounded hill-slopes of the distant landscape. | There are several other species of Baeria, but this is the most abundant and wide-spread. In some localities this little plant is so much frequented by a small fly, which feeds upon its pollen, that it is called ‘‘fly-flower.’’ It then becomes a serious nuisance to horses and cattle, which grow wild and restive under the persecution of this insect. In the Spanish deck of playing-cards in the early days, the ‘‘Jack of Spades’’ always held one of these flowers in his hand. By the Spanish-Californians it was called ‘‘Si me quieres, no me quieres’’—‘‘ Love me, love me not,’’— because their dark-eyed maidens tried their fortunes upon it in the same manner that our own maidens consult the marguerite. 124 PENTACH 2TA—Pentachacta aurea. SUNSHINE—Baeria gracilis. YELLOW Growing in brilliant beds by themselves, or intermingling their gold with that of the Baeria, the charming feathery blos- soms of Pentacheta aurea, Nutt., are found in midspring. They have from fifty to seventy rays and their involucres con- sist.of several rows of scarious-margined bracts. MEADOW-FOAM. Flerkia Douglast1, Baillon. Geranium Family. Smooth, succulent herbs. .S¢ems.—A foot or so long. Leaves.— Much dissected. Flowers.—Axillary; solitary. Sepals.— Narrow; acute. Peta/s.— Nine lines long or so; yellow, sometimes tipped with white, white, or rose-tinged. Stamens.—Ten, in two sets; a gland at the base of those opposite the sepals. Ovary.— Of five carpels, be- coming distinct. Style five-cleft at the apex. Svz.— Limnanthes Dou- — glasii, R. Br. Hab.— Oregon to Southern California. When the spring is well advanced, our wet meadows are all a-cream with the meadow-foam, whose dense masses blend exquisitely with the rich red of the common sorrel, which is in blossom at the same time. ; This plant is a near relative of the redwood-sorrel, and its flowers are similar in size and veining, and also in their habit of closing at night. It is much admired and has long been in cultivation. PIMPERNEL. POOR-MAN’S WEATHER-GLASS. Anagallis arvensis, L. Primrose Family. Stems.— Prostrate; spreading. Leaves.— Usually opposite; sessile; ovate. /lowers.—Solitary on axillary peduncles; orange-vermilion (rarely blue or. white); six lines or so across. Calyx and rotate corolla five-parted. /etals.— Rounded; purple at base. Stamens.— Five; opposite the petals. Filaments purple, bearded. Capsule.—Globose; the top falling off as a lid. HYab.— Common everywhere. Introduced from Europe. The little orange-vermilion flower of the pimpernel is a plain little blossom to the unassisted eye, but it becomes truly regal when seen under a glass, where its rich purple center dis- plays itself in glistening splendor. It is a forcible example of the infinite care bestowed upon all of Nature’s children, even to the humblest weeds. 126 \ \ \ nh gh ) \\ ii by SAA = WH) Yr.) WW (EE MM) VA BW Za : Mii MEADOW-FOAM—Floerkia Douglasii. YELLOW This little plant has come to us from Europe, and it makes — itself perfectly at home among us in many widely-differing situations. From the fact that it furls its petals upon cloudy days, or at the approach of rain, it is called in England *‘poor- man’s weather-glass.’’ The plant is an acrid poison and was extensively used in medicine by the ancients. It seems to act particularly upon the nervous system, and was used as a remedy for convulsions, the plague, gout, and hydrophobia. Encelia Californica, Nutt. Composite Family. Bushy; two to four feet high; strong-scented. Leaves.— Mostly alternate; short-petioled; ovate-lanceolate; an inch or two long. Flower-heads.— Solitary; long-peduncled; large. Disk.— Eight lines across; of black-purple, tubular flowers, with deep-yellow styles. Rays.— Sterile; over an inch long; five lines wide; four-toothed. Zn- volucre.--Open-campanulate of several series of coriaceous, imbri- cated scales. Wab.— Santa Barbara to San Diego. This shrubby Comfoszta is quite abundant in the south, and when covered with its large yellow flowers with purple-brown centers is very showy. We have seen mesas covered with the bushes, which have much the same spreading habit as the white marguerite of the garden. It thrives particularly well near the coast, but is also at home upon some of the hills of interior valleys as well. It is quite strong-scented, but the flowers are very handsome, rivaling in decorativeness many of the cherished plants of our gardens. YELLOW FORGET-ME-NOT. WOOLLY-BREECHES. Amsinckia, Lehm. Borage Family. Hispid annuals. Leaves. — Alternate; oblong-ovate to linear. Flowers.—Small; yellow or orange, in coiled spikes or racemes. Calyx.—Five-parted; persistent. Covol/a.—Salver-shaped, or some- what funnel-form; with five-lobed border; the throat naked or with minute hairy tufts opposite the lobes. Stamens.—Five. Ovary.— Of four seedlike nutlets. Style filiform. Stigma capitate. We have several species of Amsinckia, all of which have small yellow flowers, resembling in form our little white forget- me-nots. The genus is a Western American one, and the 128 YELLOW species are very difficult of determination. They are all hispid plants, very disagreeable to handle, and are generally of rank growth. They often occur in great masses, when they become rather showy. The largest-flowered species, which is also the most com- mon one in the south, is 4. spectabilis, Fisch. and Mey. The corolla of this is often half an inch long and half an inch across, of an orange-yellow, with deeper orange spots in the throat. TREE-TOBACCO. Nicotiana glauca, Graham. Nightshade Family. Loosely branching shrubs, fifteen feet or so high. Leaves.—Alter- nate; petioled; ovate; smooth. Flowers.—Clustered at the ends of the branches. Calya.—Campanulate; five-toothed. Coro/la.—Tubu- lar; eighteen lines long; with constricted throat; and border shortly five-toothed. Stamens.—Five, on the base of the corolla, adnate to the tube below. Anthers with two diverging cells. Ovary.—One- celled. Style slender. Stigma capitate; two-lobed. ab.—Through- out Southern California; introduced. The tall, loosely branching, spreading form of the tree- tobacco is a familiar sight in the south about vacant lots and waste places. Its clusters of long, greenish-yellow flowers hang gracefully from the ends of the slender branches, and the ovate leaves are rather long-stalked. It is supposed to have been introduced from Buenos Ayres, and old inhabitants re- member the time when but one or two plants were known. In thirty years it has spread rapidly, and is now exceedingly common. WIND-POPPY. BLOOD-DROP. FLAMING POPPY. Meconopsis heterophylla, Benth. Poppy Family. Smooth herbs. Stems.—Slender; a foot or two high. Leaves.— Mostly petioled; pinnately divided into variously toothed, oval to linear segments. /lowers.—Solitary; on long peduncles; orange-vermilion to scarlet. Sepa/s.—Two; falling early. /e¢als.—Four; two to twelve lines long. Stamens.— Numerous. Filaments filiform; purple. Anthers yellow. Ovary.—Top-shaped; ribbed; one-celled. Style short. Stigma large; capitate; four- to eight-lobed. AMad.—Throughout Western California. The wind-poppy is an exceedingly variable flower. In the central part of the State it is large and showy, its beautiful 129 YELLOW flame-colored blossoms being two inches across; while in the south it is usually very small, making tiny flecks of red in the grass, for which reason it is there called ‘‘blood-drop.”’ It is an exquisite thing. Its petals have the delicate satin texture of the poppy; and their showy orange or scarlet blends sud- denly at the center intoa deep maroon. The bright-green, top-shaped ovary stands up in the midst of the slender sta- mens, whose yellow anthers show brilliantly against the dark maroon of the petals. It blossoms in spring upon open hillsides, seeming to prefer those which are shaded for at least part of the day. It is very fragile, and falls to pieces at a touch, which makes it an un- satisfactory flower to gather. WHISPERING BELLS. Emmenanthe pendulifiora, Benth. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Six inches to a foot high; branched above; hairy; somewhat viscid. Leaves.—An inch or more long; pinnatifid. //Zowers.—Straw-colored; at length pendulous. Coro/la.—Campanulate; about six lines long. (Flower structure as in Phacelia.) Hab.—Lake County to San Diego. In midspring, when “passing among the plants upon our dry, open hillsides, our attention is often attracted by a certain delicate, rustling sound, which we find emanates from the little papery bells of the dried blossoms of the Limmenanthe, which retain the semblance of their first freshness for many weeks. Though not at first apparent, a little examination will reveal the fact that these plants are very closely related to the Pha- celias, the chief difference being in the yellow corollas. YELLOW STAR TULIP. Calochortus Benthami, Baker. Lily Family. Leaves.— Much elongated; two to five lines broad. Sfems.—Slen- der; three to six inches high. Auds.—Nodding. Flowers.— Erect; yellow. /etals.—Six or seven lines long; spreading; mostly obtuse; rather densely covered with yellow hairs. G/and.—Shallow; lunate. Capsule.— Nodding; six to nine lines long. Haé.—Sierra Nevada foothills, throughout their length. This is a very pretty little star tulip, with graceful, flexuous 130 —S— CZZ_ 4 (a = SS =) SaaS —— SS SS hh) SSA b NI SS WHISPERING BELLS—Emmenanthe penduliflora. YELLOW stems and erect flowers, whose spreading petals are covered with hairs. Sometimes there is a dark-brown, almost black, spot upon the petals, and when such is the case the plant is called C. Benthamt, var. Wallacet. CREAM-COLORED WALL-FLOWER. Erysimum grandifiorum, Nutt. Mustard Family. Stems.— Six to eighteen inches high. Leaves.—Spatulate or oblan- ceolate; entire, toothed or lobed; lower long-petioled. Sepa/s.—Four; one pair strongly gibbous at base. /eta/s.—An inch long; long- clawed; cream-color or yellowish. Stamens.— Six; two shorter. Ovary.—One-celled; linear. Style stout; short. Stigma capitate. fod.—Nearly flat; thirty lines or less long. .Syn.—Chetranthus asper, an and Schlecht. Mab.—The seaboard from Los Angeles to regon. Growing along sandy stretches, or upon open mesas by the seashore, we may find the showy blossoms of the cream- colored wall-flower from February to May. These flowers are less stocky and much more delicate than the garden species; and when seen numerously dotting a field carpeted with other flowers, they stand out conspicuously, claiming the attention peculiarly to themselves. They have not the deli- cious fragrance of the Western wall-flower. At first yellowish, they become pale cream-color after fertilization has taken place. £. asperum, DC., the Western wall-flower, is widely dis- tributed, and may be known from the above by its four-sided pods, and by its flowers, which are usually orange-color — though they occasionally vary to yellow or purple. These blossoms are especially abundant in the mountains and valleys of the south, where their brilliant orange is conspicuous amid the lush greens of springtime. They are very fragrant, and are favorites among our wild flowers. BUR-CLOVER. Medicago denticulata, Willd. Pea Family. Stems.—Prostrate or ascending. Leaves.—Trifoliolate. Leaflets. -— Cuneate-obovate or obcordate; toothed above. /lowers.—Papilio- naceous; ‘small; yellow; two or three in a cluster. Stamens.— Nine 132 ta YAN’ \\ oy eta \\\ a NS ey ‘ " Nd CREAM-COLORED WALL-FLOWER—Erysimum grandiflorum. YELLOW united, one free. Pods.— Coiled into two circles; armed with hooked prickles. Zab.—Common everywhere; introduced. The bur-clover is a little European weed which has become very wide-spread .and very much at home among us. It is an excellent forage-plant, and in late summer, when our cattle have eaten everything else, they feed upon the little burs, which are very nutritious in themselves. But these same little coiled burs, with their numerous firm hooks, work great damage to wool, imbedding themselves in it so firmly as to make it very difficult to remove them without seriously in- juring its quality. These plants invade our lawns, where they become very troublesome. COMMON MONKEY-FLOWER. Mimulus luteus, L. Figwort Family. Varying greatly in size. .Stfems.— One to four feet high. Leaves.— Mostly smooth; ovate-oval or cordate; coarsely notched. F/lowers.— Yellow. Calya.— Sharply five-angled; unevenly five-lobed. Corolla. — One or two inches long; lower lip usually spotted with brown pur- ple. Stamens.— Four; in pairs. Anthers with two divergent cells. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style long and slender. Stigma with two rounded lips. ab.— Common throughout California, The bright canary-colored blossoms of the common monkey- flower are a familiar sight upon almost every stream-bank. The plant varies greatly in size, according to the locality of its growth. I once saw it flourishing in the rich soil of a lake- shore, where its hollow stems were as large as an ordinary cane, and its blossoms grotesquely large. M. moschatus, Dougl., the common musk-plant of cultiva- tion, is usually found along mountain-streams. It may be known by its clammy, musk-scented, light-green herbage. Its flowers are larger than in cultivation. M. brevipes, Benth., is common from Santa Barbara to San Diego, upon hillsides in spring. It has stems a foot or two high, lanceolate leaves one to four inches long, and large, handsome yellow flowers, having a pair of ridges running down their open throats. 134 J G (i i} 4} WZ g yy Kt \ WN \. WN \ QH Ny NS \ MUKA ANS WHA SS S\ SS COMMON MONKEY-FLOWER—Mimulus luteus. YELLOW Cnothera bistorta, Nutt. Evening-Primrose Family. From several inches to a foot or two high. Zeaves.—Three or four inches long; denticulate; the upper mostly rounded at base. Fetadls. —Yellow; four to seven lines long; with usually a brown spot at the base. S¢igma.— Large and spherical. Capsu/e.— Four to nine lines long; a line or so wide; attenuate upward; contorted. (See Guno- thera.) Hab.—Ventura to San Diego. This is a very common species of evening primrose in the south, and may. be found blooming until June. It is very variable in its manner of growth. In moist, shaded localities it becomes an erect plant a foot or two high; while upon open, exposed plains it is often only two or three inches high, but seems almost to emulate the ‘‘sunshine”’ in its attempt to gild the plain with its bright blossoms. It frequently grows in gravelly washes. Its flowers have a peculiarly clean, brilliant, alert look, and may usually be known by the brown spot at the base of the petals. The specific name is in reference to its twice-twisted capsule. The ‘‘beach primrose,” CG. chetranthifolia, var. suffruti- cosa, Wats., often grows in great beds upon the dry sands of the seashore, from Monterey to San Diego. Its decumbent stems are thickly clothed with small, ovate, stemless leaves, and its silvery foliage makes a beautiful setting for its large golden flowers. FAWN-LILY. DOG’S-TOOTH VIOLET. CHAMISE-LILY. Erythronium giganteum, Lindl. Lily Family. Corm.— Usually elongated. Leaves.— Oblong; six to ten inches long; dark green, usually mottled in mahogany and dark brown. Scape.—One- to many-flowered. /ertanth.— Broadly funnel-form, with six deciduous segments; at length revolute to the stem. Seg- ments.— Straw-color, with orange base, with often a transverse, brown- ish band across the base; broadly lanceolate; eighteen lines or so long. Stamens.— Six. Filaments filiform. Anthers basifixed. Ovary.— Three-celled. Style slender. Stigma three-lobed. /7¥aé.— The inte- rior of the Coast Ranges, from Sonoma County to the Willamette Valley. The dog’s-tooth violets expand into larger, finer creations upon our shores than were ever dreamed of elsewhere. They 136 Yj y/ } | s\ \ SS by y LAA EN \ \ \ = ' Z Y \ NN % - K) % \ \ WSS =P FAWN-LILY—Erythronium giganteum. YELLOW seem to imbibe new vigor in the sweet life-giving air of our Coast Range forests. In Southern Oregon, they reach their maximum development, manifesting themselves in numerous — beautiful species. With us the common title becomes still more inappropriate than for the Atlantic species—for nothing could be farther from a violet than these large pale flowers, which — in reality look far more like lilies. Indeed, in Mendocino County they are commonly known as ‘‘chamise-lilies.”’ An- other name is ‘‘Adam and Eve,’’ bestowed because the plant often bears a large and a small flower at the same time. Personally, I am inclined to favor Mr. Burroughs’ sugges- tion of ‘‘fawn-lily.’’ It is both appropriate and pretty. The two erect leaves are like the ears of a fawn; their beautiful mottling is not without a hint of the fawn’s spots; and the blossom is lily-like. The plant is shy, too, keeping to the seclusion of our deep cafions. In such situations we may find them in groups of a few, or occasionally in beds of hundreds. No more delightful surprise could be imagined than to come — suddenly upon such a garden far from the habitations of man. The pale flowers, with orange centers, when fully open, roll their petals back to the stem, like those of the leopard-lily; but in cloudy weather they often maintain a campanulate outline Plants have frequently been seen with from eight to sixteen flowers upon a stem, the flowers three or four inches across! These are great favorites in gardens, and in cultivation are known as /. grandiflorum. We have several species of Zry- thronium, all of them beautiful. STICKY MONKEY-FLOWER. Mimulus glutinosus,\Vend. Figwort Family. Glutinous shrubs two to six feet high. eaves.— Narrowly oblong to linear; one to four inches long; with margins at length rolled back- ward. /lowers.—Corn-color to red; eighteen lines to three inches long. Calya.— Irregularly five-toothed. Coro//a.—Funnel-form; five- lobed; the lobes gnawed. Stigma.—White. (See Mimulus.) Hab. — San Francisco to San Diego, and southward. During a walk upon the hills, at almost any time of year, — we may find the corn-colored blossoms of the sticky monkey- — 138 Te. ule 2 c% —— im ti iN NI NY, A. \ w\' STICKY MONKEY-FLOWER—Mimulus glutinosus. YELLOW flower, but they are most abundant in spring and summer. When in full flower the small bushes are very ornamental, as they are a perfect mass of bloom. They are said to be espe- cially handsome as greenhouse plants. The flowers vary through a wide range of color, from almost white to a rich scarlet, but the commoner hue is the corn-color. The scarlet-flowered form, found at San Diego, constitutes the var. puntceus, Gray. Another form, with red- — brown to salmon-colored flowers on very short pedicels, is the var. linearis, Gray. The very long-flowered form is the var. ~— brachypus, Gray. The sensitive lips of the stigma close upon — being touched or after receiving pollen. CREEPING WOOD-VIOLET. Viola sarmentosa, Dougl. Violet Family. Stems.— Creeping. Leaves.— Round-cordate; six to eighteen lines broad; finely crenate; often rusty beneath; usually punctate with dark dots. eduncles.—Slender. /lowers.—Small; light yellow without and within. (Flower structure as in V. pedunculata.) Hab.— Coast Ranges, from Monterey to British Columbia. This modest little violet is found commonly in woods,— often in redwood forests,—where it carpets the ground with its shapely little round leaves. Its specific name refers to its running habit. COMMON BLACK MUSTARD. Brassica nigra, Koch. Mustard Family. Stems.—Six inches to twelve feet high. Lower /eaves.—Lyrate; with large terminal lobes. Upper leaves.—Lobed or entire. Flowers. Yellow. Sepals.— Four. /etals.—Four; three to four lines long. Stamens.— Six. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style long. Pod.—Six to nine lines long, with seeds in one row. /7ab.—Common everywhere; in- troduced. I can give no truer idea of the manner of growth of this common plant in California than by quoting Mrs. Jackson’s charming description of it from ‘‘ Ramona’’:— ‘“The wild mustard in Southern California is like that spoken of in the New Testament, in the branches of which the 140 YELLOW birds of the air may rest. Coming up out of the earth, so slender a stem that dozens can find starting-point in an inch, it darts up a slender, straight shoot, five, ten, twenty feet, with hundreds of fine, feathery branches locking and interlocking with all the other hundreds around it, till it is an inextricable network, like lace. Then it bursts into yellow bloom, still finer, more feathery and lace-like. ~The stems are so infinites- imally small and of so dark a green, that at a short distance they do not show, and the cloud of blossoms seems floating in the air; at times it looks like a golden dust. With a clear, blue sky behind it, as it is often seen, it looks like a golden snowstorm.”’ The tall stems are favorite haunts of the red-winged black- bird, who tilts about among them, showing his scarlet wings and occasionally plunging into the depths below, as though he found a spot there much to his mind. A very superior oil is made from the seed of the mustard, which is one of the strongest antiseptics known. It is espe- cially adapted to the needs of the druggist, because it does not become rancid. The flour of mustard is now much used by surgeons to render their hands aseptic. Tons of the seed are exported from California every year. ECHEVERIA. Cotyledon lanceolata, Benth. and Hook. Stonecrop or Orpine Family. Fleshy plants, with tufted radical leaves. Leaves.— Narrowly lan- ceolate; the outer ones two to four inches long; acuminate. Scapes.— Fifteen inches high; their lower leaves lanceolate; becoming above broadly triangular-ovate, clasping, acute; bearing on their summit a branching flower-cluster. Calyx.—Five-parted. Corolla.— Cylindri- cal; of five almost distinct, oblong, acute petals, four to six lines long, reddish-yellow. Stamens.—Ten. Ovaries.— Five; distinct; one-celled. fZab.— Los Angeles to San Diego. These plants, which are of frequent occurrence in the south, usually affect dry, sandy soils. The fleshy foliage is of a warm tone, owing to a suffusion of pink in the leaves. These have a loose, erect habit, and are not crowded in dense rosettes, as are those of some species, and they are so weak that they pull I4I YELLOW apart easily. The tall flowering stems have but few leaves, and are sometimes nearly naked. In early summer these plants put forth a strong lo quickly sending up several tall, vigorous flower-shoots, drawing upon the nourishment stored in the fleshy leaves, which then become limp and shriveled. Growing upon the coast at San Diego is a very curious and interesting species—C. edulis, Brew. This has cylindrical leaves, about the size of a lead-pencil, which grow in tufts, often a foot or two across. Its flowers are greenish-yellow. It is commonly known as ‘‘finger-tips.’’ Its young leaves are considered very palatable by the Indians, who use them as a salad. HEN-AND-CHICKENS. Cotyledon Caltfornicum, Trelease. Stonecrop or Orpine Family. (For flower structure, see Cotvledon lanceolata.) Hab.— Central California. The word ‘‘cotyledon’’ signifies any cup-shaped hollow or cavity, and has been applied to the plants of this genus on account of the manner of growth of the leaves, which is usually in a hollow rosette. The fleshy leaves are often covered with a bloom or a floury powder. These plants are familiar to most of us, as some of the species are extensively cultivated in our gardens as border-plants. Owing to their habit of producing a circle of young plants around the parent, they are com- monly called ‘‘hen-and-chickens.’’ We have several native species, which are usually found upon warm, rocky hill-slopes, or upon rocks near the sea. C. Californicum is a beautiful form, with pointed, ovate leaves, of a light glaucous green, often tinged with pink. Its flowers are yellow, and have their petals distinct almost to the base, and its carpels are distinct. We are told that the Indians make soothing poultices of these leaves. Another species—C. pulverulenta, Benth. and Hook.,— found from Santa Barbara to San Diego, is a very beautiful 142 Z, Zi, HEN-AND-CHICKENS—Cotyledon Californicum, YELLOW plant. It bears its leaves in a symmetrical rosette, like a diminutive century-plant. These leaves are usually covered with a dense white bloom, and the outer ones are spatulate, abruptly pointed, and two to four inches broad at the tip, while the inner are pointed. The plants are sometimes a foot and a half across, and send up as many as eight of the leafy flowering stems, which look like many-storied, slender Chinese pagodas. The blossoms are pale-red. BLADDERPOD. Isomeris arborea, Nutt. Caper Family. Shrubby; evil-scented. Leaves.—Alternate; compound, with three leaflets. /Vlowers.—With their parts in fours. /efta/s.—Yellow; five to eight lines long. Stamens.— Eight; of equal length. Ovary.— One- celled. Style short. Pod.—Pendulous; inflated; pear-shaped; on a long stalk. AYab.— Santa Barbara to San Diego. This low shrub is somewhat plentiful upon the mesas of the south. Its yellow flowers attract one to it, only to be repulsed by the dreadful odor of its foliage. It certainly ought to have some compensating utility for so repellent a characteristic. The ovary is so long-stalked, even in the flower, that it looks like an abnormal, inflated stigma. This is the only species of the genus. . YELLOW GLOBE-TULIP. DIOGENES’ LANTERN, GOLDEN LILY-BELL. Calochortus pulchellus, Dougl. Lily Family. Stems.— Somewhat flexuous, with spreading branches; two inches to a foot or more high. Radical leaf—Equaling or exceeding the stem; four to twelve lines broad. Sefals.— Greenish or yellow; eight to twelve lines long. /etals.—Yellow; strongly arched; glandular- ciliate. Gland.—-A deep pit, conspicuously prominent on the outside of the petals, covered within by appressed hairs. (See Calochortus.) ffabh.— Coast Ranges, from Monterey to Mendocino County. We have no more charmingly graceful flower than the yel- low globe-tulip. A single, long, grasslike leaf precedes the flexuous stem, with its quaintly arched and delicately fringed blossoms. There is a certain quizzical look about these 144 Calochortus pulchellus. LANTERN DIOGENES’ VELLOW flowers —something akin to the inquiring loc he thrust his lantern into all sorts of out-of- broad daylight. The margins of the petal: they had been snipped into a very fine, delic the slender, tapering hairs of C. alba. The Indians are fond of the bulbs, which tl relish, calling them ‘‘Bo.”’ YELLOW SAND-VERBENS¢ Abronia latifolia, Esch. Four-o’clock S¢ems.— Prostrate; rubbery. Leaves.— Opposi ish; aninch or so across; petioled; leathery; gt Yellow; five or six lines long; in dense clusters, sul lucre of five distinct bracts. Perianth.— Salver-sh: its base strongly angled or winged. Limb yellow; Scamens.— Mostly five, within the perianth. Ovary.- _ filiform. Stigma club-shaped. Had.— The seashc Island to Monterey. The fragrant blossoms of the yellow sanc found upon the beach at almost any time of root, which often becomes several feet long, is by the Indians. SEA-DAHLIA. Leptosyne maritima, Gray. Composite Leaves.—Alternate; sometimes six inches long; divided into rather sparse, linear divisions; quite s heads.— Solitary; on naked peduncles from six inch large; three or four inches across; yellow; of dis fRays.— Narrowly oblong; ten-nerved; three-tootl Double; the outer part of several loose, leafy scales to twelve, erect, more chaffy ones. ab.—The sea and the islands. YELLOW is cut into long lobes, and has the appearance of a coarse, very open lace. The odor of the flowers is not especially agreeable, but the plant merits a place in the garden for its beauty. : FALSE LUPINE. Thermopsis Californica, Wats. Pea Family. Stems.—Two feet tall. Leaves.— With leafy stipules an inch long. Leaflets.—Three; obovate to oblanceolate; an inch or two long;. somewhat woolly. Flowers.—Yellow; in lone-peduncled recemes. Calyx. — Deeply five-cleft; the two upper teeth often united. Corol/a. —Papilionaceous; eight lines long. Stamens.—Ten; all distinct. Ovary.—— One- celled. Pod.— — Silky; six- to eight-seeded. A/ab.— Marin County and southward. The false lupine very closely resembles the true lupines, but may be distinguished from them by the stamens, which are all distinct, instead of being united into a sheath. Its silvery foliage and racemes of rather large canary-colored flowers are common upon open hill-slopes by April. TIDY-TIPS. YELLOW DAISY. Layia platyglossa, Gray. Composite Family. Stems.—A foot or so high; loosely branching. Zeaves.—Alternate; sessile; the lower linear and pinnatifid, the upper entire. /Vower- heads.— Solitary; terminal; of disk- and ray-flowers. Disk-flowers.— Yellow, with black stamens. Rays.— Bright yellow, tipped with white; six lines long; four lines wide; threelobed. Had. —Throughout Western California: in low ground. Among the most charming of our flowers are the beautiful tidy-tips. In midspring, countless millions of them lift them- selves above the sheets of golden Aaerza on our flower- tapestried plains. The fresh winds come sweetly laden with their delicate fragrance. Were they not scattered everywhere in such lavish profusion, we would doubtless cherish them in our gardens. Growing among these blossoms is often found another flower, somewhat similar to them. This is Leptosyne Dou- glasi, DC., the false tidy-tip. It has not the clean, natty appearance of Layia platyglossa; for the gradual blending of 148 FALSE TIDY-TIPS—Leptosyne Dou glasii. TIDY-TIPS—Layia platyglossa. YELLOW the light tips into the darker yellow below gives it an indefi- nite, unattractive look. There is a difference in the involucre, which has two series of bracts, and there are no touches of black among the disk-flowers. GOLDEN BUTTERFLY-TULIP. Calochortus clavatus, Wats. Lily Family. FTab.—Los Angeles County to San Luis Obispo and El Dorado County. Of all our Mariposa tulips, this is the largest-flowered and stoutest-stemmed, and once seen is not readily forgotten. Its magnificent flowers are sometimes six inches across, though not usually so large, and have the form of a broad-based cup. The sturdy, zigzagging stems and glaucous leaves and bracts, combined with the large rich, canary-colored or golden flowers, | make a striking plant. The first glance within the cup shows the ring of club-shaped hairs, characteristic of this species, and the anthers radiating starlike in the center; and as the latter are often a dark, rich prune-purple, the effect can readily be imagined. I saw this charming Mariposa blooming in abundance in May near Newhall, where its golden cups were conspicuously beautiful against the soft browns of the drying fields and hill- slopes. It is usually found growing upon lava soil. C. Weedit, Wood., found from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, is a charming species, somewhat similar to the above. Its flowers are yellow, purple, or pure white, and it may be known by several characteristics. Its bulb is heavily coated with coarse fibers; it has a single, long radical leaf, like C albus, but unusual among the Mariposas; and its cups are covered all over within with silky hairs. 150 YELLOW Malacothrix Californica, DC. Composite Family. Leaves.—All radical; pinnately parted into very narrow linear divi- sions. Scape.—Six inches to a foot high; bearing a solitary, large, light-yellow head. /lower-head.—Composed of strap-shaped ray- flowers only; five-toothed at the apex. Juvolucres.— Of narrow, acute scales in two or three series. eceptacle.— Nearly naked. AHab.— San Francisco to San Diego, and eastward. These beautiful Composite are conspicuous upon our open plains in late spring, and are among the handsomest plants of the family. The fine flowers seem to be sown like disks of light over the flower-carpet of the plain. BUTTER-AND-EGGS. Orthocarpus erianthus, Benth. Figwort Family. Slender, with many erect branches; stems and bracts usually dark- reddish; soft pubescent. Corol/a.— Deep sulphur-yellow; the slender falcate upper lip dark purple; the tube very slender, but the sacs of the lower lip large and deep, their folds hairy within. (See Orthocar- pus.) Hab.— Monterey County and northward; very common. There are many species of Orthocarpus, and they are more numerous in Middle and Northern California and in the Sierras, few of them reaching the south. They are very difficult of determination, and are not well understood by botanists yet. A common name for the plants of this genus is ‘‘owl’s clover.’’ BRASS BUTTONS. Cotula coronopifolia, L. Composite Family. Stems.— Six inches to a foot long. Leaves.—Alternate; lanceolate or oblong-linear; pinnatifid or entire. /lower-heads.— Solitary; yellow; three to six lines across; without rays. Juvolucre.— Of two ranks of nearly equal, scarious-margined scales. Wab.— Common everywhere. These little weeds are natives of the Southern Hemisphere, but are now common everywhere. They affect wet places, and their little flowers, like brass buttons, are very familiar objects along our roadsides. The foliage when crushed gives out a curious odor, between lemon-verbena and camphor. 151 YELLOW DEER-WEED. WILD BROOM. Hlosackia glabra, Torr. Pea Family. Woody at base; two to eight feet high; erect or decumbent. Semis. Many; slender; branching; reed-like. Leaves.—Sparse; short- petioled; mostly trifoliolate. Leaflets three to six lines long; oblong to linear-oblong; nearly glabrous. //owers.— In numerous small axillary umbels; yellow; four lines long. Calyx.— Less than three lines long; five-toothed. Corolla.— Papilionaceous. Stamens.— Nine united and one free. Pod.— Elongated; exserted. Seeds two. (See Legumt- nos@.) fab.— Common throughout the State. This graceful, willowy plant, whose slender branches are closely set with small golden-yellow flowers, in which there is often a hint of red, is as ornamental as any of the small-flowered foreign Genestas, or brooms, we grow in our gardens; but be- cause it is so very abundant throughout our borders, we have become blind to its merits. It is especially beautiful and sym- metrical in the south, where the low, bushy plants often spread over several feet of ground; and on the mesas of Coronado, the plants growing not far removed from one another, lend to the natural scene the aspect of a garden. There it is in full flower in April; but in the north the blossoms are usually later in arriving, and it is often June before they show themselves; then making whole hill-slopes dull-yellow among the chapar- ral. It is a great favorite with the bees, and for them holds un- told treasure in honey-making sweets. Among the moun- taineers it is known as ‘‘deer-weed’’ and ‘‘buck-brush,”’ as both deer and stock are said to feed upon it and flourish, when pasturage is scarce, though they rarely touch it when other food is plenty. TREFOIL SUMACH. FRAGRANT SUMACH. SQUAW-BERRY. Rhus Canadensis, var, trilobata, Gray. Poison-Oak or Cashew Family. Shrubs two to five feet high; spreading. Leaves.—Three-foliolate. Leaflets.— Sessile; wedge-shaped; six lines to an inch long; pubescent, becoming smooth. //owers.—Yellowish; minute; borne in short, scaly- bracted spikes preceding the leaves. /vuit.—Viscid; reddish; two or 152 ee) \ glabra. DEER-WEED—Hosackia YELLOW three lines in diameter; pleasantly acid. Syuz.—R. aromatica, var, trt- lobata, Gray. ab.— Dakota to Texas, and west to California and Oregon. The dense foliage of these little bushes has a strong odor, which is not altogether agreeable, while their small fruit has a pleasant acid taste, and is much relished by the Indians. Dr. Edward Palmer writes that this shrub furnishes the In- dians of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California with one of the most valuable of basket materials. The young twigs, which are much tougher than those of the willow, are soaked, scraped, and split. The baskets are then built up of a succession of small rolls of grass, over which the split twigs are closely and firmly bound. The baskets thus made are very durable, will hold water, and are often used to cook in, by dropping hot stones into them till the food is done. The wood exhales a peculiar odor, which is always recognizable about the camps of these Indians, and never leaves articles made from it. This is grown in England as an ornamental shrub. GOLDEN STARS. Bloomeria aurea, Kell. Lily Family. Bulb,— Six lines in diameter. Leaf— Solitary; about equaling the scape; three to six lines broad. Scafe.—Six to eighteen inches high. Flowers.—Y ellow; fifteen to sixty in an umbel. /erianth.—About an inch across. Stamens.— Six; with cup-shaped appendages. Ovary.— Three-celled. Style club-shaped. Stigma three-lobed. Maé.—The Coast Ranges, from Monterey to San Diego. Just as the floral procession begins to slacken a little before the oncoming of summer, the fields suddenly blossom out anew and twinkle with millions of the golden stars of the Bloomeria. . These plants are closely allied to the Arodizas, and by some authorities are classed as such. They are especially char- acterized by the structure of the stamens, which rise out of a tiny cup. Under a glass this cup is seen to be granular, somewhat flattened, and furnished with two cusps, or points. The anthers are a very pretty Nile or peacock green. 154 Wy) Oa > YW GOLDEN STARS—Bloomeria aurea. YELLOW Another species—- 2. Clevelandi, Wats.—is easily distin- guished from the above by its numerous narrow leaves and its green-nerved perianth. This is found at San Diego, upon the mesas in midspring, growing abundantly in spots which, earlier in the season, have been mud-holes. Its open flowers are so outnumbered by the numerous undeveloped green buds, that, even though it grows in masses, it is not very showy, but makes the ground a dull yellow. But its flower-clusters are feathery and delicate. There is another plant which closely resembles the Aloom- evtas. This is the ‘‘golden Brodiza’’—Brodiga ixtoides, Wats. But the filaments, instead of having a cuplike appen- dage, are winged, with the little anthers swinging prettily upon their summits. This is found in the Coast Ranges, from Santa Barbara northward, also in the Sierras. It is a beautiful flower; especially when seen starring the velvet alpine meadows in August. Another plant— Brodiza lactea, Wats.—the ‘‘white Bro- dizea,’’ has flowers similar to the above, but pure white (some- times lilac), with a green mid-vein. This is common in late spring from Monterey to British Columbia. YELLOW SWEET CLOVER. Melilotus parvifiora, Desf. Pea Family. Hab. Widely naturalized from Europe. In early summer the breezes come laden with fragrance from the sweet clover. This is easily recognized by its tall stems, its fragrant leaves, with three small, toothed leaflets, and its small crowded racemes of minute yellow flowers a line long. A white form— JZelilotus alba, Lam.—is found in the north. Its flowers are vanilla-scented. This plant is a highly valued remedy in the pharmacopeeia for various ailments, and its sweet-scented flowers have been used for flavoring many products, such as Gruyére cheese, 156 YELLOW snuff, and tobacco. In Europe the blossoms are packed ‘among furs to give them a pleasant odor and keep away moths. CALIFORNIAN COMPASS-PLANT. SUNFLOWER. Wyethia angustifolia, Nutt. Composite Family. Stems.—Six inches to two feet high. Leaves.— Long-lanceolate; pointed at both ends; the radical and lower ones six to twelve inches long; the upper sessile, shorter, and often broader. Flower-heads.— Yellow; composed of ray- and disk-flowers. Plume-like styles of the latter conspicuous. Aay-flowers.— Numerous; one inch long; six lines wide; early deciduous. Jnvolucre.— Broadly campanulate, of numer- ous erect, loose, foliaceous, ciliate scales, in several rows. Hab.— Monterey, east to the Sierra foothills and north to Oregon. In late spring our open plains and hillsides are often plen- tifully sown with the large golden flowers of these Californian compass-plants, called ‘‘sunflowers’’ by many people. There is a belief prevalent that their erect leaves always stand with their edges pointing north and south, whence the common name. This trait is said to be true of all the species. W. helentoides, Nutt., has large, broad leaves, which are white-woolly when young. Its flower-heads are often four inches or more across. This plant is used as a common domestic remedy for coughs and colds by Californian housewives, and goes under the un- merited name of ‘‘poison-weed.’’ It has also been adopted among physicians as an officinal drug. The root, which is slightly bitter and aromatic, is made into a tincture and admin- istered for asthma, throat disorders, and epidemic influenza, with excellent results. It blooms in early spring, and is com- mon upon hillsides. Another species, very similar to the above, is WV. glabra, Gray. This may be known by its smooth green leaves, which are often very viscid. It is found from Marin County south- ward, in the Coast Ranges, and probably northward. W. mollis, Gray, or ‘‘Indian wheat,’’ is very abundant in the Sierras, growing all through the open woods, and covering great tracts of dry gravelly soil. Its large, coarse, somewhat 15/7 YELLOW woolly radical leaves stand erect and clustered, usually having a flower-stalk or two in their midst, bearing some smaller leaves, and several yellow flower-heads, which resemble small sunflowers with yellow centers. It has a strong odor, and gives a characteristic smell to the region where it grows. The common name, ‘‘Indian wheat,’’ has been bestowed upon it not because it in the least resembles wheat, but because the Indians gather the seed in great quantities and grind it intoa flour. CALIFORNIAN SLIPPERY-ELM. Fremontia Californica, Torr. Hand-tree Family. Shrubs or trees from two to twenty feet high. Leaves.—Alternate; petioled; round-cordate to round-ovate; moderately three-to five-lobed or cleft; woolly or whitish beneath; the larger two inches wide. F/Jow- ers.— Short-peduncled on very short lateral branches; numerous; one to three inches across; having three to five small bractlets. Calya.— Corolla-like; brilliant gold, five-cleft nearly to the base; the lobes hav- ing a rounded, hairy pit at base. Corolla.—Wanting. Filaments.— United to their middle; each bearing a linear, adnate, curved, two- celled anther. Ovary.— Five-celled. Style filiform. /7a6,— Dry Sierra foothills, from Lake County southward. No more beautiful sight is often seen than a slope covered with the wild slippery-elm in blossom. The bushes are almost obscured from view by the masses of large golden flowers. This shrub takes on various forms; sometimes sending out in every direction long slender branches, which are solid wreaths of the magnificent blooms; and again assuming a more erect, treelike habit. It has been hailed with delight in the gardens of our Southern States, and heartily welcomed in France and England. Why do not we honor it with a place in our own gardens, instead of giving room to so many far less beautiful exotics? It flowers in early summer, and its season of bloom is said to last only about two weeks, but the brilliant hibiscus-like blossoms, drying upon their stems, maintain for a long time a semblance of their first beauty. The branches are tough and flexible, and are often cut for whips by teamsters. Among the 158 We Ga CULE MBE Zz ee =A —, ———> ee oe Zo ps ji, Go YE ZA NYY) ae HM GA \\ XC =< : = 7 N \ \ By : = \ Z == RINE Qh WSS oS ZETIA SN \ = ; AE i Nii WA SS NSS o Oh iN HNN Gi AWA q ld | | i yA ) Fy Vy ee Vy, i \\ SS y Wy Yj io | NY GAG ZZ WO REG I = 4 SS Z | = EE ea \ =~ Ziyi ANS Zz Vif, \ Ss LV Yl} AN \\ WSS Mb WW WS CALIFORNIAN SLIPPERY-ELM—Fremontia Californica. YELLOW mountaineers it is generally known as ‘‘leatherwood.’’ But this name properly belongs to another entirely different plant, Dirca palustris. The bark of the Fremontia so closely resembles that of the slippery-elm in taste and other qualities, that it is difficult to distinguish between them; and it is used in the same manner for making poultices. Weare told that this shrub thrives best upon a disintegrated granite soil, and reaches its finest development upon the arid slopes bordering such rainless regions as the Mojave Desert. It was first discovered by General Fremont when crossing the Sierras, about half a century ago, and was named in his honor. It is closely related to the mallows. DODDER. LOVE-VINE. GOLDEN-THREAD. Cuscuta, Tourn. Morning-Glory Family. Leafless plants with filiform, yellow or orange-colored stems; ger- minating in the soil; soon breaking off and becoming parasitic upon other plants. //Vowers.—Small; white; densely clustered. Calya.— Usually five-cleft or parted. Corolla.—Tubular or campanulate; four- or five-toothed or lobed. Stamens.—On the corolla, alternate with its lobes. Filaments with fringed scales below. Ovary.—Globose; two- celled. Styles two. ‘while everywhere The love-vine spreads a silken 'snare, The tangles of her yellow hair.’’ Though popularly known as the love-vine, because of its clinging habit, it must be confessed that this pernicious plant in no respect merits the title. On the other hand, it might with propriety be called the octopus of the plant world. If you break a branch from a plant which has become its victim, you can see how it has twined itself about it, drawing its very life-blood from it at every turn, by means of ugly, wartlike suckers. It is no wonder, however, that people are generally deceived as to the moral character of this plant—for it is indeed a beau- tiful sight, when it spreads its golden tangle over the chamisal, 160 YELLOW wild buckwheat, and other plants, often completely hiding them from view. We have a number of species. C. sadiza often covers our salt marshes with brilliant patches of orange. LARGE YELLOW LUPINE. Lupinus arboreus, Sims. Pea Family. Shrubby; four to ten feet high. /Alowers.— Large; in a loose, whorled raceme; sulphur-yellow; very fragrant. Leafflets.—Four to eleven; generally about nine; narrowly lanceolate; nine to twenty lines long. fods.—Two to three inches long; ten- to twelve-seeded; silky pubescent. (See Lupinus.) ab.— Common from the Sacramento to San Diego. The large yellow lupine is a common plant upon our wind- swept mesas, growing in sandy soil. Its shrubby form, some- what silvery foliage, and large canary-colored, very fragrant flowers make it always a conspicuous and beautiful plant. This species, together with Z. albzfrons, have been found most useful in anchoring the shifting sands of the dunes near San Francisco. It was accidentally discovered in a deep cut- ting that these lupines sent their roots down sometimes twenty feet, and the idea was conceived of making use of them in the above manner. Barley, which grows more rapidly than the lupine, was sown to protect the plants while very young. Ina single year the lupines covered the sands with a dense growth, two or three feet high, sufficient to prevent them from shifting during the severest storms, and to allow of the subsequent planting of various pines, willows, and other trees. Thus the way was prepared for one of the most beautiful of pleasure- grounds—the Golden Gate Park of San Francisco— which can hardly be rivaled anywhere for natural situation and diver- sity of scene. One of our handsomest species is L. St/verz, Kell., found in the Yosemite. Its blossoms have yellow standards and rose-colored wings. I61 YELLOW ST. JOHN’S-WORT. Hypericum concinnum, Benth. St. John’s-wort Family. Stems.—Three to eighteen inches high; branching from a woody base. Leaves.— Opposite; often in four ranks; linear to oblong; six lines to an inch or more long; usually folded; translucently dotted. Flowers.— Golden yellow; over aninch across. Sepa/s.—Five. #etals. —Five; margins black-dotted. Stamens.—Numerous; in three bunches. Ovary.—Usually three-celled. Styles three. AYab.— Central California. Just as spring is merging into summer, we may look for the bright golden flowers of our common St. John’s-wort. The numerous stamens give these blossoms a feathery appear- ance, and the leaves often group themselves characteristically in four ranks upon the stems. All the plants of the genus are known as St. John’s-wort, because certain of the species were supposed to flower upon the anniversary of this saint. Perhaps there are no other plants around which tradition has thrown such a glamour. Mr. Dyer says, in his interesting book, ‘‘The Folk-Lore of Plants,’ that the St. John’s-wort was supposed to be an excel- lent amulet against lightning, and that it had the magic prop- erty of revealing the presence of witches; whence in Germany it was extensively worn on St. John’s Eve, when the air was supposed to be peopled with witches and evil spirits, who wandered abroad upon no friendly errands. In Denmark it is resorted to by anxious lovers who wish to divine their future. GOLDEN DICENTRA. Dicentra chrysantha, Hook. and Arn. . Bleeding-heart Family. Stems.—Glaucous and smooth; two to five feet high. Leaves.— The larger ones a foot long or more; finely dissected into small linear lobes. /lowers.— Erect; yellow; six to nine lines long; in a loose ter- minal panicle a foot or two long. Sepa/s.—Two; small; caducous. Corolla.— Flattened and cordate; of two pairs of petals; the outer larger, saccate at base, and with spreading tips; the inner much nar- rower, spoon-shaped, their tips cohering and inclosing the anthers and stigma. Stamens.—Six. Ovary.—One-celled. Style slender. Stigma two-lobed. AHab.—Dry hills, Lake County to San Diego. The arrangement of the essential organs in the genus zcen- tva is very curious and interesting. The six stamens are borne 162 \ ‘ WE \ AN \y SSN ST. JOHN’S-WORT—Hypericum concinnum. YELLOW in two companies of three each, which stand in front of the outer petals, and have their filaments more or less united at the base. The central stamen in each group has a two-celled anther, while its neighbor on either hand has but a one-celled anther. The stigma-lobes often bend downward prettily, like the flukes of a little anchor. To this genus belongs the beautiful Oriental bleeding-heart of the garden; and we have two or three interesting native species. D. chrysantha is usually a somewhat coarse plant, lacking the grace of D. formosa, the Californian bleeding-heart. The pale leaves, which are minutely and delicately dissected, are suggestive of the fronds of certain Japanese ferns. But the flower-stalks are often stiff and sparsely flowered, and the blos- soms, which are erect, not pendulous, have an over-powering narcotic odor, much like that of the poppy. These plants may be found upon dry hillsides or in sandy washes in early summer, where the brilliant yellow blossoms are quite conspicuous. One view of these flowers is not unlike the conventionalized tulip. This species is said to thrive well in cultivation and make a very effective plant when grown in rich garden soil. CALIFORNIAN DANDELION. Troximon grandifiorum, Gray. Composite Family. Herbs with woody tap-root and milky juice. Zeaves.—All radical; lanceolate or oblanceolate; mostly laciniately pinnatifid. Scapes.— One to two and one half feet high. Yeads.—Solitary; two inches or so across; of strap-shaped yellow rays only. J#volucre.—Of several series of imbricated scales, the outer foliaceous and loose. Receptacle. — Mostly naked; pitted. -Asenes,—Two lines long; tapering into a filiform beak six or eight lines long, surmounted by a tuft of silk. Aad. —Washington to Southern California near the Coast. The common dandelion of the East has found its way into our lawns, but it never adapts itself as a wild plant to the vicis- situdes of our dry summer climate. Nature has given us a dandelion of our own, of a different genus, which is quite as 164. YELLOW beautiful, though its flowers are not so vivid a gold. They are larger than those of the Eastern plant, and are borne upon taller stems. In early summer the large, ethereal globes of the ripened seed are conspicuous objects, hovering over our straw- tinted fields. Mr. Burroughs writes of the dandelion:—‘‘After its first blooming, comes its second and finer and more spiritual inflo- rescence, when its stalk, dropping its more earthly and carnal flower, shoots upward and is presently crowned by a globe of the most delicate and aerial texture. It is like the poet’s dream, which succeeds his rank and golden youth. This globe is a fleet of a hundred fairy balloons, each one of which bears a seed which it is destined to drop far from the parent source.”’ If gathered just before they open and allowed to expand in the house, these down-globes will remain perfect for a long time and make an exquisite adornment for some delicate vase. We have several other species of 77voximon, but this is our finest. Hlosackia bicolor, Dougl. Pea Family. Smooth throughout; erect; two feet high. eaves.—With rather large, scarious, triangular stipules; pinnate. Lea/lets.— Five to nine; obovate or oblong; six to twelve lines long. Feduncles.—Three- to seven-flowered; naked or with a small scarious, one- to three-leaved bract. /lowers.—Seven lines long. Calyxa-teeth.—Triangular; half as long as the tube. Standard.—Yellow; wings and keel white. Stamens.—Nine united; one free. od.— Linear; nearly two inches long; acute. ab.— Middle California to the State of Washington. The yellow and white blossoms of this pretty /fosackza are quite showy, and are usually found upon low ground near the seaboard. Another similar species, also having a yellow standard and white wings and keel, is H. Zovreyi, Gray. This is more or less silky pubescent; its wings are not spreading, its leaflets are narrower, and the bract of the umbel is sessile. This is found along shaded stream-banks both in the higher Coast Ranges and in the Sierras, and blooms in summer. 165 YELLOW ff. gracilis, Benth., with the standard yellow and the wide- spreading wings and shorter keel of rose-color, occurs in moist meadows along the coast from Monterey to the Columbia. It blooms by the middle of April. © FT. crasstfolia, Benth., a very large species, two or three feet high, with greenish-yellow or purplish flowers, is abundant in the Yosemite Valley about the borders of meadows. It is also common in the foothill region. SKUNK-CABBAGE. Lystchiton Camtschatcensis, Schott. Arum Family. Rootstock.—Thick; horizontal. Leaves. — All radical; oblong-lanceo- late; acute; one to three feet or more long; three to ten inches broad; narrowed to a short petiole or sessile. /7owers.—Small, crowded on a spadix, at the summit of a stout peduncle becoming six to twelve inches long. Spadix.—With an erect, spoon-shaped spathe, one and one-half to two feet long; bright yellow. erzanth.— Four-lobed. Stamens.—Four. Filaments short, flat. Ovary.— Conical; two-celled. Stigma depressed. /vuit.—Fleshy, coalescent and sunk in the rachis. ffab.— Peat bogs; from Mendocino County northward to Alaska; also, perhaps, in the Rocky Mountains. In our northwestern counties, before the frost is entirely out of the ground, the leaves of the skunk-cabbage may be seen pushing their way up through the standing water of marshy localities. They soon attain a great size, and resemble the leaves of the banana-tree. They are of a rich velvet-green, slightly mottled, and are said to rival some of the tropical pro- ductions of our greenhouses. There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the dis- agreeableness of these leaves. I suspect the odor lies mostly in the slimy, soapy sap, and is not very noticeable if they are not bruised or cut. When the plants are in bloom, in May and June, they are very handsome, the large spoon-shaped, golden spathes being conspicuous at some distance. As this spathe withers away, the flower-stalk continues to grow, and its little greenish-yellow blossoms become brown. The peppery root is highly esteemed for medicinal pur- 166 Hosackia gracilis. YELLOW poses, and is gathered and made into a salve, which is_ con- sidered a specific for ringworm, white swelling, inflammatory rheumatism, etc. The root is said to enter largely into the * composition of a patent medicine called ‘‘Skookum.”’ “ae aA Mr. Johnson, of the U. S. Forestry Department in Oregon, tells me that the bears are very fond of this root, and dig : industriously for it, often making a hole large enough to bury themselves, and he mentions having seen whole fields plowed up by them in their search for it. This plant belongs to the same family as the skunk-cabbage of the East and the calla-lily. It has been found in the Santa Cruz Mountains. BLAZING-STAR. Mentzelia levicaulis, Torr. and Gray. Loasa or Blazing-star Family. Stems.— Stout; two or three feet high; white. Leaves.—Alternate; sessile; lanceolate; sinuate-toothed; two to eight inches long. /dow- ers. — Sessile, on short branches; light yellow or cream-color; three or four inches across. Calyx-tube.— Cylindrical; naked; limb five-cleft nearly to the base. /etals.—About ten; oblanceolate; acute. .S/a- mens.— Numerous on the calyx; almost equaling the petals. Ovary.— One-celled; truncate at summit. Style three-cleft. Capsule.— Fifteen lines long. /Zab.— San Diego to the Columbia River, and eastward to Wyomine. After most other flowers have departed, the magnificent blossoms of the JZentzelia come forth. It seems as though they had waited for the firmament to be clear of other stars before bursting upon the sight. Their enormous blossoms are crowned by the soft radiance of the long stamens, ‘‘like the lashes of light that trim the stars.”’ These plants are furnished with barbed hairs, which cause them to cling to whatever they come in contact with. They are of tall and spreading habit, and are often found in the dry beds of streams, where their flowers open in the daytime— unlike those of JZ, Lindleyz, which open at night. M. Lindleyi, Torr. and Gray, is one of the most brilliantly radiant of all our flowers. Its charming blossoms, which open on the edge of evening, are of a delicate silken texture, and 168 BLAZING-STAR—Menitzelia Lindleyi. YELLOW of the richest gold. When the flowers first open, the stamens — lie flat upon the petals; but they gradually rise up, forming 4% : large tuft in the center of the flower. The faded sepals crown | the long seed-vessel, like the flame of the conventional torch — seen in old pictures. This grows in the Monte Diablo Range; — : and Niles and Alum Rock are convenient places to find it. It ent is cultivated in Eastern gardens under the name of Bartonia aurea. STONECROP. Sedum spathultfolium, Hook. Stonecrop or Orpine Family. Leaves.—Alternate; fleshy; spatulate; six to ten lines long; sessile; crowded in rosettes at the ends of the decumbent branches. Scapes.— Four to six inches high. /lowers.—In compound, one-sided, loose cymes; their parts four or five; pale-yellow. Sepa/s.—United at base. Fetals.—Lanceolate; three lines long. Stamens.—Twice the number of the petals. /zsti/s—Equaling the number of the petals; attenuate into the short styles. Ovarzes.—One-celled. Yab.—Middle Califor- nia to Vancouver Island. Blooming somewhat earlier than the ‘‘hen-and-chickens,”’ but in similar situations, the stonecrop often clothes rock- masses with beautiful color. The common name, ‘‘orpine,”’ was given on account of the yellow, or orpine, flowers; and the name ‘‘stonecrop,’’ from its always growing in stony places. : PRICKLY-PEAR. TUNA. Opuntia Engelmannt, Salm. Cactus Family. Erect, bushy, spreading shrubs without leaves, with flattened stems produced in successive, compressed oval joints. _/ozz/s.— Six to twelve inches long; studded sparsely with bundles of stout spines. FVlowers.— Solitary; sessile; yellow or red; about three inches across. Sepads, pet- als, and stamens numerous in many series, their cohering bases coating the one-celled ovary and forming a cup above it. Peta/s.— Spreading. Style one, with several stigmas. /7uz¢.—Purple; oval; pulpy; juicy; two inches long. Hab.— Southern California, Los Angeles, San Diego, etc. The genus Opuztza is divided into two sections, consisting respectively of flat-stemmed and cylindrical-stemmed plants, the former commonly known as ‘“‘prickly-pear,”’ or ‘‘tuna,”’ the latter as Cholla cactus. 170 YELLOW Of the former, O. Angelmannzt is our commonest wild species. It is the one seen from the car-windows growing in great patches upon the Mojave Desert, and it is abundant upon dry hills all through the south. There are two varieties of it—var. occidentalis, Engelm., the form prevalent in the interior, and var. littoralis, Engelm., found upon the sea-coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego. These plants have a very leathery, impermeable skin, from which evaporation takes place but slowly, which enables them .to inhabit arid regions. The fruit is sweet and edible, and the Indians, who are especially fond of it, dry large quantities for winter use. They make of the fresh fruit a sauce, by long- continued boiling, which they regard as especially nutritious and stimulating after it is slightly fermented. They also roast the leaves in hot ashes and eat the slimy, sweet substance which is left after the outer skin and thorns have been removed. Cattle-men of the southern plains plant the different species as hedges about their corrals, and feed the succulent joints to their stock after burning off the spines. Several Mexican species were’ planted in the early days about the Missions by the Padres, as defensive hedges, and remnants of these redoubtable fortifications, ten to fifteen feet high, are still to be seen stretching for miles through our southern fields. In Mexico the Opuntia tuna is largely cultivated for the rearing of cochineal insects. VENEGASIA. Venegasia carpesioides, DC. Composite Family. Several feet high; leafy to the top. Leaves.—Alternate; slenderly petioled; cordate or ovate-deltoid; crenate; two to four inches long; thin. /lower-heads.— Large; two-inches across, including the rays; yellow; slender-peduncled; composed of ray- and disk-flowers. ays. —Over an inch long; six lines wide; two- or three-toothed; fertile; about fifteen. Jzvolucre.— Broad; of many roundish-green scales; be- coming scarious inward. /aé.—Santa Barbara and southward. This plant, with its ample thin leaves and large yellow flowers, would arrest the attention anywhere. It often grows 171 YELLOW under the shade of trees in cool cafons, where its blossoms brighten the twilight gioom. It is an admirable plant, and has but one drawback —its rather unpleasant odor. It is the only species of the genus which was named in honor of an early Jesuit missionary, Michael Venegas. It is especially abundant and beautiful about Santa Barbara. FALSE PIMPERNEL. Hypericum anagalloides, Cham. and Schlecht. St. John’s-wort Family. Stems.— Numerous; weak; low; spreading; rooting at the joints. Leaves.—Two to six lines long; oblong to round; clasping. Flowers. —Three or four lines across; salmon-colored. .Sfamens.— Fifteen to twenty. Capsule.—One-celled. H/ab.— Lower California to British Columbia, eastward into Montana. In moist places the prostrate stems of this little plant often make dense mats. Its specific name indicates its resemblance to the Anagallis, or pimpernel. In fact, one might easily imagine it a pimpernel with salmon-colored flowers. CANCER-ROOT. NAKED BROOM-RAPE. Aphyllon fasciculatum, Gray. Broom-rape Family. Leafless parasitic plants. Stems.—Scaly; thickened and knotty below, and bearing on their summits few or many clustered, one- flowered peduncles of about the same length. //owers.—Yellowish; sometimes purplish or reddish outside. Calya.— Slenderly five- toothed. Corol/la.—Tubular; over an inch long, with five spreading lobes; somewhat bilabiate. Sfamens.— Four; in pairs; included. Ovary. — One-celled. Style slender. Stigma two-lobed. H/aé.— Throughout California, eastward to Lake Superior. There are about half a dozen species of cancer-root known upon our Coast, all strange-looking, leafless plants, of very doubtful moral character—for I fear it must be confessed they are thieves. Stealthily sending their roots down and imbedding them in the roots of their victims, they draw from them the nourishment needed for their sustenance. But they have been overtaken by the proper retributive punishment — for having no longer any need of organs for the elaboration of 172 i\\ a 1 } NY 4 \\aAy hy Ne VA MN ANS ae CANCER-ROOT—Aphyllon fasciculatum. YELLOW nourishment, they are denied green leaves, the most beautiful adornment of many plants; and even the flowers of some of them seem to us to havea sickly, unwholesome hue. How- ever, it must be acknowledged that these plants are quite interesting, despite their evil ways. A. fasciculatum usually blooms in early summer, on dry, rocky hills, and is parasitic upon the roots of sagebrush, wild buckwheat, etc. YELLOW MARIPOSA TULIP. Calochortus luteus, Dougl. Lily Family. Stems.— Four to twelve inches high; bearing a single bulblet in-. closed in the stem-sheath. Leaves.—Very narrow; one to three lines wide. /lowers.— Erect; cup-shaped; yellow; small; not oculated, but the petals striated with brown lines, especially on the middle third. Gland.—Transversely oblong to lunate; densely hairy with orange- colored ascending hairs, with scattered spreading hairs about it. Caf- sule.— Broad at the base; tapering upward. //ad.— Clay soil; Coast Ranges from Mendocino County to San Diego, The typical C. Zutews, as described above, is the least beau- tiful of all the Mariposa tulips, being lower of stature and smaller of flower than most of the others; but among its varie- ties may be found some of the most charming flowers of the genus, the true butterfly-tulips of the early Spanish, often ocu- lated and marked in a wonderful manner. In color and mark- ing they often run closely into forms of C. venustus, the only constant characters by which to distinguish them being found in the shape of the gland and the capsule and the character of the soil in which they grow. There are two well-marked varieties —c7trinus and oculatus —besides numerous other forms, where the species seems to have run riot in color and marking. The var. citrinus is a strong, vigorous-growing plant, with flowers of a deep lemon- yellow, with a large, distinct, very dark maroon eye on each petal. It is exceedingly beautiful. 174 YELLOW SILVER-WEED. CINQUEFOIL. Potentilla Anserina, L. Rose Family. Stems.—Prostrate. Leaves.—All radical; a foot or so long; pin- nate, with seven to twenty-one leaflets with smaller ones interposed. Leaflets.—Sessile; oblong; toothed; shining green; silvery beneath. Flowers.—-Bright yellow; long-peduncled; solitary; an inch across. Sepals.—Five; with five bractlets between. FPetals.—Five. Stamens. —Twenty to twenty-five. Pzstz/s.—Numerous; on a hairy receptacle. f1ab.—Throughout North America. The bright golden blossoms of the silver-weed are common in moist places, haunting stream-banks, lingering about stag- nant ponds, or even pushing their way up amid the grasses of our salt marshes. The white under-surfaces of the leaves are responsible for one of the common names of this plant. P. glandulosa, Lindl., is found upon dry hillsides. It is one or two feet high, and is an ill-smelling, somewhat sticky plant, with glandular hairs. The stems are leafy, and the small flowers, like pale-yellow strawberry-blossoms, are produced in loose clusters. The corolla scarcely exceeds the calyx. The leaves, which have from five to nine leaflets, have not the sil- very under-surface of those of P. Anserina. COMMON EVENING PRIMROSE. Gnothera biennis, L. Evening-Primrose Family. Stems.— Stout; usually simple; one to five feet high; more or less hairy. Leaves.— Mostly sessile; lanceolate to oblong; two to six inches long; denticulate. /Vowers.— Golden yellow; in a leafy spike; erect in the bud. Calyx-tube.—Twelve to thirty lines long. /efals.—Six to nine lines long. S¢tigsa-lobes.— Linear. Capsule.—An inch or less long. (See Zxothera.) Hab.—Throughout the United States. The common evening primrose is a very wide-spread plant in the United States, and it has long been in cultivation in Eu- rope. Its flowers open suddenly at night, and, according to tradition, with a popping noise. Referring to this, the poet Keats speaks of — ‘‘A turf of evening primroses, O’er which the mind may hover till it dozes; O’er which it well might take a pleasant sleep, But that ’t is ever startled by the leap Of buds into ripe flowers.”’ T75 YELLOW These blossoms are said to be luminous at night, shining by the sunlight they have stored during the daytime. The young roots, which are edible, are excellent, either pickled or boiled, having a nutty flavor. In Germany and France these are used, either stewed or raw, in salads, like celery; and the young mucilaginous twigs are also used in the same way. Ai tincture of the whole plant is a valued remedy in medicine for many disorders. Our Californian plants are mostly of the var. hirsutisstma, Gray, having very large flowers and a hairy capsule. GUM-PLANT. RESIN-WEED. AUGUST-FLOWER. Grindelia cunetfolia, Nutt. Composite Family. Bushy; two to four feet high; smooth. Leaves.— Cuneate-spatulate to linear-oblong; leathery; three or four inches long. Flower-heads. — Solitary; terminating the branches; yellow; composed of disk- and ray-flowers. ays.—One inch long. J/zvolucre.—Hemispherical; of numerous scales, with spreading tips. Auds.— Covered with a milky gum. Syaz.—Grindelia robusta, var. angustifolia, Gray. Hab.— From Santa Barbara northward. The Grindelias are especially characteristic of the region west of the Mississippi River, and are all known as ‘‘gum- plant,’’ or ‘‘resin-weed,’’ owing to the. balsamic exudation which is found mostly upon the flower-heads. We have sev- eral species, all of which are rather difficult of determination. Before the occupation of California by the whites, the value of these plants was known to the Indians, who used them in pulmonary troubles, and as a wash in cases of oak-poisoning or other skin-diseases. They are now made into a drug by our own people, who use them in the same manner as the aborigines, By the middle of August our salt marshes are gay with the bright yellow flowers. Every year men are sent out to gather the plant. Only about five or six inches of the tops of the branches are cut, as the resin is found mostly there in the form of a white gum. 176 GUM-PLANT—Grindelia cuneifolia. YELLOW Tons of these shoots are shipped East annually, to be returned to us later in the form of the medicine called ‘‘grindelia.”’ Grindelia hirsutula, Hook. and Arn., is a pretty species, flowering in early summer upon hill-slopes. This may be known by its reddish stems and more slender and fewer ray- flowers. SULPHUR-FLOWER. Eriogonum umbellatum, Torr. Buckwheat Family. Leaves.—All radical; obovate to oblong-spatulate; two inches or less long; mostly smooth above; sometimes woolly below. Scapes.— Three to twelve inches high. lowervs.—Sulphur-yellow; two or three lines long; many contained in each little top-shaped involucre, on threadlike stems. /uvolucres.—Two lines or so long; deeply cleft, the lobes becoming reflexed. /erianth.—Six-parted. Stamens.— Nine. vary.—Triangular; one-celled. Sty/es.—Three. Stigmas capitate. ffab.— Mountains of Middle and Northern California, and eastward. Large companies of the sulphur-flower may be seen in the pierras in July and August, where it covers open, dry, rocky slopes, making brilliant masses of color. Growing with this is often found another species —Z. wrs7- num, Wats.—with flowers of a beautiful translucent cream- color, often tinged with pink. WILD BOUVARDIA. Gilia grandifiora, Gray. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Stems.—Erect; a foot or two high. Zeaves.—Two or three inches long; linear or oblong-lanceolate; sessile. //owers.—Salmon-color; crowded at the summit of the stem. Cal/ya.—With obconic tube and broad, obtuse lobes. Corol/a.— Narrowly funnel-form, with tube an inch long, and five-lobed border almost as broad. (See Gilia.) Hab.— Widely distributed. This plant was formerly placed in the genus Cod/lomia,; but that genus was not well founded, and all its species have now been transferred to Gzléa. From the resemblance of its showy buff or salmon-colored flowers to the Bouvardias of our gar- dens, these plants are popularly known as ‘‘wild Bouvardia.’’ The blossoms are found in early summer, and grow usually in dry places, exposed to the sun. 178 Eriogonum umbellatum. SULPHUR-FLOWER YELLOW LITTLE ALPINE LILY. Lilium parvum, Kell. Lily Family. Bulbs.— Small; of short, thick, jointed scales. Stem.—Slender; eighteen inches to six feet high. Leaves.—Scattered, or in whorls; two to five inches long; an inch or less broad; rich green. Flowers.— Orange-vermilion, dotted with purple; two to fifty; scattered or some- what whorled. Capsule. —Sub-spherical; six to nine lines long. /ad. —The High Sierras, from Yosemite Valley to Lake Tahoe. Passing from the parched and dusty plains of our central valleys in July and August, we are transported as though upon the magic tapestry of Prince Houssain into a heavenly region of springtime, where the streams, fed by the snow lying in shadowy mountain fastnesses, gush through plushy emerald meadows, starred with millions of daisies and bordered by lux- urlant tangles of larkspurs, columbines, monk’s-hoods, lupines, and a thousand other charming plants—a veritable flower- lover’s paradise. Here from the thickets, standing with their roots in the rich, loamy soil of the brookside, gleam the small orange blos- soms of the little alpine lily—little only in flower, for the slender stems often rise to a height of six feet, producing sev- eral whorls of rich green leaves. These lilies are but an inch or an inch a half long, with their perianth-segments yellow or orange below and deeper orange-vermilion above, their tips only being rolled backward. GOLDEN YARROW. Eriophyllum confertifiorum, Gray. Composite Family. White-woolly plants, at length smooth. Stems.—A foot or two high. Zeaves.—Cuneate in outline: divided into three to seven nar- row linear divisions. /Vowers.— Golden yellow; in densely crowded flat-topped clusters. /7eads.—Small; of disk- and ray-flowers. ays. — Four or five; broadly oval or roundish. Znvolucre.—Oval; of about five thin bracts; two lines long. ¥aé.— From San Francisco to the Sierras, and southward to San Diego. In early summer many a dry, rocky hill-slope is ablaze with the brilliant flowers of the golden yarrow. The brown-mottled I8o LITTLE ALPINE LILY—Lilium parvum. YELLOW butterfly may often be seen hovering over it, or delicately poising upon its golden table, fanning his wings. E. cespitosum, Dougl., is a very handsome species with solitary golden flower-heads an inch or so across. Its leaves are broader and not so finely divided, and some of the upper ones are linear and entire. This is found throughout Cali- fornia. TARWEED. WILD COREOPSIS. Madia elegans, Don. Composite Family. Usually viscid throughout. .Stems.—Three to six feet high. Leaves. — Crowded at the base of the stem; six to ten inches long; small above. Flower-heads.—Of both ray- and disk-flowers. ays.— Twelve to fifteen; one inch long; three-lobed at the apex; yellow, sometimes with a dark-red base. J/nuvolucre.—With one series of scales, each clasping a ray. //ab.—Throughout California, and in Oregon and Nevada. This is one of the most beautiful of all our tarweeds. Its golden, Coreopsis-like flowers open after sunset, and close at the first warmth of the morning rays. All the AZadias are used medicinally by old Spanish settlers. Madia sativa, Molina, is one of our most troublesome species, because its viscid secretion is so very abundant. The plants are tall, but the flowers are inconspicuous, owing to the smallness or absence of the rays. It is native of Chile as well as of California. An oil of excellent quality was made from its seeds in that country before the olive was so abundant. LEOPARD-LILY. TIGER-LILY. Lilium pardalinum, Kell. Lily Family. Bulbs consisting of forking rhizomes, covered with small, erect im- bricated scales; often forming matted masses. S/ems.—Three to ten feet high. Leaves.— Usually whorled, with some scattered above and below; lanceolate; three to seven inches long. /Vowers.— Few to many; long-pediceled. erianth segments.—Six; two or three inches long; six to nine lines wide; strongiy revolute; with orange base and reddish or scarlet tips; spotted or dotted with purple on the lower half. Stamens,— Six. Anthers versatile. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style club- shaped. Stigma capitate. Capsule.— Eighteen lines or more long. 182 TARWEED—Madia elegans. YELLOW Hab,—The Coast Ranges and Sierras, from Santa Barbara County to British Columbia, and eastward. No more magnificent sight could be imagined than a cafion- side covered with a mass of these red and gold blossoms nod- ding on their tall stems. The plants often grow in clumps and colonies of several hundred, and are always found in the rich soil of stream-banks or of wet, springy places. Most of us have been familiar with these spotted beauties from our child- hood, with their delicately swinging anthers full of cinnamon- colored pollen. A friend writing us from near Mt. Shasta, one July, said: ‘‘T wish you could have seen the gvove of tiger-lilies we saw near the place where we rested and lunched. They sprang from a velvet bed of mosses and ferns, under the shadow of a great rock, that towered at least a hundred feet above them. Out of the rock sprang two streams of living water, ice-cold, which crossed the trail and dashed over a rock below. Upon one plant we counted twenty-five buds and blossoms, while a friend counted thirty-two upon another.” ° Under extraordinarily favorable conditions, this lily has been known to reach a height of ten feet. YELLOW POND-LILY. Nuphar polysepalum, Engelm. Water-Lily Family. Leaves.— Six to twelve inches long; three fourths as wide; obtuse; deeply cleft at base; floating or erect. //owers.— Floating; three to five inches across. Sepa/s.— Eight to twelve; petaloid; bright yellow, sometimes greenish without. /efals.—Twelve to eighteen; small; about equaling the stamens, and resembling them. Sfamens.— Nu- merous; red; recurved in age; pollen yellow. Ovary.— Large; eight- to twenty-celled. Stigma button-shaped; many-rayed; four lines to an inch across. Wab.— From Colorado to Central California, and north- ward to Alaska. Most of us are familiar with the yellow water-lily, and have seen its pretty shield-shaped leaves floating upon the surface of some glassy pond, starred with its large, golden flowers. The latter are sometimes five inches across and quite showy. 184 YELLOW Sometimes entire marshes are covered with the plants. The large seeds are very nutritious, and form an important article of diet among the northern Indians. HUMBOLDT’S LILY. TIGER-LILY. Lilium Humboldtii, Roezl and Leichtlin. Lily Family. Bulbs.— Large; often weighing over a pound; with scales two or three inches long. Stems.—Stout; purplish; three or four feet high; eight- or ten-flowered, or more. eaves.—Wavy-margined; roughish; Flowers.— Large; six to eight inches in diameter; golden yellow; spotted with pale purple, turning to red or brown. Segments.— Hav- ing papillose prominences near the base. (Otherwise like L. parda- linum.) Hab.—The foothills of the Sierras; southward to San Diego. This wonderful lily, at first glance, resembles the common leopard- or tiger-lily —L. pardalinum —and it is found some- times in the same regions as the latter, but never in the same kind of localities. It affects the loose soil of dry, upland woods, but never grows in wet or boggy places. Its flowers are larger than those of ZL. pardalinum, and have more of a golden hue and less of red in them. By July this lily is in full bloom and a magnificent sight. A plant was once known which had fifty buds and blossoms, thirty of which were open at once! COMMON SUNFLOWER. Flelianthus annuus, L. Composite Family. Hispid, coarse plants. Stems.— Several feet high. ZLeaves.—Mostly alternate; petioled; deltoid-ovate to ovate-lanceolate; acuminate; three to seven inches long; three-ribbed at base. Flower-heads.—Large; three or four inches across, including the rays; solitary; composed of yellow ray-flowers and purple-brown, tubular disk-flowers. Jnzvolucre. — Of several series of imbricated, ovate, acuminate scales. Disk.— An inch or so across. aé.—Throughout California. The stately form of the sunflower is a common sight in the south, where whole fields are often covered with the plants. Their season of blossoming is supposed to be in the autumn, but we have seen them blooming just as gayly in March. This wild sunflower of the plains is believed to be the original parent of the large sunflower of our gardens. 185 YELLOW Its seeds are used by the Indians as food and in the prepa- ration of hair-oil. Popular tradition makes this blossom a worshiper of the sun, and it is believed to follow him with admiring glances. ‘The lofty follower of the sun, Sad when he sets, shuts up her hollow leaves, Drooping all night, and when he warm returns, Points her enamored bosom to his ray.”’ Another species—H7. Californicus, DC.—found from San Francisco Bay southward, along streams, has something the same habit as the above, but may be known from it by its slender, smooth stems, leafy to the top, the long, sprawling, awl- shaped bracts of its involucre, and its more delicate flowers, about two and a half inches across. The disk-corollas are slightly pubescent below. This species has a rather strong balsamic odor. PINE-DROPS. Pterospora andromedea, Nutt. Heath Family. Stems.-—-One to three feet high. Aracts.— Crowded at base; scat- tered above. Calya.—-Five-parted. Coro/la.—Three lines long; yel- lowish. Stamens.—Ten. Anthers tailed; opening lengthwise! Ovary. —Five-celled. Style short. Stigma five-lobed. AHad.—Throughout California, and across the continent. In our walks in the mountains, we occasionally encounter the flesh-colored wands of this curious plant. The colorless leaves are reduced to mere bracts, and the stems are densely clothed above with the little yellowish waxen bells. The whole plant is very viscid and disagreeable to handle. Though rare, it is found all across the continent. In the East it grows only under pine-trees, upon whose roots it is supposed to be parasitic, while in California it is said to be found under both oaks and pines. There is but a single species in this genus. The seed is furnished with a broad membranous wing, which has given rise to the name Prerospora, derived from two Greek words, meaning wg and seed. 186 andromedea. PINE-DROPS—Pterospora YELLOW TARWEED. Hemizonia luzule@folia, DC. Composite Family. Glandular, strong-scented plants. Stems.— Loosely branching; slender; six inches to two feet high. Zeaves.—Linear; very small above; elongated and withering early below. /lower-heads.—White or light yellow; composed of ray- and disk-flowers. Rays.—Six to ten; two to five lines long; three-lobed. .Sca/es of the involucre each clasping a ray. 7ab.—Common throughout the western part of the State. Under the common designation of ‘‘tarweed,’’ plants be- longing to two different genera—JZadia and Hlemizonia — and comprising thirty or forty species, may be found. They are mostly annuals or biennials, with viscid, heavily scented foli- age, which make themselves conspicuous in late summer and through the autumn. The H/emzzonzas are distinctively Cali- fornian; while the A7adias we have in common with Chile. Their viscid exudation is particularly ruinous to wool and clothing, but alcohol is a solvent for it, and will generally remove it. We wonder how these plants, which flourish in our driest seasons, can extract so much moisture from the parched earth, and of what practical use this resinous secretion can be in their economy. Though some of them are described as having a disagreeable odor, many of them have a very pleasant balsamic fragrance, which gives our summer and autumn atmosphere a peculiar character of its own. Whole fields and hillsides are tinged with their warm olive foliage, or are yellow with their golden flowers, which appear like a fall revival of the butter- cups. The flowers open mostly at night or in early morning, closing in bright sunshine. Flemizonia luzulefolia isa common species, whose flower are redolent of the odor of myrrh. 188 TARWEED—Hemizonia luzulaefolia. YELLOW CALIFORNIAN GOLDENROD. Solidago Californica, Nutt. Composite Family. Stem.— Rather stout; low or tall. Zeaves.— Oblong, or the upper oblong-lanceolate, and the lower obovate. //owers.— In a dense, py- ramidal panicle, four to twelve inches long, with mostly erect racemose branches. eads.—Three or four lines long; yellow. Rays.—Small; seven to twelve; about as many as the disk-flowers. aé.—Through- out California, to Nevada and Mexico. Our State is not so rich in goldenrods as New England, yet we have several rather pretty species. Solidago Califor- nica is found upon dry hills, and blooms from July to October. It is said to thrive well under cultivation. It differs from the ‘‘Western golden-rod”’ in having its flowers in a pyramidal cluster. MOTH-MULLEIN. Verbascum Blattaria, L. Figwort Family. Stem.—Tall and slender. Leaves.—Alternate; oblong; crenate- toothed; nearly smooth; the upper ovate, acute, clasping. /Vowers.— Yellow or white; purple-tinged; an inch or so across; in a terminal raceme; the pedicels much exceeding the calyx-lobes. Calyx. — Five- parted. Corolla.—Wheel-shaped, with five rounded, somewhat une- qual lobes. Stamens.—Five. Filaments violet-bearded. Anthers confluently one-celled. Pollen orange-colored, copious. Ovary.— Two-celled. Style slender. A/ab.—The Upper Sacramento Valley, etc.; naturalized from Europe. The mulleins are natives of Europe, which have found their way across the water to us. Two or three species are now common in some localities. The moth-mullein is so called be- cause its blossoms have the appearance of a number of delicate moths resting upon the stem. This is a tall, green plant. Another species— lV’. Thapsus, L.—is also quite common. In the Sacramento Valley its tall, woolly tapers may be seen lean- ing in every direction, giving the fields a disorderly appear- ance. This plant abounds throughout Europe and Asia, and was well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who made lampwicks of its dried leaves and utilized its stalks, dipped in tallow, for funeral torches. In medieval Europe it was called 190 YELLOW “‘‘hag-taper,’’ because it was employed by witches in their in- cantations. In Europe at the present time it is known as the ‘‘American velvet-plant,’’? because of a mistaken idea that it is a native of this country. WESTERN GOLDENROD. Solidago occidentalis, Nutt. Composite Family. Smooth throughout. .Sfems.— Paniculately branched; two to six feet high. Leaves.— Linear; entire; obscurely three-nerved; two to four. inches long; one to three lines wide. /Vlower-heads.— In numer- ous small, flat clusters, terminating the slender branchlets; three lines long; yellow. Aays.—Sixteen to twenty; not surpassing the eight to fourteen disk-flowers. Jnzvolucre.— Of imbricated scales; the outer successively shorter. AYab.— Near the Coast, from Southern California to British America. The Western goldenrod, with its slender, willowy stems and small flower-clusters, may be found in wet places in late summer and early autumn. Its blossoms are acacia-scented. CREOSOTE-BUSH. GOBERNADORA. HIDEONDO. Larrea Mexicana, Moricand. Creosote-Bush Family. Ill-smelling, resinous shrubs, four to ten feet high; diffusely branched. Leaves.— Opposite; with two unequal leaflets. Leaflets.—Three to six lines long; pointed; sessile. Alowers.—Solitary; yellow. Sepals.— Five; silky; deciduous. /efa/s.— Five; three or four lines long. Sfa- mens.—Ten; on a small ten-lobed disk. Filaments winged below. Ovary.— Five-celled; Style slender. Maé.—Inland deserts of the southern part of the State. The most plentiful shrub growing in our southern desert regions is the creosote-bush, so called because its sticky leaves burn with a black smoke and a rank odor, between creosote and carbolic acid. These shrubs often cover vast tracts of arid soil, and in places are the only growth to be seen. The evergreen foliage is of a warm olive tone, and is borne at the ends of many slen- der, grayish branches. The small, stemless, opposite leaves, each divided almost to its base into two leaflets, spread butter- fly-like upon the slender branchlets. The leaf-nodes are swollen into small, warty prominences, which are especially resinous. IgI YELLOW In many localities, especially in Arizona, the branches of this shrub are thickly incrusted with a certain gummy substance, which careful examination has proved to be almost identical - with the East Indian shellac of commerce. This is caused by an insect of the genus Coccuws, who stings the young twigs, at the same time laying its eggs in them, causing them to exude the gum. Could this gum be collected in sufficient quantities, it would doubtless prove a valuable article of commerce, prob- ably not inferior to the East Indian lac. Dr. Edwd. Palmer writes that it is extensively used by our Indians as a cement with which to fasten their flint arrow-heads to the shafts, to mend broken pottery, and to make water-tight their baskets, woven of grass and roots. The plant yields a greenish-yellow dye, with which they paint their persons and color their fabrics; but garments so dyed are said to emit a disagreeable odor always upon being heated. A lotion made by steeping the branches in water is said to be an excellent remedy for sores; while the leaves dried and reduced to powder are effectively used for the same purpose. Some of our pharmacists say that the plant is a valuable rem- edy for rheumatism. By the Spanish-Californians this shrub is known as ‘“‘ gober- nadora’’ and ‘‘hideondo’’; and by the American settlers of the desert it is known by several uncomplimentary names, among them the meaningless one of ‘‘greasewood.”’ It blossoms in early summer. 192 Ud es as [Pink or occasionally or partially pink flowers not described in the Pink Section. Described in the White Section :— ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM — Yarrow. CALOCHORTUS VENUSTUS — Mariposa Tulip. CHIMAPHILA MENzIEsII — Prince’s Pine. CONVOLVULUS LUTEOLUS— Wild Morning-glory. GAULTHERIA SHALLON — Salal. LATHYRUS TORREYI. LATHYRUS VESTITUS —Common Wild Pea. LAYIA GLANDULOSUM — White Daisy LILIUM RUBESCENS — Ruby Lily. MALACOTHRIX SAXATILIS. MESEMBRYANTHEMUM CRYSTALLINUM — Ice-Plant. CENOTHERA CALIFORNICA — White Evening Primrose. ORTHOCARPUS VERSICOLOR— While Owl’s Clover. PYROLA APHYLLA. RHODODENDRON OCCIDENTALE — Californian Azalea. RUBUS SPECTABILIS— Salmon-Berry. SPIR#A BETULIFOLIA— Pink Spirea. SpIR#A DovuG.asii — Californian Hardhack. SPRAGUEA UMBELLATA — Pussy’s-Paws. Described in the Yellow Section :— HOSACKIA GRACILIS. Described in the Blue and Purple Section :— CALOCHORTUS SPLENDENS — Mariposa Tulip. CALOCHORTUS UNIFLORUS. TRILLIUM SESSILE — Californian Trillium. Described in the Red Section: — GILIA AGGREGATA— Scarlet Gilia. Described in the Miscellaneous Section :— CyYPRIPEDIUM CALIFORNICUM — Californian Lady’s Slipper. GOMPHOCARPUS TOMENTOSUS — Hornless Woolly Milkweed. RUMEX HYMENOSEPALUS — Wild Pie-Plant; Canaigre. ] 193 PINK RED-STEMMED FILAREE. ALFILERILLA. CLOCKS. PIN-CLOVER. Erodium cicutarium, L’Her. Geranium Family. Leaves.— Chiefly radical in a depressed rosette; six to ten inches long; dissected into narrow toothed lobes. Stem-leaves smaller. Flowers.— Pink; four to eight in an umbel; parts in fives. FPetal/s.— Four lines long. Stamens.— Five perfect, with flattened filaments; five reduced to mere scales. Carfe/s and styles one or two inches long; separating upward from a central axis into twisted, bearded tails. Hab. Throughout the State. The name ‘‘alfilerilla’”’ is Spanish, coming from a/fler, a needle, and refers to the long, slender beak of the carpels. By corruption it has become ‘“‘filaree.’’ This plant is found in abundance everywhere, and is one of our most valuable forage-plants. It varies greatly in size, and becomes very rank in growth where the soil is rich. Ordinarily, it makes its appearance soon after the beginning of the rainy season, as a rosette of leaves lying upon the ground, and later it sends up its reddish stems. Its seed- vessels look like a group of fantastic, long-billed storks, and the long beaks of the carpels, as they separate from the central axis, begin to curl about any convenient object. They are thus widely disseminated in the hair of animals and the clothing of people. Children call them ‘‘clocks,’’ and love to stand the seed up in their clothing and watch the beaks wind slowly about, like the hands of a timepiece. We have several other species of Evodium. £. moschatum, L’ Her., is a coarser plant whose foliage has a musky fragrance, especially when wilted. It is also a valuable forage-plant and is commonly known as ‘‘musky filaree’’ or ‘‘green-stemmed filaree.’’ £. Botrys, Bertoloni, is a very abundant plant. Its flowers are larger, six lines across, and are pink, strongly veined with wine-color. The beaks of its carpels are sometimes four inches long. 194 Erodium cicutarium. RED-STEMMED FILAREE PINK REDWOOD-SORREL. Oxalis Oregana, Nutt. Geranium Family. Herbs with sour juice. Leaves.—With three leaflets; petioles two to even twelve inches long. Leaflets one or two inches broad; usu- ally light-blotched. Scafes.— One to six inches long; one-flowered. Sepals.—Five. etals.—Five; nine to twelve lines long; white or rose- colored, often veined with darker color; usually having an orange spot at base. Stamens. —Ten. vary.— Five-celled. Styles five. Hab.— Coast woods, from Santa Cruz to Washington. In deep woods, ‘‘where no stir nor call the sacred hush pro- fanes,’’ the beautiful leaves and delicate flowers of the redwood- sorrel cover the ground with an exquisite tapestry, which catches the shimmer of the sunlight as it sifts down through the tall trees. If the goddess Nanna in passing left the print of her pretty fingers upon the clover, perhaps some wood- nymph may have touched the leaves of this charming plant. Each day as twilight deepens, the leaflets fold gently together and prepare to sleep. The small yellow oxalis— O. corniculata, L.— becomes a troublesome weed in our lawns. ROCK-CRESS. Arabis blepharophylla, Hook. and Arn. Mustard Family. Stems.— Four to twelve inches high. Radical-/eaves.— Broadly spatulate; one or two inches long. Cau/ine-/eaves.— Oblong; sessile. All,— Ciliate. /Vowers.— Purplish-pink. Sepa/s.— Four; generally col- ored. /etals.—Four; six to nine lines long; clawed. °Stamens.— Six; two shorter. Ovary.—Two-celled. Stigma button-shaped. /ed.— Linear; an inch or more long; flattened. /7aé.—The Coast, from San Francisco to Monterey. The bright magenta-colored blossoms of the rock-cress may be looked for in early spring along the hills of the Coast Ranges. This plant is said to be very beautiful in cultivation. The generic name was bestowed because many of the well- known species are natives of Arabia, while the formidable specific name means ‘‘eyelash-leaved,’’ referring to the ciliate leaves. 196 Oregana, —Oxalis REDWOOD-SORREL PINK WILD HOLLYHOCK. Sidalcea malveflora, Gray. Mallow Family. Stems.— Several; eight inches to two feet long. Leaves.— Round in outline; variously lobed and cut. //owers.— Pink; in terminal ra- cemes. Calyx.— Five-cleft; without bractlets. /e/a/s.— Five; united at base; one inch long. Stamens.— United in a column; in two series. Anthers one-celled. Ovaries.—Three to ten ina ring; separating at maturity. Stylesas many; filiform. //ab.—The Coast from San Diego to Mendocino County. In early spring the graceful sprays of the S7dalcea bend over our meadows everywhere, making them bright with their pink blossoms, which the children call ‘‘wild hollyhocks.’’ The stamens of these flowers are especially pretty and interesting if examined with a glass. By a careful dissection, the stamen- column is found to be double, its outer part bearing five bunches of stamens. The anthers are one-celled and of a beautiful rose- pink. They may be seen best by pulling apart one of the un- opened buds. There are two kinds of these plants, one having large pale- pink flowers, which are perfect; the other bearing smaller deep rose-pink blossoms, in which the anthers are only rudimentary. There are quite a number of species of Szda/cea in Califor- nia, but they are very difficult of determination for the non- botanist. REDBUD. JUDAS-TREE. Cercis occidentalis, Torr. Pea Family. Small trees or shrubs. Leaves.—Alternate; slender-petioled; round- cordate; palmately veined; smooth; about two inches in diameter. flowers.— Rose-color; papilionaceous; clustered in the axils. /e/a/s. —Four lines long; the standard smaller and inclosed by the wings. Stamens.—Ten; all distinct. vary.—One-celled. /ods.—Two or three inches long; thin. /¥ad.— Mt. Shasta to San Diego. By April, or earlier, our interior hills and valleys begin to show the rosy blossoms of the Judas-tree. The leafless branches are wreathed with the abundant flowers, which gives the shrub the appearance of a garden fruit-tree. When seen later, in its full summer foliage, it is almost equally attractive. Its shapely 198 WILD HOLLYHOCK—Sidalcea malvaeflora. PINK leaves are then diversified by the clusters of long purple pods, which hang gracefully among them. The Indians find the slender twigs of this shrub very useful in their basket-making. By means of the thumb-nail or flints, they split them into threads, which they use as woof. A closely allied species of Cevczs, growing in Palestine, had, according to tradition, white flowers, until the arch-traitor Judas hanged himself from its limbs, when it blushed pink for very shame. In medieval Europe the Judas-tree was believed to be a favorite rendezvous for witches, and it was considered danger- ous to approach one at nightfall. HUCKLEBERRY. Vaccinium ovatum, Pursh. Heath Family. Evergreen shrubs, three to eight feet high. Leaves.—Ovate to oblong-lanceolate; leathery; smooth and shining. /7lowers.—In axil- lary clusters: small; pinkish. Ca/ya-.— Minutely five-toothed. Coro//a. —Campanulate; two or three lines long. .S/amens.—Ten; anthers opening terminally. Ovary.—Globose; five-celled. Style filiform. Berries.— Small; reddish, turning black. ab.—The Coast Ranges from Monterey to Vancouver Island. When in bloom our Californian huckleberry is a delightful shrub. Its leaves, which are of a particularly rich, shining green, are set at a characteristic angle to the red stems, con- trasting finely with their warm tones; and the effect is height- ened by the clusters of small pink and white waxen bells scattered here and there amid the foliage. The huckleberry is at its best upon the high ridges of the Coast Ranges, where it becomes especially luxuriant in the fog- nurtured region of the northern portion of the redwood belt. There its abundant berries become juicy and delicious, and are much sought for preserving and pie-making. Its branches, when cut, keep admirably in water and are favorite greens for household decoration. 200 HUCKLEBERR Y—Vaccinium ovatum. PINK STAR-FLOWER. CHICKWEED-WINTERGREEN. Trientalis Europea, var. latifolia, Torr. Primrose Family. Root.— Tuberous. Sztem.— Four to eight inches high; with a whorl of oval-pointed leaves one to four inches long. /Vowers.—White or pink; eight lines across. Ca/yx and rotate corolla seven-parted, some- times six- to nine-parted; divisions pointed. Sfamens.—As many as the corolla-lobes, and opposite them. Ovary.—One-celled. Style fili- form. /Hab.— The Coast Ranges, from Monterey northward. In April and May, as we walk through shaded woods, we begin to notice a trim little plant three or four inches high, with very slender stem, bearing at its summit a number of pretty leaves of varying size. A little later, we find among them one or two delicate pink, starry flowers on very slender, threadlike stems. The generic name is from the Latin ¢7zevs, and is in allusion to the height of the plant, which is the third part of a foot. CLINTONIA. Clintonia Andrewsiana, Torr. Lily Family. Leaves.— Radical; oblong; six inches to one foot long; two to four wide. flower-stem.—One or two feet high; with one leafy bract. Flowers.— Pink; many; in a terminal compound cluster on pedicels an inch or less long. /erianth.—Campanulate; four to seven lines long. Segments.— Six; gibbous at the base. Stamens.—Six. Ovary.—Two- or three-celled. /7w7z¢.— Beautiful, large, dark-blue berries. A7aé.— The Coast Ranges, from Santa Cruz to Humboldt County. This is one of the most distinguished-looking plants of our deep coast woods. Its large leaves, of a rich polished green, arrange themselves symmetrically around the short stem, seem- ing to come from the ground—and so fine are they, that if no blossom appeared, we should feel the plant had fulfilled its mission of beauty. But in April a blossom-stalk shoots up from their midst, bearing upon its summit a cluster of deep rose-colored, nodding bells. These are succeeded later by a bunch of superb dark-blue berries, which might be made of lapis lazuli or the rarest old delft china. I remember a beauti- ful spot upon the Lagunitas Creek, where the stream, flowing 202 LINE over a brown, pebbly bottom, passes among the redwoods where their tall shafts make dim cathedral aisles, — ‘forest-corridors that lie In a mysterious world unpeopled yet.’ Here little yellow violets and the charming wood-sorrel carpet the ground, the fetid adder’s-tongue spreads its mottled leaves, while groups of the lovely C/ntonza put the finishing touches to an already beautiful scene. LEMONADE-BERRY. MAHOGANY. Rhus integrifolia, Benth. and Hook. Poison-oak or Cashew Family. Evergreen shrubs two to six feet high, becoming small trees south- ward. Leaves.—Alternate; short-petioled; one to three inches long; rigid; leathery. Alowers.— Of two sexes, also some perfect; in short, dense terminal clusters one to three inches long; rose-colored or white. Sepals, petals, and stamens four to nine; usually five. Fetals.— Rounded; ciliate; one or two lines across. Ovary.—One-celled. Stig- mas three. Fruit.— Flat; one-seeded; six lines across; red; viscid and acid. Wab.— The Coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Growing everywhere upon the southern coast in great abundance, this shrub forms low, dense, wind-shorn thickets. Farther inland it rises to a height of several feet, with tough, India-rubber-like branches, and in Lower California it becomes a small tree. In its better estate it is very ornamental, espe- cially in spring, when sprinkled with its clusters of small pink flowers. The little drupes are covered with an acid, oily sub- stance, and have long been used by the Indians and Mexicans in the preparation of a lemonade-like drink. These people are so fond of this fruit that they dry it for winter use, grinding and roasting it as we do coffee. The wood of these shrubs is of a dark-red color, which is responsible for the common name, ‘‘mahogany.”’ Another Rhus very common in the valleys of Southern California is FR. dauvina, Nutt., usually called ‘‘sumach.’’ It is an evergreen shrub, with smooth, lanceolate leaves, two or three inches long, exhaling a rather strong odor, considered by some like bitter almonds, and bearing dense clusters of small 203 PUNIS white flowers in midsummer. Its small drupes are only a line or two across. ‘They are also coated with a waxen substance, and yield a pungent oil. In the mountains from Santa Barbara to San Diego is found another species—/. ovata, Wats. This has large leathery, pointed leaves, and is known as ‘‘lemonade-and-sugar-tree,”’ as the acid berries are coated with a sweet, waxen substance, which the Indians value as sugar. Its leaves resemble in form those of the lilacs of our gardens. SHOOTING-STARS. WILD CYCLAMEN. MAD VIOLETS. Dodecatheon Meadia, L. Primrose Family. Leaves.—All radical; tufted; from obovate to lanceolate. Scape.— Three to fifteen inches high; umbel two- to twenty-flowered. Calyx. — Deeply five-cleft, the divisions reflexed in flower, erect in fruit. Co- volla.—With extremely short tube, and an abruptly reflexed five-parted limb; white, rose-color, or purple. Stamens.— Five; opposite the corolla-lobes. Filaments short; united. Anthers standing erect around the long style, forming a beak; violet. Ovary.—One-celled. AHab.— Throughout the continent; exceedingly variable. The shooting-star is one of our prettiest spring flowers, which arrives a little before the baby-eyes and just as the brakes are unrolling their green crosiers. There is something partic- ularly pleasing in these blossoms. It seems as though Nature had taxed her ingenuity to produce something original when she fashioned them. The name Dodecatheon, from the Greek, is entirely a fanciful one, and means ‘‘the twelve gods.”’ Formerly D. AZeadia, L., was considered the only species, embracing many widely varying forms; but of late botanists have made several of the forms into separate species. D. Hendersoni (Gray), Ktz., is the species prevalent in our central and northern Coast Ranges. This has ovoid or obo- void, very obtuse, entire leaves, with broad petiole, equaling the blade, two inches long. Its flower-stem is from eight to twelve inches high, bearing a cluster of bright rose-purple flowers. The corolla has a short, dark-maroon tube, encircled by a band of yellow, sometimes merging into white. A variety 204 SHOOTING-STARS—Dodecatheon Hendersoni, var. cruciata, PINK of this with very slender stems and the flower parts in fours is common in the Bay region, and southward possibly to Santa Barbara. This is called var. cruciata. Its blossoms have a strong odor, suggestive of a tannery. In this species the cap- sule opens at the top, splitting into a number of little teeth, which soon turn downward. D. Clevelandi, Greene, is a beautiful species found in the south. It sends up a tall shaft, crowned with a large cluster of beautiful blossoms, varying from a delicate lilac to pure white. The petals are ringed below with pale yellow, and the beak of the flower is a rich prune-purple. There is a certain generous, fine look about these flowers, although they are exquisitely delicate. Their charm is completed by a delicious perfume, like that of the cultivated cyclamen. Among the children the various forms are known by a num- ber of names, such as ‘‘mad violets,’ ‘‘ prairie-pointers,”’ ‘*mosquito-bills,’’ and ‘‘roosters’-heads.’’ The latter is said to be the designation of prosaic little boys who see in these blos- soms gaming possibilities, and who love to hook them together and pull to see which head will come off first. PRICKLY PHLOX. Gilia Californica, Benth. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Stems.—Woody; two or three feet high. Leaves.— Palmately three- to seven-parted, with spreading, needle-like divisions, two to four lines long. /Vowers.—Solitary, at the ends of the branchlets; rose- pink or lilac, with a white eye. Calya.— Five-toothed. Corolla-limb.— An inch and a half across. (See Gz/ia.) Hab.—Dry hills from Mon- terey to San Bernardino. I hardly know how to describe these delightful flowers. At a little distance the plant-stems have almost the look of a cac- tus, so densely are they clothed with the small, rigid leaves. Nor does a closer acquaintance serve to lessen the likeness — for in our breathless haste to take possession of the beautiful blossoms we are quite certain to have their prickly character impressed upon the hands as well as upon the sight. The tex- ture of the flowers is of the finest silk, with an exquisite sheen; 206 PRICKLY PHLOX—Gilia Californica. PINK and they have a delicate fragrance. Growing at the tips of the numerous branchlets, they often form large masses of rich rose- colored bloom, which are especially brilliant and showy against the warm foliage. In some localities they are called ‘‘rock-rose,’’ an unfortu- nate name in two respects: it has long belonged to a yellow flower of an entirely different family —Helianthemum; and these blossoms do not in the least resemble a rose. 9 CALIFORNIAN FOUR-O’CLOCK. Mirabilis Californica, Gray. Four-o’clock Family. Stems.— From a woody base; a foot or two long. Leaves.—Ovate; six to fifteen lines long; rather thick. Flowers.— Magenta-colored; one to three in a campanulate, calyx-like, five-toothed involucre. In- volucres nearly sessile. Perianth.— Six lines long; open funnel-form; five-lobed. Stamens.— Five. Anthers yellow. Ovary.— Globose: one-celled. Style filiform. Stigma capitate. 7ab.—Southern Cali- fornia and eastward. When the heat of the day is over and the morning-glories are folding together their faded chalices, the bright little four- o’clocks begin to open their myriad magenta-colored eyes upon the closing day, and they, together with the evening primroses, will keep the vigils of the night. These diaphanous little flowers, with their long stamens resting on the lower side of the perianth, are like diminutive azaleas. They are very puzzling, and the part that baffles the young botanist is the calyx, which, as it sometimes has two or three corollas within it, cannot be considered a calyx at all, but must be called an involucre. In reality the corolla is absent, and the calyx, which is colored like a corolla, is called a perianth. This appears to sit upon the top of the round ovary, but in reality a green continuation of it is drawn down tightly over the ovary. 208 — VG, 4 2 wk Wb el CALIFORNIAN FOUR-O’CLOCK—WMirabilis Californica, PINK BEACH MORNING-GLORY. Convolvulus Soldanella, L. Morning-glory Family. Stems.—A foot or less long; trailing. ZLeaves.— Kidney-shaped; long-petioled; leathery; an inch or two broad. Flowers.— Pink to lavender; one to nearly three inches across, with a pair of thin bracts just below the calyx, partly enveloping it. (Otherwise as C. /uteolus.) H1ab.— The seashore from Puget Sound to San Diego. The beach morning-glory trails its stems over the shifting sands of the seashore, making clusters of beautiful foliage, over which the large, delicate flowers raise their exquisite satin funnels. CALYPSO. Calypso borealis, Salisb. Orchis Family. Bulb.— Small; solid. Stem.—Three to six inches high. ZLeaf—An inch or two long. Sepals and petals light to deep rose-color; six to nine lines long. £7%.— Brownish pink, mottled with purple. S#y/e.— Petaloid, oval, and concave, bearing the hemispherical anther on its summit underneath. /7a6.—The northern Coast Ranges; also across the continent. It has never been my good fortune to find this rare and ex- quisite little orchid, but beautiful specimens have been sent from the redwoods of Sonoma County and from Oregon. The books speak of it as growing in bogs; but I am told by those who gathered them that the little plants sit lightly upon the layer of needles that carpet the forest-floor. The roots scarcely penetrate the soil, so that the plants are easily disengaged with- out digging. Nature produced a perfect work when she fashioned this little plant, so simple, so charming in every way, with its one dainty leaf and one unique blossom. The form of the column is peculiarly interesting, being that of a curving concave petal, bearing the anther, in the shape of a hollow hemisphere, on its upper edge. 210 CALYPSO—Calypso borealis. PINK WILD PORTULACA. Calandrinia caulescens, HBK.; var. Menziesti, Gray. Purslane Family. Decumbent, branching herbs, mostly smooth. Leaves.—Alternate; linear to oblanceolate; one to three inches long. //owers.—In loose racemes; rose-color or magenta; about an inch across. Sepa/s.—Two; keeled. Peta/s.— Mostly five. Stamens.— Four to eleven. Ovary.— One-celled. Style slender. Stigma three-cleft. Seeds black, shining, lens-shaped. ab.—From Lower California to Vancouver Island. The wild portulaca is very abundant, and in seasons favor- able to its development is a very noticeable little plant. Its succulent stems have a spreading habit and bear many satiny flowers of a deep purplish-pink, which open in the bright sun- shine. The petals, which are veined with a slightly darker color, become white toward the center, and the little anthers are full of orange-colored pollen. These blossoms have a deli- cate, somewhat musky perfume. Cattle are fond of the herbage, and the plants are considered excellent as potherbs and for salads. The seeds, which are a favorite food of the wild dove are very pretty, being lens- shaped, black and shining, with a granular surface. THE PRIDE OF CALIFORNIA. Lathyrus splendens, Kell. Pea Family. Stem. — Climbing; six to ten feet. Lea/flets.—About eight; scattered; very variable; linear to lanceolate or oblong; acute; mucronate; strongly three- to five-nerved. Zendrils.—Two- to five-parted. Stipules.— Small; semi-sagittate. Peduncles.—Stout; usually seven- to ten-flow- ered, /lowers.—Very large; brilliant crimson. Calya.— Five-toothed; eighteen-nerved. .Staxdard and keel an inch or more long. /ods.— Three inches long; smooth; compressed; ten-totwenty-seeded. //aé. — Parts of San Diego County, and southward. Clambering over our wild shrubs, this wonderful pea gives them the appearance of being loaded with a magnificence of bloom quite unwonted. The blossoms are the richest and most gorgeous of crimsons throughout, and have such a superb air that it is difficult to believe they are not the product of centuries of careful selection by the gardener. The long standard turns back over the stem, continuing the gracefully 212 WILD PORTULACA—Calandrinia caulescens. PINK outlined keel in a long compound curve. The blossoms hang from the stem in charming abandon, like a flock of graceful tropic-birds poising upon the wing before taking flight, or like a fleet of gayly decked pleasure-barges, with canopies thrown back, fit for the conveyance of a Cleopatra. CALIFORNIAN WILD CURRANT. INCENSE-SHRUB. Ribes glutinosum, Benth. Saxifrage Family. Shrubs six to fifteen feet high. Leaves.—Three- to five-lobed; glu- tinous when young; three to five inches broad. /Vowers.—Rose-pink to pale pink; in long drooping racemes. Calya-.—Petaloid; five-lobed. fetals and stamens five on the calyx. Ovary.—One-celled. Styles two; more or less united. Aerries.—Blue, with a dense bloom; glan- dular-hispid. Syu.— Ribes sanguineum, Pursh. AHab.—The Coast Ranges; more common southward. In early winter in the south, and somewhat later northward, the wild currant becomes a thing of beauty hardly to have been expected. The young foliage, of a clear brilliant green, is gayly decked with the long clusters of peculiarly fresh pink blossoms, which seem like the very incarnation of the spirit of Spring, producing a certain eblouissement, which quickens our sense into an anticipation of beauty on every side. We are made aware of a strong, heavy fragrance ema- nating from this shrub, for which its numerous glands are responsible, and which has gained for it the popular name of ‘‘incense-shrub”’ in some localities. The fruit, which ripens toward fall, is dry and bitter, or insipid. The genus Ades includes the currant and the gooseberry, and furnishes us with several charming shrubs in California. % | a Sy” a CALIFORNIAN WILD CURRANT—Ribes glutinosum. PINK GROUND-PINK. FRINGED GILIA. Gilia dianthoides, Endl. Phlox or Polemonium Family. One to six inches high. Leaves.—Six lines or so long; linear to filiform. /lowers.— Rose or lilac, blending inward to white, with darker color or yellow in the throat. Calya-.—Five-cleft. Corolla.— Nine to twelve lines across; fringed. (See Gilia.) Hab. —From Santa Barbara to San Diego. In March our southern meadows and hill-slopes are all aglow with the lovely flowers of this charming little Gz/éa. The plants are tiny, often no more than an inch high, but are ambitious out of all proportion to their size, covering them- selves with blossoms exquisitely delicate in texture, form, and coloring, which literally carpet the earth with an overlapping mosaic. It is a wonderful thought that upon every one of these countless millions of little flowers that clothe the fields Nature has bestowed such care that each is a masterpiece in itself. COMMON FLEABANE. Erigeron Philadelphicus, L. Sunflower Family. Hairy, perennial herbs. S¢eszs.— One to three feet high; leafy to the top. oot-leaves.—Spatulate or obovate. Stemm-leaves.— Oblong; sessile, with broad clasping base; irregularly toothed. /Vower-heads. —In a loose corymb. Jzsks.—Yellow; three or four lines across. kays.— Innumerable; very narrow; flesh-color to rose-purple; about three lines long. AYab.—Widely distributed on the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. The feathery, daisy-like flowers of the common fleabane are of frequent occurrence in moist meadows or along the road- sides in spring. The ray-flowers are so narrow as to forma delicate fringe around the disk. The common name arose from the belief that these plants were harmful to fleas. 216 GROUND-PINK—Gilia dianthoides. PINK TURKISH RUGGING. Chorizanthe staticoides, Benth. Buckwheat Family. A foot high or more, with widely spreading branches. Leaves.— All radical; oblong; obtuse; twelve to thirty lines long, including petioles. Juvolucres.— Loosely clustered; sessile; one-flowered; cam- panulate; with six bristle-like teeth. Perzanth.— Pink; two lines long; six-lobed; not fringed. Stamens.— Mostly nine; on the verianail Ovary.— One-celled. Styles three. Stigmas capitate. Mab.— From Monterey to San Diego. In late spring the dry, open hills of the south are over- run with the soft lavender of the Chorizanthe. The flowers are small, but the whole plant is purplish, and the stems are quite as productive of color as the blossoms. In fact, the whole plant seems to consist of a scraggly interlacement of slender branches and small flowers, as the leaves, which nestle close to the ground, are not very noticeable. CANCHALAGUA. CALIFORNIAN CENTAURY. Erythrea venusta, Gray. Gentian Family. Six inches to two feet high. Leaves.—Six to twelve lines long; pale apple-green. Calyx.— Usually five-parted. Corol/a.— Bright pink, with yellow or white center; an inch or so across. Stamens.— Five; anthers spirally twisted after shedding the pollen. Ovary.—One- celled. Style slender. Stigmas two. Aadb.— From Plumas County southward; more abundant southward. Just as our attention has been called afresh to the fields by the sudden appearance of the ‘‘golden stars,’’ or Bloomeria, in late spring, we find, as we stoop to gather them, a charming pink flower nestling close to the earth amid the grasses. Though low of stature, these firstlings of the season atone for it by brilliancy of color, and their pink blossoms have a pecu- liarly clean, fresh, wide-awake appearance, reminding one of a rosy-faced country wench. While enjoying their bright beauty, we do not for a mo- ment suspect that we are paying homage to the famous ‘‘can- chalagua’’ of the Spanish-Californians. No well-regulated household among these people is without bundles of these herbs strung upon the rafters —for they are considered by them 218 CANCHALAGUA—Erythraea veinustda. ID ONES an indispensable remedy for fevers; also, an excellent bitter tonic, and are said to possess rare antiseptic properties. FALSE MALLOW. Malvastrum Thurbert, Gray. Mallow Family. Shrubby at base; three to fifteen feet high; densely tomentose. Leaves.—An inch or two across; thick. //lowers.— Clustered in the axils of the leaves; or in an interrupted naked spike. Calya.— Five- lobed; with one to three bractlets. /eta/s.— Five, about six lines long; rose-purple. Sfamens.— United in a column. Ovaries.— Numerous; united in a ring. Styles united at base. Stigmas capitate. A/ab.— The southern Coast Ranges and islands of the Coast. Upon the mesas of the south we often see a shrubby mem- ber of the mallow family, with long, wandlike branches orna- mented with closely set, pink flowers, of delicate texture and pleasant perfume. This is the false mallow. It is a very hand- some and noticeable shrub when in full bloom. The anthers are golden brown, and the stigmas are spherical instead of fili- form. Upon the seashore it blooms much earlier than in the valleys inland. | MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. FIG-MARIGOLD. Mesembryanthemum cequilaterale, Haworth. Fig-marigold Family. Succulent plants. S¢ems.—Elongating; forming large mats. Leaves. — Opposite; sessile; fleshy; three-angled; two inches or more long; oblong. //owers.—Terminal; solitary; fifteen lines to two inches across; pink. Calya.—With top-shaped tube and five-lobed_ border. Petals.—Very numerous; linear. Stamens.—Innumerable. Ovary.— Four- to twenty-celled. Stigmas six to ten. Mab.—The Coast, from Point Reyes southward. The fig-marigold is a very common plant upon our sea- shore. It seems to flourish best toward the south, where it covers large tracts of sand with its succulent foliage, making mats of pleasant verdure in otherwise sandy wastes. Its stems often trail many yards down the cliffs, making beautiful natu- ral draperies, decked with myriads of the pink blossoms. Because it is capable of withstanding the drouth in the most remarkable manner, it has been planted to produce verdure 220 a \ \ Matlvastrum Thurberi. FALSE MALLOW PLN Ei where irrigation is impossible. The very numerous slender petals give the flower the appearance at first sight of a Com- posita. The fruit is pulpy and full of very small seeds, like the fig, and has a suggestion of the flavor of the Isabella grape. Many species of JZesembryanthemum are cultivated in our gardens, mostly as border-plants. The genus is a large one, most of the species being native of Southern Africa, and it is supposed that the three species now common upon our Coast were introduced in the remote past without the agency of man. Gilia androsacea, Steud. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Stems.—Three to twelve inches high; erect; spreading. Leaves.— Opposite; sessile; palmately five- to seven-parted; seemingly whorled. Flowers.—In terminal clusters. Coro//a.—Salver-shaped; rose-pink, lilac, or white, with a yellow or dark throat; its tube filiform, about an inch long; limb eight to ten lines across. Filaments and style slender; exserted. (See Gzlia.) Hab.—Throughout the western part of the State; into the Sierra foothills: The delicate flowers of this little plant may be found nes- tling amid the grasses of dry hill-slopes in late spring, often making charming bits of color. It is usually rather a low plant, but in specially favorable situations it rises to a foot in height. Its fragile flowers vary from pure white to lilac and a lovely rose-pink, and look like small phloxes. BROWNIES. Mimulus Douglasit, Gray. Figwort Family. Flowering at half an inch high; later becoming a span high. Leaves. —Ovate or oblong; three- to five-nerved at base; narrowed into a short petiole. AVowers.--Rich maroon, with deeper color in the throat and some yellow below. Calya.—Five-toothed. Coro/la.—An inch to eighteen lines long; with dilated throat. Lower lip much shorter than the ample, erect, upper one; sometimes almost wanting. (See Mimulus.) Hab.—Throughout California. This little A/Zzmulus is quite common upon gravelly or stony hills. Its pert little maroon flowers, with their very long tubes and erect lobes, so ridiculously out of proportion to the size of the tiny plant, give it the look of some very important small personage. 222 ys Oy vy Se ~~ WZ Gilia androsaceda. PINK BITTER-ROOT. SPAT’LUM. TOBACCO-ROOT. Lewisia rediviva, Pursh. Purslane Family. Root.—Very thick. Leaves.— Clustered; linear-oblong; one or two inches long. Scafes.— One-flowered; one or two inches long; jointed in the middle, with a whorl of five to seven scarious bracts at the joint. Sepals.—Six to eight; six to nine lines long; scarious-margined. /efa/s. —Twelve to fifteen; rose-color, sometimes white; oblong; eight to six- teen lines long; rotately spreading in sunshine. Stamens.—Forty or more. Ovary.—One-celled. Style three- to eight-parted nearly to the base. ab.—The mountains of California, northward and eastward. Within our borders this little plant is not abundant, but must be sought upon mountain heights. Formerly it was sup- posed not to occur south of Mt. Diablo, but it has since been found in the mountains of the southern part of the State and at intermediate points. It is very abundant in Montana, where it has been adopted as the State flower. The plants are very small, being but an inch or two high, but the flowers are handsome and showy, and the delicate, rose-colored corollas, which are often two inches across, are of an exquisite silken texture. The root is remarkably large and thick for so small a plant, and it contains a nutritious, farina- ceous matter, much esteemed by the Indians for food. Among them it is known as ‘‘spat’lum,’’ and they gather large quan- tities of it, which they store in bags for future use. This was the ‘‘racine-amére,’’ or ‘‘bitter-root,’’ of the early French settlers. It is also known as ‘‘tobacco-root,”’ because when boiled it has a tobacco-like odor. The specific name, vedzvzva, was bestowed because of the wonderful vitality of these plants. It is known upon good authority that specimens which had been drying for two years in an herbarium continued to produce leaves, and at last, when taken out and planted, went on growing and blossomed! This genus is an exception to the other members of the Purslane family, in having more than two sepals. 224 » PINK SPINELESS TUNA. Opuntia basilaris, var. ramosa, Parish. Cactus Family. Low; spreading; branching freely above. _/oiuts.—Flat; smooth; without large spines, but with close tufts of minute bristles; obovate or fan-shaped; five to eight inches long; nearly as wide at the top. /low- ers.—Large; brilliant rose-magenta; two or three inches long. fruit. —Dry; sub-globose. (Flower-structure as in O. Engelmannti.) Hab, —The southern deserts and San Bernardino Mountains. In the arid regions of the southern interior, this Opzztza is a very common one, and its large, brilliant rose-magenta flowers attract the attention wherever seen. They are very tempting blossoms, and it is hard to resist them, even though we know the penalty will be the conversion of thumbs and fingers into pin-cushions for innumerable, minute, tormenting thorns. SNOW-BERRY. Symphoricarpos racemosus, Michx. Honeysuckle Family. Shrubs two to four feet high. Leaves.— Opposite; short-petioled; cuneate to oblong; entire or lobed; nine to eighteen lines long. Flow- ers.—Small; mostly in terminal clusters. Calya.—Adnate to the ovary; with five-toothed border. Corol/a.—Campanulate; five-lobed; three lines long; waxen; pinkish; very hairy within. Stamens.—Five; on the corolla. Ovary.—Four-celled. Aerries.—Waxen-white; six lines in diameter. AHab.—Widely distributed. In early winter the pure-white clusters of the snow-berry, on their almost leafless stems, make flecks of light through the dun woods. At this season of few woodland attractions, these berries, together with the trailing sprays of the fragrant yerba buena and the long graceful leaves of the iris, are about the only trophies to be obtained upona walk. In early spring, when their slender twigs first begin to leaf out, these little shrubs are among the most delicate and airy of growing things, and make a tender veil of green through the shadowy wood- land. The blossoms, which arrive rather late, are inconspicuous. 225 PINK TREE-MALLOW. Lavatera assurgentifiora, Kell. Mallow Family. Shrubs.— Six to fifteen feet high. Leaves.—Three to nine inches across. //owers.— Pink, veined with maroon. Calyx.— Five-cleft, with an involucel below, like a second calyx. /etals.—Twelve to eighteen lines long. /%/aments.— Numerous; united in a column. Styles.— Numerous; filiform. Carpels.— One-seeded, in a ring around an axis; separating at maturity. /ab.— The islands off the Coast; cultivated on the mainland north to Mendocino County, The Lavateras are Old-World plants, with the exception of a few species which are natives of the islands of our southern coast. In the early days the Padres planted the above species (L. assurgentifiora) plentifully around the old Missions, and thence it has spread and become spontaneous in many locali- ties. It can be seen in San Francisco, planted as wind-break hedges about the market-gardens, where it thrives luxuriantly as long as it is protected from cattle. The leaves and twigs abound in mucilage, and are very fattening and nutritious food for sheep and cattle, who are very fond of it. WILD HONEYSUCKLE. Lonicera hispidula, Dougl. Honeysuckle Family. Woody; climbing and twining. Zeaves.— Opposite; short-petioled; oval; pale; one to three inches long; the upper pairs uniting around the stem. /lowers.— Pink; in spikes of several whorls. Calya.— Minute; growing to the ovary; border five-toothed. Coro//la.—Tubu- lar; six lines to an inch long; bilabiate; the lips strongly revolute; the upper four-lobed, the lower entire. Sfamens.— Five; much exserted. Ovary.—Two- or three-celled. Style slender. Stigma capitate. Ber- ries.— Scarlet; translucent. ab.—Throughout the State. In early summer the climbing honeysuckle with its pale foliage flings its long arms over neighboring trees and shrubs, showing glimpses here and there of small pinkish flowers. But it is far more noticeable in the fall, when its long. pendulous branches are laden with the fine clusters of translucent, orange- red berries. It is quite variable and has many forms, which are all considered varieties of the one species. 226 ll if y RW \ WA ES TREE-MALLOW—Lavatera assurgentifiora. PINK PINK PAINT-BRUSH. ESCOBITA. Orthocarpus purpurascens, Benth. Figwort Family. Stems.— Six to twelve inches high. Leaves.—Variously parted into filiform divisions. racts.—About equaling the flowers; tipped with crimson or pale pink. Corolla.—About an inch long; the lower lip only moderately inflated and three-saccate; the upper long, hooked, bearded, crimson. Stigma.—Large. (See Orthocarpus.) Hab.— Widely distributed. The bright-magenta tufts of the pink paint-brush are often so abundant that they give the country a purplish hue for miles at a stretch. The Spanish-Californians have a pretty name for these blossoms, calling them ‘‘escobitas,’’ meaning ‘‘little whisk-brooms.’’ O. densiflorus, Benth., is a very similar species; but its corolla has a straight upper lip, without hairs. CLARKIA. Clarkia elegans, Dougl. Evening-Primrose Family. Stems.— One to six feet high; simple or branching. Leaves.—Al- ternate; broadly ovate to linear; dentate; an inch or more long. /e#- als.—About nine lines long; with long, slender claws and rhomboidal blades; pink. Stamens.— Eight; all perfect. Filaments with a hairy scale at base. Stigma.—Four-lobed. Capsule.— Six to nine lines long; sessile. (Otherwise as C. concinna.) Hab.—Widely distributed. This plant is a very common one along our dusty roadsides in early summer, and it shows a facility in adapting itself to quite a range of climate and condition. It grows from six inches to six feet high, is nearly smooth or quite hairy, and has rather large flowers or quite small ones. Its scarlet stamens, purple-pink petals, and often deeper purple sepals make an odd combination of color. It often grows in showy masses, mak- ing patches of glowing color under the shade of trees. 228 ue 3 Hd fi . ap PINK PAINT-BRUSH—Orthocarpus purpurascens. PINK CHAPARRAL PEA. Pickeringia montana, Nutt. Pea Family. Evergreen, much branched, spiny shrubs, four to seven feet high. Leaves.—With from one to three leaflets. Leaflets.—Three to nine lines long. /lowers.— Magenta-colored; solitary; sessile; seven to nine lines long; papilionaceous. Stamens.—All ten distinct. Pod.— One-celled; two inches long. ab.—The Coast Ranges, from Lake County to San Diego. Upon wild mountain-slopes where are heard the fluting notes of a certain shy bird that rarely comes near habitations, the chaparral pea often makes dense, impenetrable thickets. It would be impossible to mistake it for any other shrub, with its solitary magenta-colored pea-blossoms, which often cover the bushes with a mass of color. Its green branchlets terminate in long, rigid spines, which are often clothed with small leaves nearly to the end. Woe to him who tries to penetrate the chaparral when it is composed of this formidable and uncompromising shrub! The result is quite likely to be a humiliating progress upon hands and knees before he can extricate himself, probably with torn garments and scratched visage. HEDGE-NETTLE. Stachys bullata, Benth. Mint Family. Rough, pubescent herbs. Stem.—Ten to eighteen inches high; four-angled. Leaves.—Opposite; ovate or ovate-oblong; cordate; coarsely crenate; wrinkly veined; petioled; an inch or two long. flowers.— Pinkish; in a narrow, interrupted spike. Calya.— Five- cleft. Corolla. Eight lines long; bilabiate. Upper lip erect; lower deflexed, of three unequal lobes, spotted with purple. Stamens.—Four. Filaments hairy. Anthers divergently two-celled. Ovary.— Of four ore nutlets. Style filiform. Stigma two-cleft. /7aé.—Throughout the state. The hedge-nettles are common weeds, of which we have several species. .S. dad/ata, so called on account of its leaves, which look as though blistered, is the most wide-spread. It is quite variable in aspect, and we are constantly meeting it in 230 Za PY Yi Mio % Ny k t AN ~~ 5 SNS. a CHAPARRAL PEA—Pickeringia montana. PINK new guises and being deceived into believing it something finer than it really is, through some subtle change in its usually homely little pink flowers. TWINING HYACINTH. Brodiea volubilis, Baker. Lily Family. Coated corm about one inch in diameter. Zeaves.—All radical; broadly linear; a foot or more long. Scafe.—Twining; two to even twelve feet long; naked. OUsmbel.— Many-flowered. /eritanth.—Five to eight lines long; rose-color without, whitish within. Stamens.— Three; alternating with three notched staminodia. Filaments winged; very short. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style short. Stigma capitate. Syn.—Stropholirion Californicum, Torr. Hfab.—Sierra foothills, from Mariposa County northward. In this plant we see the ABrodiza disporting itself in a very odd manner, having vinelike aspirations. It produces several long leaves, which lie prostrate upon the ground, and then the stem puts in its appearance and commences a wonderful series of evolutions not to be outdone by any contortionist. It twists and clambers and climbs, reaching a height of five or six feet, often having expended twice that amount of stem in its convo- lutions. During this remarkable process, which consumes from two to four weeks, the terminal bud has remained dormant. But it now commences to grow, and in a couple of weeks the flower-cluster is complete in all its beauty. It is sometimes six inches across. It often happens that before the flower has blossomed, the stem is broken off at the ground. Strangely enough, this seems not to matter at all, for it grows on and perfects its flowers just as though nothing had occurred. People often bring the stem indoors and allow it to climb up over the cur- tains, where they can watch the interesting process of its growth. TWINING HYACINTH—Brodiaea volubilis. PINK CALIFORNIAN ROSE-BAY. Rhododendron Californicum, Hook. Heath Family. Evergreen shrubs three to fifteen feet high. Leaves.—Four to six inches long; leathery. /Vowers.—Rose-pink; in large clusters. Calyx. —Small; with rounded lobes. Coro//a.—Broadly campanulate; two inches or so across; slightly irregular; with wavy, margined lobes; the upper spotted within. Stamens.—About equaling the corolla. Style crimson. Stigma funnel-form. (Otherwise as /. occidentale.) Hab. —From British Columbia to Marin County. In our northern counties the rugged mountain-sides are often densely covered with the lovely rose-bay, which in early summer presents an appearance it would be impossible to rival. When the foliage, which is very rich in both quality and hue, is thickly massed with the great glowing flower-clusters, the sight is worth a pilgrimage to see. It is a shrub so beautiful, we marvel it is not generally cultivated in gardens. The bees are very fond of the blossoms, but popular tradi- tion ascribes a poisonous quality to the honey made from them. We have noticed no perfume in these flowers, but the leaves are often quite pleasantly fragrant. COMMON WILD ROSE. Rosa Californica, Cham. and Schlecht. Rose Family. Erect shrubs three to eight feet high. Prickles few; stout; recurved; mostly in pairs beneath the entire stipules. Leaves.—Alternate; pin- nate; with five to seven leaflets. Leaflets.—Ovate or oblong; serrate. flowers.—Few to many in clusters; pale-pink. Ca/ya.—With urn- shaped tube and five-cleft border, whose lobes are foliaceously tipped. Fetals.— Five; six to nine lines long. Stamens.—Very numerous. Ovaries.—Several; bony; in, but free from, the calyx-tube. A/ifs.— Many; four or five lines through. /7ab.—From San Diego to Oregon. The wild rose is one of the few flowers that blooms cheer- fully through the long summer days, lavishing its beautiful clusters of deliciously fragrant flowers as freely along the dusty roadside as in the more secluded thicket. In autumn it often seems inspired to a special luxuriance of blossoming, and it lingers to greet the asters and mingle its pink flowers and brilliant scarlet hips with their delicate lilacs. 234 ills } h rae lt i CALIFORNIAN ROSE-BAY—Rhododendron Californicum, PINK R. gymnocarpa, Nutt., ‘‘the redwood-rose,”’ is exquisitely dainty. This is found in shady places under the trees. It blooms earlier than the common species, and is neither so abundant nor so fragrant. Its flowers are barely an inch across and of a bright pink. The prickles are straight, and the calyx-lobes are without leafy tips, while the leaflets are small and shapely. BEAUTIFUL CLARKIA. Clarkia concinna (F. and M.), Greene. Evening-Primrose Family. Stems.— Several inches to two feet high. Leaves.—One or two inches long. /lowers.—Axillary; sessile; parts in fours. Calya.— Red-pink; tube an inch or more long. /e¢a/s.— Rose-pink; six lines to over an inch long. vary.—Four-celled. Syn.—Eucharidium concinnum, Fisch. and Mey. AH/ab.—The Coast Ranges, from Santa Barbara to Mendocino County. In June these charming blossoms may be found in the com- pany of the maidenhair fern fringing the banks of shady roads, or standing in glowing masses under the buckeye-trees. In them nature has ventured upon one of those rather daring color combinations of which we would have hardly dreamed, and the result is delightful. The petals are bright rose-pink, while the sepals are of a red pink. SPREADING DOGBANE. Apocynum androsemifolium, L. Dogbane Family. Erect; one to three feet high; spreading. Leaves.— Opposite; short-petioled; ovate or roundish; an inch or two long. /lowers.—- Clustered; pink. Calyx.—Five-cleft. Corolla.—Campanulate; three or four lines long; with five revolute lobes; having a small scale at base, opposite each lobe. S¢amens.— Five; on the corolla. Filaments short. Anthers erect around the stigma. Style none. Ovaries.—Two; becoming a pair of long pods. Seeds silky-tufted. A7a+.—Widely distributed in the United States. The small pink flowers of the spreading dogbane may be found all through the summer, often upon our driest hillsides. The shapely little blossoms are of a flesh-tint without, richly veined with deeper pink within, and quite fragrant. The plants 236 BEAUTIFUL CLARKIA—Clarkia concinna. PINK have a milky juice and a tough fiber in the stem, similar to that in the American-Indian hemp. The plant was formerly supposed to be poisonous to dogs, from which fact it received its generic name, which translated gives the common English name, ‘‘dogbane.’’ It is used in medicine as a remedy for rheumatic gout. The very long pods seem absurdly out of proportion to the small flowers. A. cannabinum, L., the American-Indian hemp, is also found within our borders, but it grows along stream-banks and in marshy places. It has oblong, pointed leaves, and small greenish-white flowers, only two lines long, whose close cylin- drical corollas hardly surpass the calyx. The yellowish-brown bark of this plant is very tough and fibrous, and at the same time soft and silky. Our Indians have always found it of the utmost value in the making of ropes, lariats, nets, mats, baskets, etc., and before the coming of the white man they even made certain articles of clothing of it. A tincture made from the root is a recognized drug in the pharmacopceia. Professor Thouin, of Paris, says that a permanent dye may be obtained from a decoction of it, which is brown or black, according to the mordant used. FIRECRACKER FLOWER. Brodiza coccinea, Gray. Lily Family. Leaves.—Grasslike, a foot or two long. Scafe.—One to three feet high; six- to fifteen-flowered. /erianth.—An inch or two long; rich crimson; the limb of six green or yellowish oblong lobes. Stamens.— Three; onthe perianth. Filaments adnate to its tube. Anther tips exserted. Staminodia.—Three; broad; short; white; on the throat of the perianth, alternating with the stamens. vary.—Three-celled. Style exserted. Stigma three-lobed. Sy2.—Brevoortia coccinea, Wats. ab.—The mountains from Mendocino County to Shasta County. When our northern valleys have become parched by the first heat of summer, many beautiful flowers are still to be found in deep cafion retreats, where the streams, overarched by great shadowing oaks, gush downward through leafy copses of hazelwood and thimble-berry by beds of moss and fern. 238 A ss \ = ti a Yip Ys Tm CLA yy = ~— = Sr NAN | \\ FIRECRACKER FLOWER—Brodiaea coccinea. PINK Upon the walls of such charming gorges the firecracker flower rears its slender stem and shakes out its bunch of brilliant crim- son blossoms. These are a prophetic symbol of our national holiday rather than an aid to its celebration—for they have often passed away before the Fourth of July. GODETIA. FAREWELL TO SPRING. Godetia viminea, Spach. Evening-Primrose Family. Stems.— One to three feet high; sometimes stout. Leaves.—Linear to linear-lanceolate; entire; an inch or two long; distant. /Alowers.— Nodding in the bud. Calyax-tube.—Two to four lines long. /etals.— Deep rose-color, sometimes yellowish at base with a dark spot; nine to fifteen lines long. Capsu/es.—Smoothish; eight to eighteen lines long; its sides two-ribbed; sessile or short-pediceled. (See Godetia.) Hab.— From the Columbia River southward to Ventura. In early summer the rosy flowers of this Godetia make bright masses of color along dry banks and hill-slopes. Its blossoms are very variable as to marking. Sometimes the petals have a bright crimson blotch at the base and sometimes they are without it, both forms often occurring upon the same plant. In some seasons all the flowers are without the blotch. G. grandiflora, Lindl., found in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties, is probably the most showy species we have. The plants are a foot or two high and covered all over with the wonderful flowers, which are often four inches across. These are delicate pink, blotched with rich crimson. G. Botte, Spach., is an exquisite species found in the Coast Ranges, from Monterey to San Diego. Its very slender stems lift the fragile, satiny cups above the dried grasses in charming companies. These blossoms also vary much. Among the prettiest forms is one which is pale rose or lilac, blending to white at the center, delicately striate with purple-dotted lines, and having a rich purple spot in the center. This often grows with the lilac butterfly-tulip, Calochortus splendens, and at a little distance is so similar, it is difficult to distinguish it from the lily. But the lily rarely or never grows in throngs. The cap- sules of this species have pedicels from three to nine lines long. 240 FAREWELL TO SPRING—Godetia vimiznea. PINE BLEEDING-HEART. Dicentra formosa, DC. Bleeding-heart Family. Leaves.—Ternately dissected, with toothed leaflets. Scapes.—Six inches to two feet high. /V/owers.—Rose-colored to pale pink, some- times almost white or yellowish; nodding. (Floral structure as in DP. chrysantha.) Hab,—The Coast Ranges and Sierras, from Middle California to British Columbia. The bleeding-heart is a rather shy flower, and never makes itself common enough to dull our enthusiasm for it. It fully merits its specific name, for it is a plant of elegant form throughout, from its shapely divided leaves to its graceful clus- ters of pendent hearts. It is found in the woods of our Coast Ranges, but may be seen to best advantage when nestling amid the lush grasses of Sierra meadows. INDIAN RHUBARB. UMBRELLA-PLANT. Saxifraga peltata, Torr. Saxifrage Family. Rootstock.—Thick; creeping. Leaves.—Radical; long-petioled; a foot or more across when mature; nine- to fourteen-lobed; centrall depressed. Scapes.—One to three feet high. Calya.— Five-lobed. Fetals.—Five; roundish; three lines or more long; purplish-pink. .S/a- mens.—Ten. Ovaries.—Two; distinct. Stigmas capitate or reniform. ffab.—The Sierras, from Mariposa County: to Mt. Shasta; also Mendo- cino County. Upon the borders of our swift-flowing mountain streams, where the water-ouzel flies up and down all day, sometimes filling the air with melody as he passes, may be seen the large lotus-like leaves of this great Saxifrage. They stand with their dark, warm stems in the water; or, poising upon the brink, they lean gracefully over it, making myriad reflections in the brown depths below, while every passing breeze awakens a quick response among them. Early in the season, before the coming of the leaves, these plants send up tall stems with dense, branching clusters of handsome purplish-pink flowers. The leaves, small at first, continue to grow until late summer, when they have reached 242 Aa | a j Ry th - rh m UALR {) , Z yy th . Mi j BLEEDING-HEART—Dicentra formosa. PINK their perfection; after which they begin to deepen into the richest of autumn hues. , This plant is commonly called ‘‘Indian rhubarb,’’ because the Indians are extravagantly fond of the stalks of the leaves and flowers. It is now cultivated in Eastern gardens. GREAT WILLOW-HERB. FIREWEED. Epilobium spicatum, Lam. Evening-Primrose Family. Stems.— Often four to seven feet high. Leaves.—Scattered; willow- like. Alowers.—Purplish-pink; an inch or more across. Calya-tube. —Linear; limb four-parted; often colored. Stamens.—Eight. Anthers purplish. Ovary.— a our-celled. Seeds silky-tufted. Sy2.—Z£. an- gustifolium, L. Hab.—The Sierras; eastward to the Atlantic; also in the North Coast mountains. Found also in Europe and Asia. : This plant has received one of its English names, because its leaves are like those of the willow and its seeds are fur- nished with silken down, like the fluff on the willow. It is our finest and most showy species of /fpz/obtum, and is also found in the Eastern States, where it is still known by former name—F. angustifolium, L. Owing to the fact the t it grows with special luxuriance in spots which have been recently burned over, it is commonly known as ‘‘fireweed,”” It may be found in perfection in the Sierras in August, where’ its great spikes of large pink flowers make showy masses of color along the streams and through the meadows, command- ing our warmest admiration. | In the fall the tall, pliant, widely branching stems of the ‘autumn willow-herb’’—Z. paniculatum, Nutt.—stand every- where by the roadside. The small pink flowers, half an inch across, terminate the almost leafless stems, and later are ; placed by the dry, curled remains of the opened capsules and the feathery down of the escaping seeds. 244 GREAT WILLOW-HERB Epilobium spicatum. PUNE ALPINE HEATHER. Bryanthus Breweri, Gray. Heath Family. Dwarf evergreens; six inches to a foot high; woody, Leaves.— Alternate; linear; three to seven lines long. //owers.—Purplish-rose; on glandular pedicels. Calya.— Five-toothed; small. Corolla. Saucer-shaped; six lines or so across. Stamens.— Seven to ten. Anthers two-celled; opening terminally. Ovary.— Five-celled. Style slender. Stigma capitate. Vab.—The High Sierras. This little plant, to which Mr. Muir fondly alludes in his charming book, ‘‘ The Mountains of California,’’ may be found blooming in July and August in the Sierras. Sometimes it nestles in rocky crevices in the cool drip of the snow-banks, and again it ventures boldly out into the openings, where it spreads its rich carpet, covered with a wealth of rosy bloom. From the abundance of this little heathling about its shores, one of our mountain lakes has received the name of ‘‘ Heather Lake Silene Gallica, L. Pink Family. Hairy. Stems.—Generally several. Leaves.—Spatulate; six to eighteen lines long. /lowers.—In terminal, one-sided racemes; four or five lines long; short-pediceled. /eta/s.—Pale rose-color or almost white; barely exceeding the calyx. (Flower-structure as in .S, Caltfornica.) This little weed has come to us from Europe, and it is now so widely distributed, both near the sea and inland, that it is hard to believe it is not native. The slender racemes are from two to four inches long, and the little flowers vary from white to pale pink. They can boast none of the showy beauty of their relatives, the Indian pink and the Yerba del Indio. = al a. BRE, _——— ALPINE HEATHER—Bryanthus Breweri. PINK ALPINE PHLOX. Phlox Douglastt, Hook. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Plants forming cushion-like tufts; three or four inches high. Leaves. — Needle-like; six lines or less long; with shorter ones crowded in the axils. /lowers.— Pink, lilac, or white; sessile; terminating the branch- lets. Calyx.— Five-cleft. Corolla. —Salver-form; with five-lobed bor- der. Stamens.— Five; on the tube of the corolla. Ovary.—Three- celled. Style three-lobed. AWab.—The Sierras, from Mariposa County northward and eastward. This delightful little flower may be found in the Sierras at an altitude of from five to ten thousand feet. It loves the open sunshine of the cool mountain heights, and with its cushiony tufts clothes many a bit of granite soil with beauty. It seems undaunted by its stern surroundings, and lifts its innocent eyes confidingly to the skies which bend gently over it — those skies ‘*So fathomless and pure, as if All loveliest azure things have gone To heaven that way —the flowers, the sea,— And left their color there alone.”’ PINK MONKEY-FLOWER. Mimulus Lewisti, Pursh. Figwort Family. Stems.— Slender; eighteen inches or so high. Leaves.—Sessile; oblong-ovate to lanceolate; denticulate; somewhat viscid. Pedunecles. —Elongated. Corolla.— Eighteen lines to two inches long; with tube exceeding the calyx and five ample spreading ciliate lobes; rose-color or paler, with usually a darker stripe down the center of each lobe. Ridges of lower lobe yellow and spotted; bearded. Stamens.— In- cluded. (See Mimulus.) Hab.—The Sierras, from Central California northward and eastward to Montana. One of the most beautiful of all our monkey-flowers is this charming species, which is found along the cold streams of the Sierras. Its large flowers have a fragile, delicate look, and the light stems and leaves are of an exquisite green. I remember coming upon a delightful company of these blossoms, in a little emerald meadow upon the margin of one of those alpine lakelets which nestle among the granite crags. They seemed the most fitting flowers for just such a high, pure atmosphere. 248 a y NY Ny PNY ty) Ny S =e z . Sain Ss WS SS TN \SI . — oe F ; A Wa A f — LE Ree) = Zea \y SP an y AY —ae ZINN r . aN x , & Douglasii. ALPINE PHLOX—Phlowr ra Pye SIERRA PRIMROSE. Primula suffrutescens, Gray. Primrose Family. Leaves.—Wedge-shaped, an inch orso long; clustered at the ends of the branches. /lower-stems.— Several inches high. Umbel several- flowered. Calya.— Five-cleft. Corolla.—Salver-shaped; an inch or less across; deep rose-color, with a yellow eye. Stamens.— High on the corolla-throat opposite its lobes. Ovary.—One-celled. Style slen- der. Hab.—The Sierras. If one takes his alpenstock in hand and climbs to the snow- line in late summer, he is apt to be rewarded by the charming flowers of the Sierra primrose. The little plants grow in the drip of the snow-banks, where the melting ice gradually liber- ates the tufts of evergreen leaves. The glowing flowers look as though they might have caught and held the last rosy reflec- tion of the sunset upon the snow above them. PRIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS. Pentstemon Menziesti, var. Newberryi, Gray. Figwort Family. Stems. —Six inches to a foot high; woody at base. Leaves.— Ovate, obovate, or oblong; an inch or less long; leathery. /eduncles. —Usually one-flowered, forming a short, glandular-pubescent raceme. Corolla.—Bright rose-pink; an inch long. Anthers.—White-woolly; with divergent cells. (See Pentstemon.) Hab.—The High Sierras of Central California. This charming Pentstemon is one of the most gracious flowers to be found in the Sierras in late summer. Upon banks overhanging the streams, or growing at great heights under the open sky, it makes many a rock-shelf gay with its brilliant pink blossoms. We wonder how it can possibly subsist upon the hard, glit- tering granite; but there the mystery of its life continues from day to day, and there it cheerfully produces its masses of bright flowers, which gladden the weary climber to these snowy heights. This species of Pentstemon is well marked by its white- woolly anthers, which almost fill the throat. Northward it passes into the typical P. AZenziest7, which has flowers from violet-blue to pink-purple. 250 SIERRA PRIMROSE—Prinula suffrutesceis. PINK LESSINGIA. Lessingia leptoclada, Gray. Composite Family. Finely white-woolly. _S‘ems.— From a few inches to two feet high, with numerous, almost filiform branchlets, bearing few or solitary heads of pink or white flowers. Lower leaves.—Spatulate; sparingly toothed; withering early. Upper leaves.—Lanceolate, or linear and entire; ses- sile; uppermost diminished into remote, subulate bracts. Aeads.— Five- to twenty-flowered. Of tubular disk-flowers only. Outer flow- ers much larger. J#volucre.—Silky hairy; broadly campanulate; with imbricated, appressed bracts. Zab.—Wide-spread. In late summer the pink Lessingia is apparent along dry roadsides or embankments, where its blossoms make charming masses of soft color. It is quite abundant in the Yosemite, especially in the lower end of the valley. L. Germanorum, Cham., found plentifully from San Diego to San Francisco, has yellow flowers. ELEPHANTS’ HEADS. Pedicularis Grenlandica, Retz. Figwort Family. Stems.—Tall and slender; smooth. Leaves.—Alternate; lanceolate in outline; pinnately parted into linear-lanceolate, serrate divisions; diminishing upward into the flower-bracts. /Vozwers.— Pink; in a dense spike several inches long. Calya.—Five-toothed. Corolla.—With short tube and bilabiate limb. Upper lip with a long beak, like an ele- phant’s trunk; lower three-lobed, deflexed. Stamens.— Four. Fila- ments and style filiform; sheathed in the beak. Ovary.—Two-celled. Hlab.—The Sierras from King’s River northward; and eastward to Hudson’s -Bay. No more curious flower could be found than this little deni- zen of our alpine meadows. Its tall pink spikes attract one from a distance, and astonish one upon nearer acquaintance by the wonderful resemblance of their blossoms to many small elephants’ heads. The forehead, the long ears hanging at the sides of the head, and the long, slender, curving trunk are all perfectly simulated. These flowers have a pleasant perfume. Another species —P. atto/lens, Gray — often found growing with the above, is similar to it in general structure, but its leaves are more dissected, its flower-spike is rather woolly, and its beak is only two or three lines long. These blossoms bear no resemblance to the elephant, ais 252 LESSINGIA—Lessingia leptoclada. PINE ALPINE WILLOW-HERB. ROCK-FRINGE. Epilobium obcordatum, Gray. Evening-Primrose Family. Stems.— Decumbent; three to five inches long. Leaves.—Oppo- site; ovate; sessile; four to ten lines long. /lowers.—One to five; bright rose-pink; over an inch across. Calya.—With linear tube and four-cleft limb. efals.— Four; erect and spreading; obcordate. .S/a- mens.— Eight; four shorter. Filaments slender; exserted. Ovary.— Linear, four-celled. Style filiform; much exserted. Stigma four-lobed. Seeds silky-tufted. A7ab.—The Sierras from Tulare County northward. Though low of stature, this little willow-herb is a charming plant, with large rosy flowers. At an elevation of eight thou- sand feet or more in the mountains, it nestles amid the rocks, fringing their crevices with a profusion of brilliant bloom. Though it often costs a hard climb up rocky crags to secure it, we feel well repaid by its bright beauty. Flosackia Purshiana, Benth. Pea Family. Soft-woolly throughout. Sfems.—Erect or loosely spreading over the ground. Leaves.—Sessile. Lea/flets.—One to three; ovate to lan- ceolate; three to nine lines long. A/Zowers.—Yellowish-pink; solitary; two or three lines long. Peduncles usually exceeding the leaves; with a single leaflet below the flower. Calya-teeth.—Linear; much exceed- ing the tube, about equaling the corolla. Pod.—Narrow; twelve to eighteen lines long; five- to seven-seeded. (See Hlosackia.) Hab. Throughout the State. This little plant is very abundant and wide-spread. It makes its appearance after the drouth sets in, and often spreads over the ground in considerable patches. Its woolly or silky foliage has a pale cast, and its small, solitary, pinkish flowers, which are quite numerous, are not unattractive. 254 > BDLUECAND BURT Le [Blue or purple or occasionally or partially blue or purple flowers not described in the Blue and Purple Section. Described in the White Section -— ANTIRRHINUM COULTERIANUM — Coulter’s Snapdragon. AUDIBERTIA POLYSTACHYA — White Sage. CALOCHORTUS LUTEUS OCULATUS — Butterfly Tulip. CALOCHORTUS VENUSTUS — Mariposa Tulip. CEANOTHUS INTEGERRIMUS— Mountain Birch; Tea-Tree; Soap-Bush. ERIODICTYON GLUTINOSUM — Yerba Santa. ERIODICTYON TOMENTOSUM — Yerba Santa. LATHYRUS VESTITUS — Common Wild Pea. MALACOTHRIX SAXATILIS. MICROMERIA DovuGLaAstiI — Yerba Buena. SOLANUM DovucGLasi — Nightshade. SPHACELE CALYCINA — Pitcher-Sage. VIoLA BECKWITHII— Mountain Heart’s-ease. Described in the Yellow Section :-— ANAGALLIS ARVENSIS — Pimpernel. CALocHoRTuS WEEDII— Mariposa Lily, or Tulip. HOSACKIA CRASSIFOLIA. Described in the Pink Section :— CONVOLVULUS SOLDANELLA— Beach Morning-glory. DoDECATHEON MEApIA — Shooting-Stars. ERIGERON PHILADELPHICUS—Common Fleabane. GILIA ANDROSACEA. GILIA CALIFORNICA — Prickly Phlox. GILIA DIANTHOIDES— Ground Pink. PENTSTEMON MeEwnziesii— Pride of the Mountains. PHLOx DovuGLasi1— Alpine Phlox. Described in the Red Section: — AQUILEGIA CGERULEA. Described in the Miscellaneous Section :— DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA—Californian Pitcher-Plant. Dipsacus FuLLONUM — Teasel. ] 255 BLUE AND PURFLE FETID ADDER’S-TONGUE. Scoliopus Bigelovit, Torr. Lily Family. Leaves.—Two; oval-elliptical to narrowly oblanceolate; four to fif- teen inches long; blotched with brown. //owers.—Three to twelve; on lax pedicels three to nine inches long. Sepa/s.—Whitish, veined with purple; spreading. /eta/s.— Erect; narrowly linear; wine-color without. Stamens.—Three. Ovary.—One-celled; three-angled. Stig- ma three-lobed. Wab.—The Coast Ranges from Marin to Humboldt County. When the first white blossoms of the toothwort are making their appearance in moist woodlands, we may be sure that the fetid adder’s-tongue is already pushing its shining green leaves aboveground away up in the cold cafons of north hill-slopes; and unless we hasten, we shall be too late to see its curious flowers. I have often arrived only in time to find its fruit, which resembles a beechnut in shape. When the flowers first open they stand erect, held in the shining chalice formed by the two sheathing green leaves. Later the leaves open out, showing their beautiful blotched surfaces, and the three-angled flower-stems become limp and twisted. The petals stand erect, and are so slender as to resemble three linear stigmas. The little oval anthers are green before opening, but soon become golden with the discharging pollen. These flowers are elegant in appearance, and suggestive of orchids; but unfortunately they have a very offensive odor, like that of the star-fishes found upon our beaches, which makes us quite content to leave them ungathered. But the large yellow slug has no such aversion to them, and we have often seen him banqueting upon them. Indeed, he is so fond of them that the flowers are often entirely gone from the stems. 256 / 7 4 Y Y Y ty yf, Aff ij / Gj FETID ADDER’S-TONGUE—Scoliopus Bigelovit. BLUE AND PURPLE HOUND’S-TONGUE. Cynoglossum grande, Dougl. Borage Family. Stem.—Two feet or so high. Leaves.—Alternate; long-petioled; Ovate-oblong; pointed; usually rounded at base; often a foot long. Flowers.— Bright blue; in a terminal panicle. Calya-.— Deeply five- cleft. Corolla.— Rotate; with short tube and five-lobed border; hav- ing five beadlike crests in the throat. Stamens.— Five; on the corolla, alternate with its lobes. Ovary.— Four-lobed. Style undivided. /rwiz. —Four prickly nutlets. Yab.— From Marin County to Washington. Among the first plants to respond to the quickening influ- ence of the early winter rains, is the hound’s-tongue, whose large, pointed leaves begin to push their way aboveground usually in January. At first these are often quite velvety be- neath and of a pinkish hue, and hold hidden within their midst the well-formed buds which a few warm, sunny days will call forth. The flowers, at first pink, become bright blue after fer- tilization has taken place. The favorite haunts of this welcome blossom are half-shaded woods, where it rears its tall stalk in almost sole possession at this early season. The common name is a translation of the generic name, which is derived from two Greek words, signifying dog and tongue, bestowed because of the shape of the leaves. In the olden times a superstition was rife that if a person laid the hound’s-tongue beneath his feet it would prevent dogs from barking at him. The distribution of the seed is most cunningly provided for, as the upper surfaces of the nutlets are covered with tiny barbs, which a magnifying-glass reveals to be quite perfect little anchors, admirably adapted for catching in the hair of animals. CALIFORNIA LILAC. SOAP-BUSH. Ceanothus divaricatus, Nutt. Buckthorn Family. Tall, almost arborescent shrubs; with very divergent and rigid branches. Twigs cylindrical; smooth; mostly very pale. Leaves.— Alternate; short-petioled; ovate; four to ten lines long; three-nerved; somewhat leathery. /Vowers.—-In a narrowly oblong, dense cluster two or three inches long; pale blue to white. Capsu/e.—Two or three 258 S Ak \ ANY NY A id Gi y 4 ey A IOs a= = es —— SS AX \ i TARA SEA SS = : SED OONESS STON HOUND’S-TONGUE—Cynoglossum grande. BLUE AND PURPLE lines in diameter; not lobed; scarcely crested. (See Ceanothus.) Hab. —Chiefly the southern Coast Range. This species of California lilac is very abundant in the south, and is specially characterized by its widely branching habit and its round, pale-green twigs. The flowers are usually light blue; but in some localities they are pure white. Near Santa Barbara, in January, the mountain-slopes are often snowy with them. Dr. Gregg, of San Diego, while hunting one day in Lower California, just over the border, had his attention called to the wild lilac by his old Mexican guide, who assured him that the blossoms in themselves were excellent soap. Taking a hand- ful of them down to the stream, he rubbed them vigorously between his wet hands, and found to his astonishment that they made an excellent lather, with a pleasant fragrance of winter- green. I have since proved the fact for myself. A more delightful way of performing one’s ablutions can hardly be imagined than at the brookside with so charming a soap. It is very cleansing and leaves the skin pleasantly soft. It was probably the blossoms of C. zztegerrimus he used, as that shrub is called ‘‘soap-bush’’ in that region; but I have since tried the experiment upon C. dvaricatus and some other species with perfect success, from which I suspect this may be a generic characteristic. CALIFORNIAN TRILLIUM. Trillium sessile, var. Californicum, Wats. Lily Family. Rootstock.—Like a small turnip. S¢ess.—Usually several from the same root; a foot or so high. Leaves.—Three at the top of the stem; three to eight inches long. Flowers.—White to deep wine-color. Petals.— One to four inches long. (Otherwise as 7. ovatum.) Hab.— From San Luis Obispo to Oregon. We begin to look for the Californian 777//ium early in the spring. Little companies of the plants may be seen upon low flats under the trees, where the soil is rich. The small, turnip- like tubers usually send up several stems, which lean gracefully 260 “Usb 2 ey F Californicum. var. sessile, TRILLIUM—Trillium CALIFORNIAN BLUE AND PURPLE away from one another. The large leaves are often like pieces of decorated china that have been several times through the kiln. They have various superimposed blotchings, the latest of which are dark, sharp, cuneiform characters, mysterious hieroglyphs of Nature, which might reveal wondrous secrets, could we but decipher them. The blossoms have a strong, heavy fragrance, and are exceedingly variable in color, ranging from pure white to lilac, deep wine, and even black-purple. These plants are much admired in the East and in Europe, where they are cultivated in the garden. BRODIAA. CLUSTER-LILY. WILD HYACINTH. Brodiza capitata, Benth. Lily Family. Corm.— Small; scaly-coated. Leaves.— Linear; a foot or more long; passing away early. Scafes.—Four inches to over two feet high. Flowers.—Deep violet to white; six to ten lines long. Aracts.—Some- times deep, rich purple. /erianth.—With oblong tube and campanu- late, six-parted limb. S¢/amens.—Six; on the corolla; the inner with an appendage on each side; the outer naked. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style stout. Stigma three-lobed. ab.—Throughout California. This beautiful Brvodiea grows all over the hills in early spring, and steals into cultivated fields, where it luxuriates in the freshly stirred soil and lifts its fine violet-colored clusters above the waving grain. It holds quite as warm a place in our affections as the more gorgeous poppy. These blossoms will keep a long time after being gathered, and are used every year in lavish profusion in the decorations of the flower car- nivals. The little bulbs, eaten raw, are quite palatable, and are eagerly sought by the children, who call them ‘‘grass-nuts.’’ The early Spanish-Californians also appreciated them, and knew them as ‘‘saitas.’’ They have a number of other com- mon names, such as ‘‘Spanish-lily,’’ ‘‘cluster-lily,’’ ‘wild hya- cinth,”” and ‘‘hog-onion’’; but I must protest against the injustice of this latter, and beg all flower-lovers to discoun- tenance it. Closely resembling the above, is 2. multiflora, Benth. It 262 BRODL#A—Brodiaea capitata. BLUE AND PURPLE has, however, but three stamens, the other three being repre- sented by staminodia, which are entire and of the same length as the stamens. B. congesta, Smith, another similar species, is often four feet tall. It also has three stamens and three staminodia; but the latter are deeply cleft and exceed the anthers. This is called ‘‘ookow’’ by the Indians. BROWN LILY. MISSION-BELLS. BRONZE-BELLS. RICE-ROOT. Fritillaria lanceolata, Pursh. Lily Family. Stem.—A foot or two high. ZLeaves.—In scattered whorls; lance- olate; two to five inches long. /AVowers.—-One to several; open cam- panulate; greenish or black-purple; variously checkered or mottled. Pertanth-segments.—Strongly arched, with a large oblong nectary. Stamens.— Six. Ovary.—Three-celled. Hab.—The Coast Ranges, from British Columbia to Santa Cruz. ‘Neath cloistered boughs each floral bell that swingeth Makes Sabbath in the fields, and ever ringeth A call to prayer.”’ One of the oddest and most beautiful flowers of our rich woodlands is the brown lily, or /77til/aria. It is unrivaled in elegance, for every line of its contour is a study in grace. Nor do its charms cease with stem and leaf and flower; for, hidden away in the rich leaf-mold, is one of its most beautiful features, its bulb. This is pure, shining white, conical in form, and sur- rounded by many tiny bulblets, like grains of rice, which crum- ble away from it at a touch. If you go into the woods in early spring, you will often see certain handsome, broad, shining, solitary leaves, close to the ground, and you will wonder what they are. Often near them there are many tiny leaves of the same sort pushing their way aboveground; and sometimes among them all there is a solitary strong scape, with unfolding leaves and a promise of flowers. This is a colony of the beau- tiful brown lilies. The tiny leaves are the product of the little rice-grains, and are probably now seeing the light for the first 264 ‘ "4" Hi /) "4 qi i \ BROWN LILY—Fritillaria lanceolata. BLUE AND PURPLE time. Between these and the large leaves the breadth of the hand, are many sizes, in all stages. The broad leaves may be from bulbs four or five years old, but they will send up no blossom-stalk this year; for there is rarely or never a radical- leaf and a blossom-stalk from the same bulb at once. When the plant is about to flower, the bulb sends up a tall stalk, with here and there a whorl of shining leaves, hanging at the summit its string of pendent bronze-bells. These are mot- tled and checkered, and are of varying shades, from dull green to black-purple, and often have a beautiful bloom upon them. Their modest colors blend so nicely into the shadowy scene about, that it is difficult to see them unless the eye is some- what practiced. Following the inflorescence comes a beautiful and unique seed-vessel, curiously winged and angled, and of a delicate, papery texture when mature. It contains the thin, flat seeds, neatly packed in six ranks. The flowers are usually an inch long, though they are some- times two inches long. A plant was once found three anda half feet high, with a chime of nineteen bells. BLACK LILY. CHOCOLATE-LILY. Fritillaria biflora, Lindl. Lily Family. Hab.—The Coast Ranges, from San Diego to Mendocino County. We have a number of species of /vi¢i//aria, most of them with beautiful flowers. They fall naturally into two groups, according to the character of the bulb; /. danceolata and F. biflora being types of the two groups. F. biflora, the black, or chocolate, lily, is the species com- mon in the south, and blooms early. It closely resembles /. lanceolata, but can always be distinguished by its bulb, which is composed of several erect, short, easily separable scales. Its specific name is an unfortunate one; for, far from being con- fined to two flowers, it often has as many as ten. F. pluriflora, Torr., found upon the upper Sacramento, has 266 BLUE AND PURPLE flowers of a uniform reddish-purple, without mottling or spots. It has a comparatively large bulb, an inch or so long, formed of separate scales. F. pudica, Spreng., found on the eastern slopes of the Sierras, has solitary yellow flowers. F. liliacea, Lindl., is our only white species. This is found upon the hills of San Francisco and in the Sacramento Valley. It has a whorl of leaves near the ground and two or three greenish-white, nodding flowers. It is exceedingly local. LARGE-FLOWERED PHACELIA. Phacelia grandiflora, Gray. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Coarse, glandular-viscid plants; one to three feet high. Leaves.— Round-ovate; irregularly toothed; sometimes three or four inches long. Flowers.— Lavender to white; variously streaked and veined with purple. Corolla.— Rotate; two inches across; without scalelike ap- pendages in the throat. /7/aments.— Long; purple. Anthers large; versatile. Style two-cleft. (See Phacelia.) Hab.—¥rom Santa Bar- bara to San Diego. This is the largest-flowered of all our Phacelias. Its tall stems are abundantly covered above with the fine-looking blossoms. These are very attractive to the uninitiated, who usually rushes forward in breathless haste to possess himself of these new-found treasures and is rarely satisfied with less than a large bunch of them. But woe lies in wait for him. The innumerable glands, covering the whole plant, readily yield up their viscid fluid, which in a few moments turns everything with which it comes in contact to a deep red-brown, like iron- rust. If he escape with ruined clothing, and hands the color of a red Indian, he will have come off well—for the plant poisons some people. Another species —P. visczda, Torr.—found in about the same range as the above, resembles it closely. It is a foot or so high, branching from the base, and has blue flowers, with purple or white centers, and only half the size of the above. 267 BLUE AND PURPLE VIOLET NIGHTSHADE. Solanum Xanti, Gray. Nightshade Family. Herbaceous nearly to the base; viscid-pubescent, with jointed hairs. Stems.— Several feet high. Leaves.—Two inches or less long; some- times with lobes at the base; thin. A/’owervs.—An inch or so across. Calyx.—Five-parted. Corolla.—Violet, with green spots ringed with white at the base. Stamens.—Five. Filaments short. Anthers erect; opening terminally. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style filiform; exserted. Berries.—Purple; six lines in diameter. HYab.—Throughout California. These plants are especially abundant in the south, where one encounters them upon every roadside. The clusters of violet flowers are very handsome, and often have the perfume of the wild rose. Another species—S. wmbelliferum, Esch.—is so nearly like the above as to be often confounded with it. But it has smaller, thicker leaves, the hairs are branched, and it is more woody below, with shorter flowering branches. We once saw, in an ideal Japanese villa among the red- woods, a rustic arbor over which had been trained the rough, woody stems of one of these nightshades. The genius of these wise little people, who had adapted this pretty woodland climber to sylvan cultivation, seemed to us worthy of emu- lation. GREEN-BANDED MARIPOSA. NOONA. Calochortus macrocarpus, Dougl. Lily Family Nature has sent this, one of the finest and most elegant of all our AZarzposas, to beautify the arid sagebrush deserts of our northeastern boundary. In Europe it is admired beyond all our other species, and there is a great demand for the bulbs. Its large flowers are of a beautiful lilac, similar in tone to the Marie Louise violet, and each pointed petal has a green band running down its center. Among the Indians of their native region the rather large bulbs of these plants are known as ‘“‘noonas,’’ and regarded as a priceless delicacy. Even those who have never experienced the bliss of tasting them know them by reputation as the acme 268 . WE =a ht N SS Ny \ YY Ss \ : 4 Ze = AI . As \ AA Ses WN ws ANN WY \ Xanti. NIGHTSHADE—Solanum VIOLET BLUE AND PURPLE of all that is delicious. When Mr. Johnson, of Astoria, wished to secure a number of the bulbs for the European market, he hired the sqiiaws to dig them, but found that they ate them as fast as they dug them; and it was only by offering them most liberal stores of bacon and flour he could induce them to restrain their appetites and part with the treasure. SKULLCAP. Scutellaria tuberosa, Benth. Mint Family. Stems. —Several inches high, or at length trailing, and a foot jong; from small tubers. Leaves.— One inch long and less; not aromatic. Flowers.—Axillary; blue-purple. Calya.—Bilabiate. Corolla.—Six lines or more long; tubular; bilabiate. Stamens.—Four; in pairs; as- cending: contained in the helmet. Ovary.—Of four seedlike nutlets. oY Style filiform. Had.—Hillsides, from San Diego northward; probably throughout the State. The bright-green herbage and the rich purple-blue flowers of the little skullcap may be looked for early in February. In the north they grow upon dry, stony hill-slopes under the chaparral, while southward they often affect the walls of cafons, among moist, luxuriant vegetation. Though borne in the axils of the opposite leaves, the pretty blossoms, by a twist of their pedicels, stand side by side in pairs, in a very sociable way. The curious little two-lipped calyx resembles an old-fashioned Quaker bonnet. Another species —5S. angustifolia, Pursh.—has linear to oblong leaves, an inch long; flowers an inch or more long, the lower lobe of whose corolla is hairy within, and the root is not tuberous. It is otherwise like the above. S. Californica, Gray, is very similar to the last species, but has cream-white flowers. This is found in early summer upon dry banks. 270 Ofpges ZZ SKULLCAP—Scutellaria tuberosa. BLUE AND PURPLE CORAL-ROOT. Corallorhiza Bigelovii, Wats. Orchis Family. Leafless plants, with coral-like roots. Scapes.— Flesh-colored; six to twenty-four inches high, with two to four scarious, sheathing bracts. Flowers.— Few to many; sessile. Perianth.— Of six segments. The five upper yellowish, striped with purple. The lip yellowish, tipped with deep red-purple. Axther.— One; resting upon the column like a lid; falling early. Ovary.—One-celled. ab.— Central and northern Coast Ranges and Sierras. The coral-root is very rare in some localities, and one may not meet it more than a few times. But there are favored spots where its flesh-colored stems rear themselves luxuriantly. One year I saw a magnificent bunch of them in the hands of some friends who were taking them to San Francisco to furnish a rare and costly decoration for some festive occasion. Some of the stems were two feet tall and thickly covered above with the odd flowers, making a cluster which it would be difficult to equal for quiet elegance of coloring. The plants.are often found in redwood groves or upon wooded hill-slopes of north exposure, where the dull stems and flowers blend so nicely into the dead needles and leaves upon the ground that it is difficult to detect their presence. As its name indicates, the root is the counterpart of a spray of branching coral. Another species—C. multiflora, Nutt.—has stems of a colder purple; and the lip of the flower is white, spotted with purple, somewhat fan-shaped and three-lobed. 272 CORAL-ROOT—Corallorhiza Bigelovii. BLUE AND PURPLE CALIFORNIA LILAC. BLUE MYRTLE. BLUE-BLOSSOM. Ceanothus thyrsifiorus, Esch. Buckthorn Family. Varying from small, prostrate shrubs in exposed places, to erect shrubs or small trees. Branches.— Strongly angled; not spiny. Leaves. — Elliptical; twelve to eighteen lines long; three-nerved; smooth and shining above. /lowers. —Bright to pale blue, rarely white; in dense clusters about three inches long, terminating the usually elongated, somewhat leafy peduncles. Capsules.—Globose; two lines in diame- ter; smooth, not crested; slightly lobed. (See Ceanothus.) Hab.— Near the coast, from Monterey northward into Oregon. In the spring our chaparral-covered slopes begin to take on a bluish tinge, like the misty smoke of distant camp-fires, for which the blossoms of the California lilac are responsible. This is a graceful evergreen shrub, with rich, shining leaves, among which the abundant feathery clusters of tiny blue flowers find a charming setting. The blossoms are deliciously fragrant, fill- ing the cool air with perfume. This shrub is never found far away from the coast, and it reaches its greatest beauty in Mendocino County, where it becomes a tree, sometimes thirty-five feet high. Its wood is exceedingly brittle. In early days it used to be cultivated in San Francisco gardens before it was crowded out by foreign shrubs, often far less worthy. ) It is known in some localities as ‘‘blue myrtle,’’ and in others as ‘‘blue-blossom.’’ The name ‘‘California lilac,’’ by which it is most often known, is more generally and more appropriately applied to this species of Ceanothus than to any of the others. The dark seeds are a favorite food of the quail. 274 — —— SS — CALIFORNIA LILAC—Ceanothus thyrsifiorus. BLUE AND PURPLE BLUE LARKSPUR. ESPUELA DEL CABALLERO. Delphinium, Tourn. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. California is rich in beautiful larkspurs, but the species are very difficult of determination and not well defined as yet. We have two well-marked scarlet species; but confusion still reigns among the blue and the white. Some of the latter are poisonous to sheep and cattle, causing great losses to the herds every year in some localities. Among the blue larkspurs are some of our handsomest spring flowers. Their slender wands, covered with magnifi- cent large blossoms, rise abundantly on every side upon some of the mesas of our seashore, making charming flower-gardens upon the plains. They are so lavishly bestowed that every comer may gather his fill and still none be missed. In color they are matchless ——of the richest of Mazarin blue and purple-blue. Other species are to be found upon the slopes of interior valleys and scattered all through the Coast Ranges and the - Sierra foothills. In midsummer, which is the vernal springtime of the mountains, many lovely species deck the alpine meadows and brooksides. The Spanish-Californians have a pretty title for these blos- soms —‘‘espuela del caballero’’—‘‘the cavalier’s spur.”’ 276 BLUE LARKSPUR. BLUE AND PURPLE CAT’S-EARS. PUSSY’S-EARS. Calochortus Maweanus, Leichtlein. Lily Family. Hab.—The Coast Ranges and Sierras, from San Francisco and Butte County to the Willamette Valley. This is an exceedingly pretty little Calochortus, much re- sembling C. Benthamz in form, but having pure-white or purplish-blue flowers, which are also covered with hairs and delicately fringed with hairs on the margin. Its stems are low, slender, and graceful, without bulblets at the base; and the gland upon the petals has a transverse scale covering its upper portion. : This plant belongs to the section of Calochortus whose species are known as ‘‘star-tulips.’’ In the Coast Ranges, in early spring, the blossoms are found in moist meadows near the sea, where they nestle amid the grasses. The children are specially fond of them, and know them as ‘‘cat’s-ears’’ and ‘‘pussy’s-ears.’’ C. untflorus, Hook. and Arn., found in wet meadows from San Francisco northward, has lilac to rose-purple flowers. Its petals are hairy on the lower third, and its stems bear small bulblets at the base underground. C. umbellatus, Wood., is very similar to C. Maweanus; but its pure-white petals are almost without hairs, and its stem is without bulblets. This is found blooming in March and April on the low mountains of Contra Costa and Marin Counties. PURPLE NEMOPHILA. Nemophila aurita, Lindl. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Stems.— One to three feet long; square; angled; weak; very brittle; with backward-pointing, hooked bristles. Zeaves.—All with a dilated, clasping, eared base or winged petiole; above deeply pinnatifid into five to nine oblong or lanceolate, downward-pointing lobes. Corolla. —Violet; an inch or so across. (Otherwise as Nemophila insignis.) ffab.— From San Francisco to San Diego. The purple Memophila is most abundant in the south, growing everywhere in early springtime upon hillsides par- 278 CAT’S-EARS—Calochortus Maweanus. BLUE AND PURPLE | tially shaded. Its long, coarse, hispid stems run riot over small undershrubs or dead or unsightly brushwood, often com- pletely covering them with a mound of foliage thickly sown with the dull-purple flowers. At first it is difficult to realize that this plant of coarse habit belongs to the sisterhood of baby-eyes, those delicate, ethereal favorites of the springtime. In fact, one’s first impression of it is that it is some new species of nightshade. One learns, however, to have a fondness for these blossoms and a growing desire to gather them; but their tangling, quarrelsome habit forbids one, if any other flowers are in question. It is said that the dark-eyed seforitas of early days decked their ball-dresses with sprays of this flower, which clung grace- fully to the thin fabrics. GROUND-IRIS. Iris macrosiphon, Torr. Iris Family. Almost stemless plants, often forming mats. AAizome.— Slender. kadical-leaves.— Grasslike; six to fifteen inches long. Muds.— One or two; borne in sheathing bracts. /Vvowers.—On short pedicels; deep purple-blue, marked with white. Perianth.—With slender tube one to three inches long. Stamens.—Three; borne under the petaloid divisions of the style. Ovary.—Three-celled. Capsule.—Oblong- ovoid; shortly acute at each end; one inch long. Seeds in two rows in each cell; compressed and angled. Haé.—The Coast Ranges, from San Mateo to Trinity County. When spring is at its height, this charming little 777s may be found upon sunny, open hillsides among the unrolling cro- siers of the common brake. There is something peculiarly captivating about these blossoms, with their satisfying richness of hue and perfect symmetry of form, added to which is a sweet, delicate perfume, an ideal exhalation of the springtime. As the buds unfold beautifully in water, it is better to gather buds than flowers, as the latter are too fragile to carry without breaking. I. longipetala, Herb., is the common bog-iris of our central coast. It grows in large clumps in wet places, and while not a delicate flower, it has a certain brave, hardy look as it 280 GROUND-IRIS—Iris macrosiphon. BLUE AND PURPLE stands out upon the wind-swept downs of the Coast. Its stems are rather stout, a foot or two high, and have from three to five large lilac flowers. The sepals are veined with deeper lilac and blotched with orange. WILD HELIOTROPE. VERVENIA. Phacelia tanacetifolia, Benth. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Stems.— One to three feet high; rough and hairy. Leaves.— Much divided. Flowers.— Bright violet to blue; in clustered, scorpioid racemes. Calya-lobes.— Linear or linear-spatulate. Coro//a.—Six lines long. Style two-cleft. (See Phacelia.) Hab.—Throughout the western part of the State. The wild heliotrope is one of the most abundant flowers of midspring, especially in the south. It affects the gravelly banks of streams or the sandy soil of mesas; or grows all along the railroad embankments, making great mounds of foliage, thickly sown with the bright violet-blue blossoms; or it may often be seen clambering up through small shrubs, seeming to seek the support of their stiff branches. It is need- less to say that this is not a true heliotrope, but belongs to the closely allied genus, Phacelia. The specific name, fanxacetifolia, meaning with tansy-like leaves, is more applicable to the var. tenuzfolia, Thurber. Among the Spanish-Californians it is known as “‘vervenia.”’ It is a very important honey-plant. P. Douglasit, Torr., is a species with lavender corolla with much the aspect of the baby-blue-eyes. This is common in the western part of the State, south of Monterey, and is found sparingly north of that point. 282 + boa \ Vi) WILD HELIOTROPE—Phacelia tanacetifolia. BLUE AND PURPLE BLUE-EYED GRASS. AZULEA. VILLELA. Sisyrinchium bellum, Wats. Iris Family. Leaves.—Radical; grasslike; shorter than the stems. .Sfems.—Flat; clustered; six to eighteen inches high. /Vowers.—Four to seven; con- tained in two nearly equal sheathing bracts. /ertanth.—Six-parted; purplish-blue, with yellow center; six lines to an inch across. .Sfa- mens.—Three. Filaments united. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style fili- form. Stigma spindle-shaped; three-cleft after fertilization. MWa4.— Throughout California. The blue-eyed grass is such a modest flower, one would never suspect it to be closely allied to the regal /rzs. In late spring its quiet stars are found in our meadows everywhere. In the south it grows so luxuriantly and so determinedly that it has become a serious pest to the farmer, crowding more useful plants from the pasture. ~ Owing to the quaint manner in which its petals kink up when they fade, these blossoms are called ‘‘nigger-babies’’ by the children. Among the Spanish-Californians the plant is known as ‘‘azulea’’ and ‘‘villela,’’ and is made into a tea, which is considered a valuable remedy in fevers. It is thought that a patient can subsist for many days upon it alone. S. Californicum, Ait., the ‘‘ golden-eyed grass,’’ with bright yellow flowers, is found in wet places all up and down the Coast. BABY-EYES. BLUE-VEINED NEMOPHILA. Nemophila intermedia, Bioletti. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Leaves.—With petioles somewhat widened at base and ciliate; the upper all opposite. Corol/a.— Nine to twelve lines wide; light blue to white; distinctly blue-veined or more or less sown with purple dots. Scales of the corolla long, narrow, hairy, with expanded tips extending nearly to the sinuses. Ovary.— Rounded; with twelve to twenty-four ovules. (Otherwise as WV. insignis.) Syn.—Nemophila Menziesti, Hook. and.Arn. /¥7aé.— Rather wide-spread. This beautiful Memophila is a more fragile flower than its sister, the baby-blue-eyes. Its delicate corolla is usually white in the center, blending to azure-blue upon the rim, and dotted and veined with the same. At its best, it is an inch across. It 284 BLUE-EYED GRASS—Sisyrinchium bellum. BLUE AND PURPLE affects the borders of moist woodlands, rarely venturing far out into the openings. There it nestles amid the tender herbage, often producing its ethereal flowers in such profusion that it seems as though bits of the sky had fallen to earth. In the south these blossoms do not seem so truly at home—for they are never so large nor so fine. CALIFORNIAN MILKWORT. Polygala Californica, Nutt. Milkwort Family. Stems.— Two to eight inches high. Zeaves.—Six to twelve lines long. /lowers.—Rose-purple. Sepal/s.— Five; two of them large and spreading like wings; six lines orlesslong. efa/s.—Three; united to each other and to the stamen-tube; the middle one hooded above and beaked. Stamens.— Eight. Filaments united into a sheath, which is open above. Anthers one-celled; opening terminally. Ovary.—Two- celled. Style enlarging upward; curved like a button-hook. Pod.— Rounded; flat; three or four lines across. Syu.—P. cucullata, Benth. Hfab.—The Coast Ranges southward to Santa Barbara and beyond. In late spring the little flowers of the milkwort are common upon dry hill-slopes in the shade of the trees. The small plants have a very grown-up look, as though their age might be greater than indicated by their stature. At first glance, one is quite certain to mistake these plants for members of the pea family, as the blossoms have wings and a keel like the papilio- naceous flower. But a careful counting of sepals, petals, and stamens will reveal their separate identity. A curious feature of this plant is the fact that it bears another kind of flower near the root. This is without petals, and is destined, for some strange reason, to bear the seed. The upper flowers seem mostly for show, though one does occasionally mature fruit. P. cornuta, Kell., found in the Sierras, is a larger plant, with greenish-white flowers. 286 N\c AK SN WN SSN CALIFORNIAN MILKWORT—Polygala Californica. BLUE AND PURPLE WILD CANTERBURY-BELL. Phacelia Whitlavia, Gray. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. A foot or so high; very hairy and glandular. Leaves.— Alternate; petioled; ovate or deltoid; toothed; twelve to eighteen lines long. Flowers.— Purple. Calyx.— Five-parted. Corol/a._-An inch or more long. Stamens.— Five; on the base of the corolla; appendaged at base; long-exserted, with the two-cleft style. Ovary.—Two-celled. Syn.—Whitlavia grandifiora, Harv. Hab.—From Los Angeles to San Bernardino. The wild Canterbury-bell is one of the most charming flowers to be found anywhere. It affects the rich soil of half- shaded hill-slopes in the vicinity of streams, where it opens its beautiful fragile bells. Its stems are very brittle, and the blos- soms fall early, the lower ones usually having passed away before the upper buds have emerged from the coil. The exceedingly long stamens and style give these blossoms an ele- gant, airy look. P. Parryt, Torr., is another beautiful species, found from Los Angeles to San Diego. It resembles the above in foliage, color of blossoms, and the long stamens; but the form of the flowers is that of the Vemophila. BIRD’S-EYES. Gilia tricolor, Benth. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Stems.—Slender; branching; six inches to a foot or more high. Leaves.— Twice pinnately parted into narrow linear lobes. Corolla.— Six lines long; with yellow tube; funnel-form throat, marked with deep violet-purple; and lilac or white limb. (See Gz/ia.) Hab.—Through- out Western California. Whole slopes are often carpeted with this dainty Gz/za, pro- ducing an effect which has been described as like light chin- chilla. The little blossoms have a peculiarly fresh and winsome look, and are called ‘‘bird’s-eyes’’ by the children. The corollas are delicate lilac, blending into white toward the center, while the throat has five purple spots within, which give way to bright gold below. 288 WILD CANTERBURY-BELL—Phacelia Whitlavia. BLUE AND PURPLE BABY-BLUE-EYES. CALIFORNIAN BLUEBELLS. MARIANAS. Nemophila insignis, Dougl. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family. Tender, more or less hairy herbs. S¢tems.— Branching; six to twelve inches long. Leaves.— Pinnately parted into five to nine small, oblong, entire or two- to five-lobed divisions. Calya.— Five-parted, with five extra, alternating, reflexed lobes. Coro//a.— An inch or more across; from azure-blue, with a large, well-defined white center, more or less dotted, to deep blue. The throat furnished with ten short, wide, hairy scales, or plates. Stamens.— Five; on the corolla. Ovary.—One- celled. Style two-cleft. ab.— Throughout California. When skies are smiling and the earth is already clothed with a luxuriant and tender herbage, we find upon some balmy morning that the baby-eyes have opened in gentle surprise upon the lovely world. The spring breezes blow over no more beautiful and ethereal flowers than these. Companies of them open together, dotting the sward and luring us on from one to another, the one just beyond always seeming a little brighter blue or a little more captivating than those near at hand, till we are beguiled into filling our hands with them. These delicate blossoms vary greatly in size and color. The largest and finest I ever saw grew upon the flower-sprinkled slopes of Lake Merced, near San Francisco. There the perfect azure corollas were an inch and a half across, with the large white circle in the center well defined. Under southern skies it becomes a deep Yale blue, with the texture of tissue-paper, and with dark red-brown anthers. From the campanulate, half-opened buds, it has been called ‘‘Californian bluebell,’’ and among the Spanish-Californians it is known as ‘‘ Mariana,’’ 290 BABY-BLUE-EYES—Nemophila insignis. BLUE AND PURPLE LILAC SAND-VERBENA. WILD LANTANA. Abronia villosa, Wats. Four-o’clock Family. Plants with more or less glandular-villous pubescence. Stems.— Prostrate. Leaves.— Rarely an inch long. Peduncles.— One to three inches long; five- to fifteen-flowered. /nvolucral bracts.— Lanceolate; three or four lines long. /erianth.— Lilac; four or five lines across; with obcordate lobes. (Otherwise as A. /atifolia.) Hab.— San Diego and eastward; also in southern deserts. The charming flowers of the lilac sand-verbena are not found upon the immediate sea-beach, but always a little withdrawn from it, where the soil is more firmly established, yet within sight and sound of the waves. The blossoms have a delicate beauty, not shared by our other species of Adrvonta, and some- what resemble our garden verbenas. They are sometimes called ‘‘ wild lantana.’’ A. umbellata, Lam., is common all up and down our coast, often making masses of deep pink on the beach; while A. mar7- tima, Nutt., is found from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The latter is a very stout, coarse, viscid plant, with small, very deep magenta flowers. CAMASS. KAMASS. WILD HYACINTH. Camassia esculenta, Lindl. Lily Family. Bulbs coated. Leaves.—Radical; six or eight; grasslike; three to eight lines broad; usually shorter than the scape. Scape.—Twelve to twenty-four inches high; loosely ten- to twenty-flowered. Pedicels three to twelve lines long. //owers.—-From dark blue to nearly white; seven to fifteen lines long or more; an inch or so across. /erianth.— Of six distinct, oblanceolate, three- to seven-nerved segments. S/a- mens.—Six; shorter than the segments. Anthers yellow. Ovary.— Three-celled. Style filiform; about equaling the perianth; slightly three- cleft at the summit. A/ab.—-From Central California to Washington. In some localities these plants are found covering meadows and marshy tracts in great profusion. They bear beautiful clusters of showy blue flowers, somewhat like the hyacinth in habit, and have long been favorites in European gardens. We are especially interested in them, however, on account of the bulbs, which are about an inch in diameter and very nutritious. Grizzly bears, when more plentiful in the early days, were particularly fond of them; and the northern Indians to-day BLUE AND PURPLE value them very highly as an article of diet, calling them ‘‘kamass.’’ Indeed, the Nez Percé Indian war in Idaho was caused by encroachments upon the territory which was espe- cially rich in these bulbs. The plants are more abundant north of us than with us. Mr. Macoun gives a most interesting account in ‘‘Garden and Forest” of the preparation of kamass among the Indians, which is a very important and elaborate performance. He says, in substance: For some days beforehand the squaws were busily engaged in carrying into camp branches of alder and maple, bundles of skunk-cabbage (Lysichiton), and a quan- tity of a black, hairlike lichen, which grows in profusion upon the western larch. A hole ten feet square and two feet deep was then dug, and a large fire was made in this, in which they heated a great many small boulders to the glowing point. They then piled maple and alder boughs over these to the depth of a foot or more, tramped them down, and laid over them the leaves of the skunk-cabbage. Thin sheets of tama- rack bark were spread over the steaming green mass, and upon these were placed the bulbs in large baskets. The black lichen was laid over the uncovered bark, and the remaining bulbs were spread on this. The whole was then covered with boughs and leaves as before, and sand was sprinkled on to the depth of four or five inches, and on the top of the whole a larger fire than before was built. The sun was just setting when this was lighted, and it burned all night. The oven was left for a day to cool. When opened, the bulbs in the baskets were dissolved to a flour, from which bread could be made; while those on the lichen had become amalgamated with it, forming a substance resembling plug-tobacco, which could be broken up and kept sweet a long time. When boiled in water, the bulbs yield a very good molasses, much prized by the Indians, and used by them upon import- ant festival occasions. There is a white-flowered form of this same species, whose bulb is said to be poisonous. 293 BLUE AND PURPLE INNOCENCE. COLLINSIA. Collinsia bicolor, Benth. Figwort Family. Stems.—A foot or so high, Leaves.—The lower oblong; the upper ovate-lanceolate. Calyx.—Unequally five-cleft. Corolla.—Nine lines long. Upper lip lilac or white; lower of three lobes; the middle folded into a keeled sac containing the stamens and style; the two lateral rose-purple. Stamens.—Four; in two pairs on the corolla. Upper filaments bearded. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style filiform. Madb.— Throughout Western California. Where spreading trees cast a dense shade and the moisture still lingers, companies of lovely Co//inszas stand amid the fresh green grasses, their delicate, many-storied blossoms swaying upon the idle breezes. In the north these are in the rear guard of spring flowers, and make their appearance just before the Godetias bid farewell to spring; but in the south they come earlier. They vary much in color, from the typical rose-purple and white or lilac to all white. We have a number of species; but C. dzcolor is the most showy and wide-spread. BLACK SAGE. BALL-SAGE. Audibertia stachyoides, Benth. Mint Family. Shrubby; three to eight feet high; with herbaceous flowering branches. Leaves.— Opposite; oblong-lanceolate; tapering into a petiole; crenate. /Vowers.—In interrupted spikes, havi ing from three to nine dense, rather remote, headlike, bracteate whorls. Calyx. Bilabiate; each lip with two or three awned teeth. Corol/a,—Laven- der; six ‘lines long; bilabiate. Upper lip erect; emarginate; lower deflexed; three-lobed. Stamens. —Two sterile; two perfect on jointed filaments. Ovary.— Of four seedlike nutlets. Style slender. Stigma two-cleft. Hab.—From San Francisco Bay to San Diego. We have but two or three true sages, or Sa/vias, in Cali- fornia; but the plants of the closely allied genus Audibertia are with perfect propriety called sages, as they manifest all the characteristics of that genus, differing only in the structure of the stamens. There are a number of species of Audibertia, all of them important honey-plants. They are particularly abundant in the south, where they form a characteristic feature in the landscape, often covering whole hill-slopes. 294 Up a) Gg //b EPMA, CS Ailip i EM = WY 1 COLLINSIA—Collinsia bicolor. BLUE AND PURPLE A. stachyoides frequently forms dense thickets over vast reaches of mountain-side, and when in full bloom is very notice- able. Its specific name is a happy one, denoting its resem- blance to the Szachys, or hedge-nettle. But its pointed leaves, shrubby habit, and rank odor, together with its more numerous flower-whorls, proclaim its separate identity. A. nivea, Benth., found from Santa Barbara to San Diego, has larger spikes of rich, warm lilac flowers. Nothing could be more charming than the soft lavender billows of it undu- lating over slope after slope of wild mountain-side. BLUE GILIA. Gilia Chamissonis, Greene. Phlox or Polemonium F amily. Stems.—About a foot high. eaves.—Alternate; dissected into linear segments. /Vowers.—In capitate clusters an inch and a half across; deep blue. Calyx.—-Five-toothed. Coro//a.—Four lines long; with five obtuse lobes. .S¢amens.— Exserted. Anthers nearly white. (See Gilia.) ab.—The Coast of Central California. This pretty Gz/éa is quite common about San Francisco in springtime, and often makes masses of bright deep blue over the fields. G. capitata, Dougl., is a closely allied species, found in the Coast Ranges from Central California northward. This is in every way a more delicate plant. Its stems are taller and more slender; its flower-heads are less than an inch across, and composed of very small light-blue flowers, with feathery, exserted stamens. G. achillewfolia, Benth., is a beautiful form, closely related to both the above, but quite variable in habit. Its flowers are light lavender-blue, six lines or so long, and are borne in larger clusters, often two inches across, on long, naked peduncles. At a little distance these blossoms somewhat resemble the clusters of Brodiza capitata. 296 BLUE GILIA—Gilia Chamissonis. BLUE AND PURPLE CHIA. SAGE. Salvia Columbarig, Benth. Mint Family. Stems.— Six inches to two feet high. Leaves.—Wrinkly; one to several inches long. AVowers.—Blue; in interrupted whorls. Whorls. —Twelve to eighteen lines in diameter; subtended by numerous, ovate-acuminate bracts. Ca/ya.—Bilabiate; upper lip arching, and tipped with two short bristles; lower, of two awn-like teeth. Corolla, —Three or four lines long; bilabiate. Upper lip erect; notched or two-lobed. Lower deflexed; with three lobes, the central much larger. Stamens.—-Two. Filaments two; short; apparently forked —z7. e. bear- ing on their summit a cross-bar having on one end a perfect anther-cell and on the other a dwarfed or rudimentary one. Ovary.—Of four seedlike nutlets. Style slender. Maé.—Throughout the State, spe- cially southward. This rough-leaved sage is quite common, especially south- ward, and grows upon dry hillsides or in sandy washes, where it blossoms in early spring. Its small bright-blue flowers are borne in an interrupted spike, consisting of from one to four button-like heads. Each of these heads has below it a number of leafy bracts, which are often of a bright wine-color, and form a rather striking combination with the blue flowers. After the blossoms have passed away, the dried stems and heads remain standing all over the hills, shaking out the little gray seed in abundance. These seeds have been for centuries an article of economic importance to the aborigines and their descendants. Dr. Rothrock writes that among the Nahua races of ancient Mexico the plant was cultivated as regularly as corn, and was one of their most important cereals. Quantities of the seed have been found buried beneath groves which must be at least several hundred years old. It was in use among the Indians of California before the occupation of the country by the whites, being known among them as ‘‘chia.’’ Dr. Bard writes of these seeds: ‘‘ They were roasted, ground, and used as food by being mixed with water. Thus prepared, it soon develops into a mucilaginous mass, larger than its original bulk. Its taste is somewhat like that of lin- seed meal. It is exceedingly nutritious, and was readily borne by the stomach when that organ refused to tolerate other aliment. An atole, or gruel, of this was one of the peace- 298 CHIA—Salvia Columbariae. BLUE AND PURPLE offerings to the first visiting sailors. One tablespoonful of these seeds was sufficient to sustain for twenty-four hours an Indian ona forced march. Chia was no less prized by the native Californian, and at this late date it frequently commands six or eight dollars a pound.”’ When added to water, the seeds make a cooling drink, which has the effect of assuaging burning thirst—a very valu- able quality on the desert. BLUE-AND-WHITE LUPINE. Lupinus bicolor, Lindl. Pea Family. Stems.—Stoutish; six to ten inches high; silky. Leaves.—Alter- nate; with small stipules. Lea/flets.—Five to seven; linear-spatulate; one inch long. //owers.—Four or five lines long; blue and white; the white changing to red-purple after fertilization. Upper calyx-lip bifid; lower twice as long; entire. Aee/.—Falcate; acute; ciliate toward the apex. od.—Small; about five-seeded. (See Lupinus.) Hab.— Western Central California. In late spring the open fields about San Francisco take on a delicate, amethystine tinge, due to the blossoms of the blue- and-white lupine. After fertilization has taken place, the white in these blossoms turns to deep red, and this admixture gives the general lilac tone to the mass. DOUGLAS IRIS. Iris Douglasiana, Herb. Iris Family. Rhizomes.—Stoutish; clumps not dense. Aadical-leaves.—Strongly ribbed underneath; dark, shining green above; one to three feet long; three to eight lines broad; flexile; rosy pink at base. S/ems.—Simple; two- or three-flowered. Flowers.—On pedicels six to eighteen lines long; deep reddish-purple, lilac, or cream. /erianth-tube.—Six to twelve lines long. Capsu/e.—Narrowly oblong; acutely triangular; twenty lines long. Seeds nearly globular. (Otherwise as /. »acro- siphon.) Hab.—The Coast, from Santa Cruz to Marin County. On account of the bright and varied hues of its flowers, the genus /77s was named for the rainbow-winged messenger of the gods. In France it is known as “ fleur-de-lis,’’? a name whose origin has caused endless discussion and has been ac- counted for in many ways. There are many species, all of 300 BLUE-AND-WHITE LUPINE Lupinus bicolor. BLUE AND PURPLE them beautiful. Orris-root is the product of the lovely white Florentine /7zs. In California we have several comparatively well-known species, and a number of others which are without names as yet; but the Douglas /vzs is probably our most beautiful. It thrives well upon open mesas or upon well-drained hill-slopes in the shelter of the chaparral. But it is found at its best in the rich soil of moist woodlands, whose seclusion seems the most fitting abode for so aristocratic a flower. There, sur- rounded by the delicate greenery of fern-fronds and a hundred other tender, springing things, it seems to hold a sylvan court, receiving homage from all the other denizens of the wood. There is a certain marked and personal individuality about these flowers which makes encountering them seem like meet- ing certain distinguished personages. ITHURIEL’S SPEAR. BLUE MILLA. Brodiea laxa,Wats. Lily Family. Corm.—Small; fiber-coated. Leaves.—Usually two; radical; linear; channeled. Scafes.— Six inches to two feet high. Umdébels.— Of ten to thirty or more purple or violet, or even white, flowers. Pedicels.— One to three inches long. /erianth.—Twelve to twenty lines long. Stamens.—Six; in two rows; the upper opposite the inner lobes of the perianth. Ovary.—Three-celled; on a stalk six lines long. Hadb.— From Kern County to Northern Oregon. After the delicate Collinstas have stolen away, the beau- tiful flowers of Ithuriel’s spear begin to claim our attention in open grassy spots on the borders of rich woodlands. The common name is a happy one; for there is something com- manding about this tall blossom-crowned shaft. It will per- haps be remembered that the angel Ithuriel possessed a truth- compelling spear. When Satan, disguised, went to the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve, Ithuriel and Zephon were sent to expel him. : ‘‘him there they found, Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve, Assaying by his devilish art to reach 302 ITHURIEL’S SPEAR—Brodiaea laxa. BLUE AND PURPLE The organs of her fancy, and with them forge Illusions as he list, phantasms, and dreams; Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear Touched lightly; for no falsehood can endure Touch of celestial temper, but returns Of force to its own likeness: up he starts Discovered and surprised.”’ BEACH-ASTER. Erigeron glaucus, Ker. Composite Family. Six to twelve inches high, having a tuft of radical leaves and some ascending stems. Leaves.— Obovate or spatulate-obiong; one to four inches long; pale; somewhat succulent; slightly viscid. /lower-heads. — Composed of dull-yellow disk-flowers and bright-violet ray-flowers. Disk.— Eight lines or so across. ays.— Six or eight lines long; nar- row; numerous; in several rows. ab.—The Coast, from Oregon to Southern California. Almost anywhere upon our Coast, ‘‘within the roar of a surf-tormented shore,’’ we can find the beautiful blossoms of the beach-aster. We may know them by their resemblance to the China asters of our gardens, though they are not so large. They present a most delightful combination of color in their old-gold centers, violet rays, and rather pale foliage. TOAD-FLAX. Linaria Canadensis, Dumont. Figwort Family. Stems.— Slender; six inches to two feet high. Leaves.— Mostly alternate on the flowering stems, but smaller and broader ones often opposite or whorled on the procumbent shoots; linear; smooth. /Vow- ers.— Blue; in terminal racemes; like those of Antirrhinum, but the tube furnished with a long, downward-pointing spur at base. /aé.— Throughout California. The delicate blue flowers of the toad-flax are not uncom- mon in spring, and the plants are usually found in sandy soil. The little blossoms are very ethereal and have a sweet perfume. I once saw a deep blue band upon a mesa near San Diego, which vied in richness with the ultramarine of the sea just be- yond. It stretched for some distance, and at last curved 304 WUT Nes ei i \\ \ NN we \ \ N VY a, WO Z \ WIA \\\ AN ah a i SSN W/E BEACH-ASTER—Erigeron glaucus. BLUE AND PURPLE around and crossed the road over which I was passing, when it proved to be made up of millions of these delicate flowers. The color effect seemed cumulative, for the mass was so much richer and deeper than the individual flowers. CATALINA MARIPOSA TULIP. Calochortus Cataline, Wats. Lily Family. Stems.—Two feet high; loosely branching; bulbiferous. Leaves and bracts linear-lanceolate. //owers.— Erect; eighteen lines or so long. Sepals.—Green without; scarious-margined; whitish within; with purple spot at base; one inch long; acute. /etals.—White; with garnet base; bearing a round gland covered with hairs. Filaments garnet. Capsule.— Narrowly oblong; three-sided; obtuse; an inch or two long. Seeds flat; horizontal. (See Calochortus.) Hab.— From San Luis Obispo County to San Bernardino; and the islands off the Coast. This is one of the earliest JZarzposas to bloom in the south. Its beautiful, stately white cups have a garnet base within, and this, with its oblong, obtuse capsule and horizontal seeds, clearly identifies it. These blossoms are favorite resting-places for the bees, who are often beguiled in them from their labors and lulled to a gentle slumber. We have frequently startled the little truants from these siestas, and with amusement watched them struggling fora moment before regaining con- sciousness and whizzing away once more upon their round of duties. This may be designated our maritime Cadochortus, as it is found mostly near the Coast or upon its islands. C. splendens, Dougl., found in the Coast Ranges from Lake County to San Diego, is sometimes confused with the above. It is a beautiful flower, whose petals are a clear rose-lilac with- out spots or marks, with long, whitish, cobwebby hairs on their middle third. Its anthers are purple or lilac, three to six lines long. BLUE AND PURPLE DOG -VIOLET. Viola canina, var.adunca, Gray. Violet Family. Stems.—Leafy; several from the rootstocks. Leaves.— Ovate; often somewhat cordate at base; acute or obtuse; six to eighteen lines long; obscurely crenate. Stipules foliaceous; narrowly lanceolate; lacerately toothed. /lowers.—Violet or purple; rather large. Lateral petals bearded. Spur as long as the sepals; rather slender; obtuse; hooked or curved. (Otherwise as V. pedunculata.) Hab.—The Coast Ranges, from San Francisco to Washington. : ‘violets Which yet join not scent to hue Crown the pale year weak and new.”’ Nestling amid the grasses on many a moist mesa by the sea, the modest flowers of the dog-violet may be found at almost any time of year. They vary greatly in the length of their stems, according to the season and the locality of growth. THISTLE-SAGE. Salvia carduacea, Benth. Mint Family. Leaves. —All radical; thistle-like; with cobwebby wool. Stfems.— Stout; a foot or two high. Flower-whorls.—An inch or two through. Calyx.— Bilabiate; with five spiny teeth. Corolla.— Lavender; an inch long. Upper lip erect; two-cleft. Lower fan-shaped; white- fringed. Stamens.—On the lower lip. Proper filaments very short, with one short and one long fork, each bearing an anther-cell. (Other- wise like S. Columbarige.) Hab.—Western and Southern California. Upon the dry, open plains of the south, the charming flowers of the thistle-sage make their appearance by May. Upon the train we pass myriads of them standing along the embankments, and seeming to beckon mockingly at us, well knowing the train almost never stops where we can get them. These plants present the most remarkable blending of the rigid, uncompromising, touch-me-not aspect and the ethereal and fragile. In each of the several stories of the flower- cluster there are usually a number of the exquisitely delicate flowers in bloom at once, standing above the hemisphere of densely crowded, spiny calyx-tips. Nothing more airy or fan- tastic could well be imagined than these diaphanous blossoms. The upper lip of the corolla stands erect, its two lobes side by 397 BLUE AND PURPLE side, or crossed like two delicate little hands. The lower lip has two small and inconspicuous lateral lobes and one large central one, which is like the ruff of a fantail pigeon and daintily fringed with white. The color combination in these blossoms is charming. To the sage green of the foliage and the lilac of the blossoms is added the dash of orange in the anthers that puts the finishing touch. The whole plant has a heavy, dull odor of sage. This species is also sometimes called ‘‘chia,’’ and its seeds are used in the same manner as those of our other Sa/vza, but to no such extent. VIOLET BEARD-TONGUE. Pentstemon heterophyllus, Lindl. Figwort Family. Woody at base; many-stemmed. .Szems.—Two to five feet tall. Leaves.— Lanceolate or linear; or the lowest oblong-lanceolate; dimin- ishing into narrow floral bracts. Panicle.—Narrow. Pedicels one- to three-flowered; short and erect. Coro//a.— Rose-purple, or violet suf- fused with pink; an inch or more long; ventricose-funnel-form above the narrow, slender tube. (See Pentstemon.) Hab.—Western Califor- nia, specially southward. The beautiful flowers of the violet beard-tongue are often seen among the soft browns of our dusty roadsides in early summer. They are truly charming flowers, and we marvel how any one can pass them by unnoticed. I have seen them especially showy in the southern part of the State, in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, where the plants often spread over two or three feet, sending up innumerable slender flower- covered wands. The undeveloped buds are of a characteristic greenish-yellow tone, making an unusual contrast to the ex- panded flowers and the rather pale foliage. The structure of the anthers is quite interesting, each cell consisting of a little bag with bristly margins, the two together being heart-shaped in outline. P. azureus, Benth., or the ‘‘azure beard-tongue,”’ is very similar to the above, growing from one to three feet high; but it is smooth and glaucous; its leaves are inclined to have a broader base, and its flowers are usually larger, azure blue, 308 ~— ~— Y aa Dit é i, I f, SS = AY Wh, | aig ie t Vie s V7 | itis Row |) LASS i QQY at \\ NAN AN AZURE BEARD-TONGUE—Pentstemon heterophyllus. BLUE “AN DUPOGIRELE approaching violet, sometimes having a red-purple tube, while ‘its border is often an inch across. This is found throughout the State, but is more common in the interior and in the Sierras. Its buds are not yellow. WILD GINGER. Asarum caudatum, Lindl. Birthwort Family. Rootstocks.— Creeping; aboveground. Leaves.—Alternate; two to four inches long; heart-shaped; not mottled; shining green. Flowers.— Raisin-colored. Perianth.—\vith spherical tube and three long-pointed lobes, thirty lines long. Stamens.—Twelve. Filaments more or less coherent in groups, adherent to the styles, and produced beaklike beyond the anthers. Ovary.—Six-celled. Styles united; equaling the stamens. Hab.—The Coast Ranges from Santa Cruz to British Columbia. The beautiful long-stemmed leaves of the wild ginger stand upon the borders of many a shaded cafion stream, seeming to enjoy the gossiping of the brook as it gurgles by. The leaves and roots of these plants are aromatic, and the former when crushed emit a pleasant fragrance, similar to that of the cam- phor-laurel. The branching rootstocks, creeping along the surface of the ground, grow from their tips, which are swathed in the undeveloped silky leaves. In the spring a warm hue comes among these closely-folded leaves, and presently a curious dull-colored bud begins to pro- trude its long tip from their midst. This bud looks as though some worm had eaten off its end; but we soon see that its blunt appearance is due to the fact that the long prongs of the sepals are neatly folded in upon themselves, like the jointed lez of an insect. It must require considerable force in the flower to unfurl them. When at length expanded, these blos- soms have the look of some rapacious, hobgoblin spider, lurk- ing for its prey. Another species —A4. Hartweg?, Wats.—the ‘‘ Sierra wild ginger,’’ is easily distinguished from the above by its white- mottled leaves, which grow in clusters, and by its smaller flow- ers. It blooms later than the other, its flowers lasting into July. These plants are closely related to the ‘‘ Dutchman’s pipe.”’ 310 YASS WEE AN Sats TW Ly WILD GINGER—Asarum caudatum. BLUE AND PURPLE COMMON MILKWEED. SILKWEED. Asclepias Mexicana, Cav. Milkweed Family. Stems.—Three to five feet high; slender. Leaves.—Mostly whorled and fascicled; linear-lanceolate; short-petioled; two to six inches long. Peduncles.—Erect; slender; often in whorls. /lowers.—Very small and numerous; in umbels; white and lavender. Coro/la-lobes.—Two lines long. Anthers.—Twice the filament column. Horns.—Awl- shaped; arising from below the middle of the ovate hoods, and con- spicuously curved over the stigma. /0ds.—Slender; spindle-shaped. (Structure otherwise as in Gomphocarpus.) Hab.—Throughout the State, and beyond its borders. This is one of our most widely distributed milkweeds, and may be found blossoming along our dusty roadsides and through the fields in early summer. Its stems are tall and wandlike with long, narrow leaves, and its little blossoms are very trim. Its distaff-shaped pods, with their beautiful silken down, are familiar objects, much beloved by the children, and are sought by older people who utilize them in many dainty ways. CHICORY. SUCCORY. WILD BACHELOR’S-BUTTON, Cichorium Intybus, L. Composite Family. Stems.—Two to five feet high; much branched. Leaves.—Alter- nate; the lower obiong or lanceolate, partly clasping, sometimes sharply incised; the upper reduced to bracts. /Vower-heads.—Bright blue; sessile; two or three together in the axils of the leaves or ter- minal; of ray-flowers only. Aays.—Ten lines long; about two wide; notched at the tip. Bracts of the involucre in two series; green. fad. —Escaped from cultivation in many places. The most careless observer will some day have his atten- tion startled into activity by a certain tall, fine plant growing along the roadside, bearing beautiful, ragged blue flowers closely set to its stem. This is a stranger from over the seas, whose native home is England; and, like all English, it is an excellent colonist, having pushed its way into most parts of the civilized world. It has become quite plentiful among us in the last few years, and whole fields may often be seen covered with its lovely bright-blue blossoms, which are known as “‘ragged sailors,’? and ‘‘wild bachelor’s-buttons.’’ They open in the 312 u COMMON MILKWEED—Asclepias Mexicana. BLUE AND PURPLE early morning, closing by midday. In Europe a popular be- lief is rife that they open at eight o’clock in the morning and close at four in the afternoon. ‘‘On upland slopes the shepherds mark The hour when, to the dial true, Cichorium to the towering lark Lifts her soft eye, serenely blue.”’ The plant is useful in several ways. Its root is boiled and eaten as a vegetable; the leaves, when blanched, make an ex- cellent salad; and the whole plant was formerly employed in medicine, and is still considered a valuable remedy for jaun- dice. But the most common use of it is as a substitute for coffee, or as an adulterant of it. The fleshy, milky root is dried, ground, and roasted, and though it has neither the essential oil nor the delicious aroma of coffee, it is not an unpleasant beverage, and its cheapness brings it within the reach of the very poor. The chicory industry has grown to be of considerable importance in California of late. The plants are grown in reclaimed tule land near Stockton, where there is a factory for the conversion of the root into the commercial article. CALIFORNIAN LOBELIA. Downingia pulchella, Torr. Lobelia Family. Stems.—Three to six inches high. Leaves.—Alternate; sessile; linear; obtuse; passing into flower-bracts above. /Vowers.—Race- mose; blue. Calyx-tube.—Very long and slender; adnate to the Ovary; its limb of five slender divisions. Coro//a..—_With short tube and bilabiate border. The smaller lip of two narrow spreading or recurved divisions; the larger three-lobed; broader than long; nine or ten lines by five or six lines. All the lobes intense blue; the large centers mostly white. Stamens.—Five; united into a curved tube. Capsule. Splitting at the sides. -Hab.— Nearly throughout the State. . These little lobeliaceous plants are very common, especially upon the plains of the interior, and may be found growing in wet places, where they often make the ground blue. The showy, white-centered flowers are familiar along the roadsides 314 BLUE AND PURPLE upon the borders of puddles. The blossoms, which are really stemless, appear to have stems of considerable length, owing to the very long, slender ovary and calyx-tube. They are cultivated for ornament under the name of Clintonta pulchella. 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 Caltfornica, Nutt. Pea Family. Shrubs three to over eight feet high. Leaves.—Mostly alternate; with stipules; pinnate. Lea/ffets.— One inch long; five to nine or more pairs. Hlower-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 Leguminose.) 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.— Oppo- site; sessile; crowded; lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; gradually acu- minate; 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. AYaé.—Through- out Western California. Of all the plants of our acquaintance, the common blue- curls is the most aggressive and ill-smelling. Its odor is posi- tively 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 315 BLUE AND PURPLE 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 capil- lary filaments. The common name also refers to the long, curling blue stamens. This species blossoms late in summer, and grows upon very dry ground, where it seems almost a miracle for any plant to thrive. ROMERO. WOOLLY BLUE-CURLS. Trichostema lanatum, Benth. Mint Family. Shrubby; two to five feet high. Leaves.— Opposite and fascicled in the axils; an inch or so long; green above; white-woolly beneath. Flowers.— Blue; in terminal clusters sometimes a foot long; covered with dense violet wool. Calya.— Five-toothed. Corolla.— Nearly an inch long; with tube half its length and border violet-shaped. Stamens and Style.—Two inches long. Ovary.— Of four seedlike nutlets. 7aé. —From San Diego to Santa Barbara. When the first scorching winds of the desert have withered and laid low the lovely flowers of the southern plains, the Romero is just coming into bloom upon dry hillsides. Its shrubby form, with densely crowded leaves, becomes conspicu- ous by reason of its long spikes of purple-woolly buds and blossoms. This inflorescence is an exquisite thing, more like the production of a Paris milliner than a guileless creation of nature. The individual blossoms have much the look of alert — little blue violets wearing long, elegant lilac aigrets. Both leaf and flower have a pleasant aromatic fragrance, entirely unlike the dreadful odor of the common blue-curls. Among the Spanish-Californians it is known altogether by the musical name of ‘‘Romero,’’ and is one of their most highly valued medicinal herbs, being considered a panacea for many troubles. Fried in olive oil, it becomes an ointment which alleviates pain and cures ulcers; dried and reduced to powder, it is a snuff very efficacious for catarrh; and made into a tincture, it is used as a liniment. This plant is also sometimes called ‘‘black sage.”’ 316 lanatum. ROMERO—Trichostema BLUE AND: PURPLE HARVEST BRODIZA. LARGE-FLOWERED BRODIAA. Brodicea grandifiora, Smith. Lily Family. Corm.— Fibrous-coated. Leaves.— Narrowly linear; somewhat cylindrical. .Scape.—Four to twelve inches high. edicels.—Three to ten, rarely one; unequal. /erianth.—Violet; waxen; ten to twenty lines long; broadly funnel-form; six-cleft; lobes recurving. S/amens. —Three; opposite the inner segments. Staminodia.—Three; strap- shaped; entire; white; erect; about equaling the stamens. Ovary.— Sessile; three-celled. Style stout. Stigma three-lobed. Aab.—From Ventura to the British boundary in the Coast Ranges and Sierras. In the latter part of May and early in June, just as the grain is mellowing in the fields, the dry grasses of our hill-slopes and roadsides begin to reveal the beautiful blossoms of the ‘‘ harvest Brodizea.’’? Seen at its best, this is one of our finest species. It sends up a scape a foot high, bearing from five to ten of the large, lily-like, violet flowers. They are somewhere described as varying to rose. I have never seen them of this color, though a flash of them caught when riding by a field is often suggestive of a pink flower. These plants vary considerably in size, in some localities blooming when but an inch or two high, and in others having their tall scape crowned with as many as ten of the fine blos- soms. These have their segments nerved with brown upon the outside. The clear-white stamens stand opposite the outer seg- ments, alternating with the white staminodia. The leaves have dried away before the coming of the blossoms. LB. terrestris, Kell., common throughout Central California, is always found in sandy soil. Its perianth is less than an inch long, and its staminodia are yellow, with inrolled edges. This is clearly distinguished by these characteristics, added to the fact that its flower-cluster has no common stalk or scape, but seems to sit upon the ground, giving the separate flowers the appearance of coming from the ground. 318 (| \ 7 4 A / | | V7 { i HARVEST BODIA2A—Brodiaea grandiflora. BLUE AND PURPLE VIOLET SNAPDRAGON. Antirrhinum vagans, Gray. Figwort Family. Herbs with prehensile branchlets. Leaves.— Alternate; short- petioled; lanceolate to oblong-ovate; entire; an inch long. Flowers.— Six lines long; lavender. Sepa/s.— Five; upper one large; oblong; the others small, linear. .Stamens.- Four; in pairs; on the corolla. Fila- ments slender. Anthers with two diverging cells. Ovary.—Two- celled. Style awl-shaped. /7ab.—Throughout the western part of the State. When the first dryness of summer is beginning to make itself felt, the tall wandlike sprays of the little lilac snapdragon begin to appear along our dusty roadsides. A curious feature of this plant is to be found in the long threadlike branchlets produced in the axils of the leaves. These are like so many little arms, apparently waving about in aimless abandon, but in reality vigilant of any opportunity to grasp some convenient object of support. Another species—A. glandulosum, Lindl.—is common from Santa Cruz southward. This may be known by its pink and yellow flowers, its very viscid, leafy stems, three to five feet tall, and its lack of prehensile branchlets. This has some- what more the look of the familiar garden species. Its anthers are arranged like teeth in the roof of its mouth, and the chil- dren, by slightly pinching the sides of its funny little counte- nance, can make it open its mouth in quite a formidable manner. Sir John Lubbock, writing of the fertilization of flowers, says: ‘‘Thus the Antirrhinum, or snapdragon, is completely closed, and only a somewhat powerful insect can force its way in. The flower is in fact a strong-box, of which the humble- bee only has the key.”’ 320 ( VIOLET SNAPDRAGON—Antirrhinum vagans. BEOE HAN DEPOGRPLE CALIFORNIAN HAREBELL. BELLFLOWER. Campanula prenanthoides, Durand. WHarebell or Campanula Family. Stems. — Several inches to two feet high. Leaves.—Alternate; ovate- oblong to lanceolate; one inch or less long. /Vlowers.— Blue; on recurved pedicels. Calyx.— Growing to the ovary below; with five awl- shaped teeth. Corolla.— Five to eight lines long; with short tube and slender, spreading, recurved lobes. Stamens.— Five. Ovary.—Three- to five-celled. Style club-shaped; much exserted. Stigma becoming three-lobed. Yab.—Coast woods from Monterey to Mendocino County, and through the northern Sierras. The fragile blossoms of the harebell lurk in the seclusion of our cool cafions or peer down at us from the banks of shaded mountain roads toward the end of July. We almost wonder that this ethereal flower dares delay its coming so long when outside its cool retreat all is parched and dry. Owing to its deeply slashed corolla, it has a more airy and delicate aspect than its English sister, the harebell, so often celebrated by the poets. SELF-HEAL. HEAL-ALL. Brunella vulgaris, L. Mint Family. Stems.—Six to fifteen inches high. Zeaves.—Opposite; petioled; ovate or oblong. /V7owers.—In a dense, short spike, with broad, leafy bracts; purple, violet, or rarely white. Ca/yx.—Bilabiate; upper lip with three short teeth; the lower two-cleft. Coro//a:—Bilabiate; upper lip arched, entire; lower three-lobed; deflexed. Stamens.—Four; in pairs. Filaments two-forked; one fork naked, the other bearing the two-celled anther. Ovary.—Of four seedlike nutlets. Style filiform; taco above. //ab.—Widely distributed over the Northern Hemi- sphere. From April to July the purple blossoms of the self-heal, or heal-all, may be found in the borders of woods or in open grounds. The generic name is thought to come from the old German word, bvaune, a disease of the throat, for which this plant was believed to be a cure. According to the old doctrine of signa- tures, plants by their appearance were supposed to indicate the diseases for which nature intended them as remedies, and in England the Brunella was considered particularly efficacious 322 CALIFORNIAN HAREBELL—Campanula prenanthoides, BLUE AND PURFLE in the disorders of carpenters and common laborers, because its. corolla resembled a bill-hook. Hence it was commonly called ‘‘carpenter’s herb,’’ ‘‘hook-heal,’’ and ‘‘sicklewort.”’ PENNYROYAL. POLEO. Monardella villosa, Benth. Mint Family. Stems.— Woody; branching from below; a foot or two high. Leaves.—An inch or less long; toothed or entire; veins conspicuous. Flowers.—White to deep lilac; in a dense head subtended by a num- ber of ovate, green bracts. Calyx. —Tubular; five-toothed; four lines long. Corolla. —Nine lines long; with filiform tube and bilabiate bor- der. Upper lip two-cleft; lower cleft into three linear divisions. .Sfa- mens.—Four; in pairs; exserted. Anther cells divergent. Ovary.— Of four seedlike nutlets. Wab.—Throughout the State; common. Owing to their resemblance to the /7onarda, or horse-mint of the East, these Western plants have been given the diminu- tive of its name —JZonardella. In early summer the blossoms, which are generally purple, are conspicuous in our drying woods. The herbage is pleas- antly fragrant. The more hairy form, which suggested the specific name, is found in the south. Another species— J7/. lanceolata, Gray —common in the Sierras and south to San Diego, is a very handsome plant with lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, entire leaves, an inch or two long, and having its bright rose-colored or purple corollas sometimes dark-spotted. This is known among the Spanish- Californians as ‘‘poléo’’ (pennyroyal), and is valued as a rem- edy for various ailments. M. odoratissima, Benth., found abundantly in the Sierras, and known as ‘‘wild pennyroyal,’’ is a bushy, many-stemmed plant, whose flowers usually have a faded lavender hue. But the plant is exceedingly fragrant, perfuming the air all about. ims 324 PENN YROYAL—Monardella villosa. BLUE AND PURPLE LUCERN. ALFALFA. CHILEAN CLOVER. Medicago sativa, L. -Pea Family. Perennials, with roots sometimes reaching down eight or ten feet. Stems.—Two to four feet high. Zeaflets.—Three; toothed above. Flowers.—Violet. Calya.— Five-toothed. Corol/a.—Papilionaceous; six lines long. Sfamens.— Nine united; one free. /od.—Spirally coiled; without spines. /7aé.—Usually escaped from cultivation. The value of this little plant has been known for many cen- turies. It was introduced into Greece from Media, whence it © received the name J7edicago, and was cultivated several cen- turies before Christ. It has reached us through Mexico and Chile, where it is called ‘‘alfalfa’’ and ‘‘Chilean clover.”’ It is but sparingly naturalized among us, but on account of its very nutritious herbage it is largely cultivated for feed. Its very deep root enables it to seek moisture from perennial sources, and to thus withstand the dryness of our summers. It requires considerable care to start the plants; but once established, the roots will continue under favorable circum- stances to produce crops of herbage almost indefinitely. When grown upon good soil and irrigated, it will yield several crops a year. When cured for hay, it is cut just before flowering. But it is of greatest value for feeding green to dairy cows and other animals. An alfalfa field is a beautiful and grateful sight amid the drouth of our late summer. In Chile sprays of this plant are laid about in the houses to drive away fleas. SQUAW’S CARPET. MAHALA MATS. Ceanothus prostratus, Benth. Buckthorn Family. Hardy, evergreen, trailing shrubs, carpeting the ground. Leaves.— Opposite; short-petioled; obovate or spatulate; cuneate; leathery; sev- eral-toothed above; three to twelve lines long. /Vowers.— Bright blue; in loose clusters on stout peduncles. /%u7¢.—With thick, often red, flesh; with three large wrinkled, somewhat spreading horns from near the apex, and low intermediate crests. (See Ceanothus.) Hab.—The Sierras and northern Coast Ranges. Upon half-shaded slopes in the Sierras, where great firs rear their noble shafts, forming an open forest, this little trailing shrub makes a clean, delightfully springy carpet underfoot. 326 ALFALFA—Medicago sativa. BLUE ANDSPURPLE Early in the season it is an exquisite thing, when covered with its delicate clusters of bright-blue flowers, and it is no less attractive in late summer, when its odd scarlet fruit studs the rich green foliage. The children of our mountain districts know it as ‘‘squaw’s carpet’’ and ‘‘mahala mats.’’ Among the Digger Indians the word ‘‘Mahala’’ is applied as a title of respect to all the women of the tribe indiscriminately, and they always refer to one another as ‘‘ Mahala Sally,’’ ‘‘ Mahala Nancy,’’ etc. ACONITE. MONK’S-HOOD. FRIAR’S-CAP. BLUEWEED. Aconitum Columbianum, Nutt. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Stems.—Two to six feet high. Leaves.—Alternate; palmately three- to five-cleft, three to five inches across. //owes.— From blue to almost white; in a terminal cluster. Sepa/s.— Five; petaloid; very irregular; the upper one helmet-shaped. /e/a/s.—Two to five; the upper two stamen-like, concealed within the helmet; the lower three minute or obsolete. Stamens.—Numerous. Filaments short. /%s¢i/s.— Usually three; becoming divergent follicles. Svz.— A. Fischeri, Reichb. ffab,—The Sierras and the northern Coast Ranges. The blossoms of the monk’s-hood, or aconite, may be found with those of the tall blue larkspur and the little alpine lily along our mountain streams in late summer. Owing to the shape of the upper sepal, these flowers have received several of their common names, such as ‘‘helmet-flower,’’ ‘‘friar’s- cap,’’ and ‘‘monk’s-hood.’’ The genus Aconitum has been known from remote times and noted for the poisonous qualities of its species. From the roots and leaves of A. nafellus, the officinal species, supposed to be native of Britain, is made the powerful drug, aconite. Our own species is also poisonous, and among the mountaineers it is called ‘‘blueweed,”’ and remembered only for its disastrous effect upon their sheep, who are sometimes driven to eat it when other feed is scare. The helmet varies greatly in breadth and length. i ik aS = WES . SS ie) t YS f RI NS : fie N \ TA ihe Sey MONK’S-HOOD—Aconitum Columbianum. BLUE AND PURPLE BLUE GENTIAN. Gentiana calycosa, Griseb. Gentian Family. Stems.— Six to twelve inches high. ZLeaves.— Eighteen lines to less than an inch long. /7lowers.— Deep, rich blue. Corol/a.—An inch or two long; plaited into folds between the lobes; the sinuses with two long, tooth-like appendages; the lobes green-dotted. Stamens.— Five; alternate with the corolla-lobes. Filaments flattened and adnate to the corolla below. Ovary.—One-celled. Style awl-shaped. Stigma two- lobed. Hab.—The Sierras. This genus was named for Gentius, an ancient king of Illy- ria, who is said to have discovered the medicinal virtues of these plants. The drug called ‘‘gentian,’’ a bitter tonic, is made from the root of a German species—G. /utea—with yel- low flowers. All the Gentians are natives of the cooler portions of the world, inhabiting northern latitudes and mountain heights. We have several fine species, which are found in the Sierras and the northern Coast Ranges. G. calycosa is a truly beautiful flower, rivaling the sky with its deep blue blossoms, which are to be found in the fall in many an alpine meadow, called by Mr. Muir ‘‘gentian- meadows.”’ TALL MOUNTAIN LARKSPUR. Delphinium scopulorum, var. glaucum, Gray. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Mostly smooth; more or less glaucous. Sfems.—Two to six feet high. Leaves.—Palmately five- to seven-parted; the divisions slashed into sharp-pointed lobes. /Vowervs.—Blue; in narrow, slender racemes; on rather short, slender pedicels. Sefa/s.—Rather narrow; six lines long or less; minutely tomentose. Spur crapy; rather slender. Ova- ries.—Smooth. (Flower-structure as in DY. nudicaule.) Syn.—D. scopulorum, Gray. Hab.—The Sierras, at about six thousand feet; from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Yukon River. By July and August the slender spires of the tall mountain larkspur are conspicuous along the watercourses of the Sierras, where they are usually found in the company of their near relatives, the monk’s-hoods and the gay scarlet columbines. A ramble down one of these mountain streams affords a suc- cession of most delightful surprises. Willow copses, alternating 330 BLUE GENTIAN—Gentiana calycosa. BLUE AND- PURPLE with tangles of larkspur, great willow-herb, and monk’s-hood, are followed by open, velvety meadows, starred by white and blue daisies, or diversified by the pure spikes of the milk-white rein-orchis, or the lovely blossoms of the pink mimulus; while further down, the stream perchance suddenly narrows and deepens, flowing by some jutting rock-wall, resplendent with crimson pentstemons or brilliant sulphur-flowers. COMMON ASTER. Aster Chamissonis, Gray. Composite Family. Stems.—Two to five feet high; loosely branching. Leaves.—Alter- nate; sessile; lanceolate; three to six inches long; the upper becomin small or minute. Flower-heads.—Five or six lines long; composed o yellow disk-flowers and violet or purple rays. Aays.—Twenty to twenty-five; half an inch long. J/#vo/ucre-—Campanulate; of many small imbricated scales. Wab.—Throughout California. We have not as many species of Aster as are found in the Eastern States, but we have some very beautiful ones. A. Chamissonis is one of our commonest and most wide-spread species. Its blossoms begin to appear in late summer and lin- ger along through the fall. Many species of Avigeron (very closely allied to Aster) are called ‘‘asters’’ among us, and comprise some of our most charming flowers. These are found chiefly in the mountains, though £. glaucus is found upon the sea-beach and ocean cliffs. LAVENDER MOUNTAIN DAISY. Erigeron salsuginosus, Gray. Composite Family. Stems.—A foot or two high. Radical and lower leaves.—Spatulate to nearly obovate; tapering into a margined petiole. Upper /eaves.— Ovate-oblong to lanceolate; sessile. Uppermost leaves.—Small and bract-like. A/ower-heads.—Solitary; large; of yellow disk-flowers and lavender rays. Disk.—Over half an inch across. Aays.— Fifty to seventy; six lines or more long; rather wide. Avracts of the involucre numerous; loosely spreading. Sy2.—Aster salsuginosus, Richardson. ffab.— Sierra meadows, at an altitude of from six to ten thousand feet. Of all the beautiful flowers of the Sierras, not one lingers so fondly in the memory, after our return to the lowlands, as this exquisite lavender daisy. Late in the summer it stars the 33? COMMON ASTER—Aster Chamissonis. BLUE AND PURPLE alpine meadows with its charming flowers, or stands in sociable companies on those natural velvet lawns of the mountains. It resembles the feathery, white mountain daisy, and grows in the same region; but its rays are wider and give the blossoms a somewhat more substantial look. BLUE FORGET-ME-NOT. STICKSEED. Echinospermum floribundum, Lehm. Borage Family. Stems.—Two feet or so high. Zeaves.— Oblong to linear-lanceo- late; two to five inches long. //owers.—In numerous, slender-panicled racemes; on short, slender pedicels. Racemes often in pairs. Calyx. —F ive-parted; minute. Corvol/a.—Sky-blue (rarely white); salver-form, with short tube and spreading, five-lobed border; two to five lines across, with conspicuous arching crests in the throat. .Stamens.— Five; included; on the corolla. Ovary.— Of four nutlets; each having a deltoid, keeled disk and margined by long, flat prickles. Hab.— From California to British Columbia and eastward. The beautiful blossoms of the wild blue forget-me-not will be readily recognized by all lovers of flowers. They may be found in the Sierras in midsummer. The tall stems rise amid the lush grasses upon the sides of steep cafions, where the air is humid and vegetation is rank. The flowers are unfortunately followed by very troublesome burs, which are much dreaded by sheep-herders. od ; Vo RED [Red or occasionally or partially red flowers not described 1% the Red Section. Described in the Vellow Section :— ANAGALLIS ARVENSIS — Pimpernel. MECONOPSIS HETEROPHYLLA — Wind-Poppy. MIMULUS GLUTINOSUS — Sticky Monkey-Flower. OPUNTIA ENGELMANNI— Prickly Pear.} COTYLEDON PULVERULENTA. 335 RED INDIAN WARRIOR. Pedicularis densiflora, Benth. Figwort Family. Root woody. Stems.—Six to twenty inches high. Leaves.—Alter- nate; oblong-lanceolate; pinnate; leaflets lobed and toothed; diminish- ing into the flower-bracts. Calya.—-Campanulate; five-toothed. Corolla.— Club-shaped, bent downward above the calyx and oblique to it; one inch long; the two upper lobes united and containing the stamens; the three lower mere teeth. Stamens.— Four. Style filiform; Soh heigs Ovary.—Two-celled. Hab.— Throughout Western Cali- - fornia. These blossoms, which come early in the season, seem ‘‘warmed with the new wine of the year.’’ They often stand in little companies in openings among the trees, and the rays of the afternoon sun slanting in upon them brighten and vivify them into a rich, warm claret-color. The leaves, finely dis- sected, like certain fern-fronds, are often of a bronze tone, which harmonizes finely with the flowers. To the casual observer, this flower resembles the Indian paint-brush. In reality, it belongs to a closely allied genus. But in this blossom the bracts do not constitute the brilliant part of the inflorescence, and the calyx, instead of being the showy, sheathing envelop it is in the paint-brush, is quite small and inconspicuous. Mrs. Blochman has quaintly and aptly alluded to the corolla of this flower as a long and slender mitten, just fit for some high-born fairy’s hand. Among the children of our mountain districts this flower is known as ‘‘Indian warrior.”’ 336 ~tRIOR—Pedicularis densiflora. INDIAN WAI RED WILD GOOSEBERRY. Ribes Menziesti, Pursh. Saxifrage Family. Shrubs two to six feet high, with naked _ glandular-bristly or prickly branches and stout triple thorns under the fascicled leaves. eduncles. —With one or two drooping, Fuchsia-like flowers. Calya.— Half an inch long; garnet; the five oblong lobes somewhat longer than the tube, but hardly longer than the stamens, which surpass the five white petals with inrolled edges. Styles exserted. Anthers sagittate. Berry. —Four to six lines in diameter; thickly covered with long prickles. (Otherwise as Ribes glutinosum.) Hab.— From San Diego to Hum- boldt County; also in the Sierras. The wild gooseberry, considered as a fruit, is very disap- pointing, as its large, prickly berries are composed mostly of skin and seeds. But as an ornamental shrub it is very pleas- ing. In February its long, thorny branches are densely clothed with small but rich green leaves, under which hang the perfect little miniature red and white Fuchsias. A closely allied species— 2. subvestitum, Hook. and Arn., —has long exserted filaments and glandular-prickly berries. FUCHSIA-FLOWERED GOOSEBERRY. Ribes speciosum, Pursh. Saxifrage Family. Shrubs six to ten feet high, with spreading branches, armed with large triple thorns. Leaves.— Evergreen; three- to five-lobed; an inch or solong. Flowers.— Bright cardinal; an inch long. Calya.— Peta- loid; its tube adnate to the ovary; the limb is usually five-cleft (some- times four). Pefa/s.—On the sinuses of the calyx. .Stamens.— As many as the petals; twice the length of the calyx. Ovary.— One-celled. Style two-cleft. /7uzt.—A dry, densely glandular berry. A/aé.— From Monterey to San Diego. One of the most charming shrubs to be found in the south- ern part of the State is the Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry. Early in the season the long sprays of its spreading branches are thickly hung with the beautiful drooping cardinal flowers, which gleam against the rich green of the glossy leaves. The stems often rival the flowers in brilliance of coloring, but they harbor a multitude of formidable thorns which serve to cool our impet- uous desire to possess ourselves of the blossoms. Though far more brilliant than the flowers of 2. swbvestitum, these are not so truly counterparts in miniature of the garden Fuchsia as they. 338 speciosum. RRY—Ribes 7 ‘ 4 ED GOOSEBI FUCHSIA-FLOWER RED WILD PEONY. Peonia Brownii, Dougl. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Coarse, leathery herbs, with woody roots. .Stems.—Stout; branched; ten to eighteen inches high. Leaves.— Alternate; once- or twice- ternately compound; the leaflets ternately lobed. /Zowers.— Solitary; Sepals.— Green; often with leaflike appendages. /eta/s.—Five to ten; dark red. .Stamens.— Numerous. /%sti/s.—Two to five; becoming leathery follicles. A4a6.—Almost throughout California. Our wild peony, which is the only species of North Amer- ica, grows through a wide range of territory, from the hot plains of the south to the region of perpetual snow in the mountains of the north. As might be expected, it manifests considerable variation in form and character. Indeed, some authors have thought these variations sufficiently marked to warrant the division of the species into two. After the first rains in the south, the plant pushes up its broad, scarlet-tipped leaves, and by January, or earlier, pro- duces its flowers, which are deep red, shading almost into black, an inch or so across, and quite fragrant. These blos- soms are at first erect; but as the seed-vessels mature, the stems begin to droop, till the fruit rests upon the ground. The Spanish-Californians consider the thick root an excel- Jent remedy for dyspepsia, when eaten raw; while the Indians of the south use it, powdered or made into a decoction, for colds, sore throat, etc. In the north its leaves are reputed to be poisonous to the touch. In some localities it is known as ‘‘Christmas-rose,’’ and in others the children call its dark, round flowers ‘‘ nigger-heads.”’ In the mountains it blossoms in June and July near snow-banks. 340 Brownii. 2070 Pace WILD PEONY RED CALIFORNIAN FIGWORT. CALIFORNIAN BEE-PLANT. Scrophularia Californica, Cham. Figwort Family. Stems.—Two to five feet high; angled. Leaves.— Oblong-ovate or oblong-triangular; two or more inches long. Flowers.—Small; dull red; three to five lines long; in loose terminal panicles. Calya.— Five-lobed. Corol/a.— Bilabiate; upper lip four-lobed; lower of one lobe. Stamens.—Four perfect; in pairs; and a fifth scalelike, rudi- mentary one. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style exserted. Had. Almost throughout the State. The tall stems of the Californian figwort are common along roadsides, and become especially rank and luxuriant where the soil has been freshly stirred. The plants are so plentiful and so plebeian in appearance, that we are apt to class them in the category of weeds; but the fact that their little corollas are almost always stored abundantly with honey for the bees, saves them from this reproachful title. They are cultivated by the keepers of bees. The odd, little dull-red or greenish flowers have a knowing look, which is enhanced by two of the stamens, which project just over the lower rim of the corolla, like the front teeth of some tiny rodent. FALSE ALUM-ROOT. Tellima grandiflora, R. Br. Saxifrage Family. Radical-leaves. -Long-petioled. Stem-l/eaves.—With shorter peti- oles; round-cordate; variously lobed and toothed; very hairy, with coarse, bristle-like hairs; two to four inches across. Stems.—One to three feet high. //owers.— In long racemes; on short pedicels; green or rose-color. Calya:.—-Campanulate; five-toothed; ribbed; three to six lines long; adnate to the ovary below. /e¢a/s.— Five; short-clawed; slashed above; two or three lines long; on the calyx. Sfamens.—Ten; very short. Ovary.— One-celled; with a disklike summit, tapering into two st styles with large capitate stigmas. /7aé.—From Santa Cruz to Alaska. This robust plant bears no resemblance to its delicate rela- tive, 7. affints. It is far more like the alum-root in habit and appearance, and its leaves are prettily blotched in the same manner. It grows along rich banks by shaded roads, and blooms from early spring onward. Its tall racemes of either rose-colored or greenish, obscure flowers look rather like the 342 CALIFORNIAN BEE-PLANT—Scrophularia Californica. RED promise of something to come than a present fulfillment. The petals are small and inconspicuous at a distance; but when closely examined, reveal a delicacy and beauty of form entirely unsuspected. INDIAN PAINT-BRUSH. SCARLET PAINT-BRUSH. Castilleia parviflora, Bong. Figwort Family. Hairy, at least above; six inches to two feet high. Leaves.—Lacin- iate-cleft or incised; sometimes entire; two inches or solong; mostly alternate. Flowers.— With conspicuous colored bracts. Calya.— Tubular; about equally cleft before and behind; tinged with scarlet or ellow. Corol/la.—Tubular; six lines to over an inch long; the upper ip equaling the tube; the lower very short; three-toothed; the whole tinged with red or yellow. Stamens.— Four; inclosed in the ope deep bam aacig ge Style long; exserted. Hab.—Throughout Cali- ornia. Scarlet flowers are so rare, and nature is so chary of that beautiful hue, that these blossoms are especially welcome. Their dense tufts make brilliant dashes of color, which are very noticeable amid the vivid greens of springtime. Strange to say, most of their brilliancy is due not to the corollas, but to the large petal-like bracts under the flowers and to the calyxes. In the vicinity of the seashore these blossoms may be found at almost any time of the year, while inland they have their sea- son of bloom in the spring, resting for the most part during the summer. They are known in some localities as ‘‘Indian plume.” The specific name is a very misleading one —for these flowers, far from being small, are in reality comparatively large and fine. The species was probably first named from poor or depauperate specimens. It is in every way a larger, more showy flower than the closely allied species —C. coecinea, Spreng.—of the East, commonly known as the ‘painted cup.” We have a number of species closely resembling one another. C. foliolosa, Hook. and Arn., may be easily recog- nized by its white-woolly stems and foliage. 344 “if Ni fy yi } We \ i WHF, a fy) Y if “A ia Y INDIAN PAINT-BRUSH—Castilleia parviflora. RED NORTHERN SCARLET LARKSPUR. CHRISTMAS-HORNS. Delphinium nudicaule, Torr.and Gray. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Stems.—A foot or two high; naked or very few-leaved. Leaves.— One to three inches in diameter; deeply three- to five-cleft, or barely parted into obovate or cuneate divisions. /Yowers.—Scarlet; in loose, open racemes; on pedicels two to four inches long. Sepals.— Five; petaloid; the upper prolonged upward into a spur containing the smaller spurs of the two upper petals. Spur six to nine lines long. Petals.-— Usually four; the two lateral small, not spurred. Stamens.— Many. /isti/s.— Mostly three; becoming divergent follicles. Mab.— The Coast Ranges from San Luis Obispo to Oregon. Though not so intensely brilliant and striking as the south- ern scarlet larkspur, this is a delightful flower, the sight of which gracing some rocky cafion-wall or making flecks of flame amid the grass, gives us a thrill of pleasure. It would require no great stretch of the imagination to fancy these blossoms a company of pert little red-coated elves clambering over the loose, slender stems. In our childhood we used to hear them called ‘‘Christmas-horns.’’ SCARLET FRITILLARY. Fritillaria recurva, Benth. Lily Family. Bulb as in F. lanceolata. Stems.— Eight to eighteen inches high; one- to nine-flowered. _/Vowers.— Scarlet outside; yellow, spotted with scarlet, within. /ertanth.—Campanulate; urn-shaped. Seg- ments.—Twelve to eighteen lines long; with recurved tips. Sfamens and style not quite equaling the segments. Capsu/e. —Rather obtusely angled. (Otherwise as / /anceolata.) Hab.—The Sierras, from Pla- cer County northward into Oregon. The scarlet fritillary is without doubt the most beautiful of all our species. It is a wonderful blossom, which seems as much of a marvel to us every time we behold it as it did at first. Usually there are from one to nine of the brilliant bells; but the effect can be imagined when as many as thirty-five have been seen upon a single stem! F. coccinea, Greene, is another beautiful scarlet-and-yellow species, found in the mountains of Sonoma and Napa Counties. This has from one to four flowers, which are an inch long, with simple campanulate outline, without recurving tips. 346 \ NORTHERN SCARLET LARKSPUR—Delphinium nudicaule. RED COLUMBINE. Aquilegia truncata, Fisch. and Mey. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Stems.— One to three feet high; very slender. Leaves.— Mostly radical; divided into thin, distant leaflets. Flowers. — Scarlet; aged with yellow; eighteen to twenty-four lines across. Parts in fives Sepals. —Petaloid; rotately spreading. /eta/s.—Tubular; produced into long spurs or horns. Stamens.— Numerous on the receptacle; much exserted. /7sti/s.—Five; simple. AHYab.—Throughout California. Sprung in a cleft of the wayside steep, And saucily nodding, flushing deep, With her airy tropic bells aglow,— Bold and careless, yet wondrous light, And swung into poise on the stony height, Like a challenge flung to the world below! Skirting the rocks at the forest edge With a running flame from ledge to ledge, Or swaying deeper in shadowy glooms, A smoldering fire in her dusky blooms; Bronzed and molded by wind and sun, Maddening, gladdening every one With a gypsy beauty full and fine,— A health to the crimson columbine! —- ELAINE GOODALE To enjoy the exquisite airy beauty of this lovely flower, we must seek it in its own haunts—for there is a touch of wildness in its nature that will not be subdued; nor will it sub- mit to being handled or ruthlessly transported from its own sylvan retreat. Fringing the stream, peering over the bank, as if to see its own loveliness reflected there, or hiding in the greenest re- cesses of the woodland, it is always a welcome blossom, and the eye brightens and the pulse quickens upon beholding it. This species is at home throughout our borders; but there is another form which is said to be found occasionally in our very high mountains——A. cerulea, James. This is plentiful in the Rocky Mountains, and is the State flower of Colorado. Its blossoms, which are blue or white, are large and magnificent, with slender spurs an inch and a half or two inches long. 348 COLUMBINE—Aquilegia truncata. RED CLIMBING PENTSTEMON. SCARLET HONEYSUCKLE. Pentstemon cordifolius, Benth. Figwort Family. Woody at base, with long, slender branches, which climb over other shrubs. Leaves.—Cordate or ovate; an inch or less long. Calya.— Campanulate; five-parted. Coro//a.— Bright scarlet; eighteen lines long. Sterile stamen bearded down one side. (See Fentstemon.) Hab.—From Santa Barbara to San Diego. In spring we notice in the borders of southern woodlands and along the roadsides certain long, wandlike branches with beautiful heart-shaped leaves, which are suggestive of those of the garden Fuchsia. Our curiosity is naturally aroused and we wonder what blossom is destined to grace this elegant foli- age. Early summer solves the mystery by hanging the tips of these wands with brilliant scarlet blossoms, in every way satisfying the earlier promise. These flowers often look down at us ina sort of mocking, Mephistophelian manner, as they hang amid the rich greens of other shrubs and trees. Seen with a glass, they are quite glandular. The fifth stamen looks like a very cunning little golden hearth-brush. HUMMING-BIRD’S SAGE. Audibertia grandiflora, Benth. Mint Family. Coarse plants, with woolly stems; one to three feet high. Leaves. — Opposite; wrinkly; white-woolly beneath; crenate; the lower three to eight inches long; hastate-lanceolate; on margined petioles; upper sessile; pointed. /z/florescence.—Over a foot long, with many large, widely separated whorls of crimson flowers. Corol/as.— Eighteen lines long. .Stamens and style much exserted. lower-bracts.—Ovate; sharp-pointed; often crimson-tinged. (Otherwise as A. stachyotdes.) Hab.—The Coast Ranges, from San Mateo southward. This, the largest-flowered of all our Audibertias, becomes especially conspicuous by April and May in southern wood- lands, where its large, dark flower-clusters may be seen in little companies amid the shadows. The leaves and bracts are quite viscid, and have a rather rank, unpleasant odor; but the flowers are not without a certain comeliness. The long, crim- son trumpets are arranged in whorls about the stems, projecting 35° 46. , = f “4 Af ZF Zi), }} ! 7 } i : \ CLIMBING PENTSTEMON—Pentstemon cordifolius. RED from many densely crowded bracts. Tier after tier of these interrupted whorls, sometimes as many as nine, mount the stems. The bracts and stems are usually of a rich bronze, which harmonizes finely with the color of the flowers. The joint in the filament is quite conspicuous in this species. ‘‘Humming-birds that dart in the sun like green and golden arrows’’ seem to be the sole beneficiaries of the abundant nectar in these deep tubes. CALIFORNIAN SWEET-SCENTED SHRUB. WESTERN SPICE-BUSH. Calycanthus occidentalis, Hook. and Arn. Sweet Shrub Family. Shrubs.—Six to twelve feet high. Zeaves.—Ovate to oblong- lanceolate; three to six inches long; dark green; roughish. /lowers.— Wine-colored (sometimes white); solitary; two inches or so across. Sepals, petals, and stamens indefinite, passing into each other; all coalescent below into the cuplike calyx-tube, on whose inner surface are borne the numerous carpels. /e¢a/s.— Linear-spatulate, usually tawny-tipped. Carpels becoming akenes. //aé.—From the lower Sacramento River northward. This is one of our most beautiful shrubs. Upon the banks of streams, or often upon a shaded hillside where some little rill trickles out from a hidden source, it spreads its branches and lifts its canopy of ample leaves. There is a pleasant fragrance about the whole shrub, and the leaves, when crushed, are agreeably bitter. From April to November the charming flowers, like small wine-colored chrysanthemums, are produced; and these are followed by the prettily veined, urn-shaped seed- vessels, which remain upon the bushes until after the next sea- son’s flowers appear, by which time they are almost black It is from these cuplike seed-vessels that the genus takes its name, which is derived trom two Greek words, meaning flower and cup. 35? FS if LS y . \¥ lM = PAS ‘ q < Ss RAS Ye wen) X r as! SA \ SST SS ANAT WS \ at WA AY \ ~\A, \y Swi} Y\ x} ° al pp Se _— ») ~ Z y Ws —— CALIFORNIAN SWEET-SCENTED SHRUB—Calycanthus occidentalis. RED INDIAN PINK. Silene Californica, Durand. Pink Family. Root.— Deep. Stems.—Several; procumbent or sub-erect; leafy. Leaves.— Ovate-elliptic or lanceolate; eighteen lines to four inches long. /lowers.— Brilliant scarlet; over an inch across. Calya.— Five- toothed. /eta/s.— Five; long-clawed; the blades variously cleft, and with two erect toothlike appendages at the throat. Stamens.—Ten; exserted with the three filiform styles. Ovary.—One-celled. Hab.— Widely distributed. The Indian pink is one of the most beautiful of our flowers, and it appeals to the esthetic sense in a way few flowers do. Its brilliant scarlet blossoms brighten the soft browns of our roadsides in early summer, and gleam amid the green of thickets like bits of fire. Its corolla is elegantly slashed, and it is altogether a much finer flower than the southern form, S. dacintata. Its rather broad leaves are often quite viscid to the touch, in which respect it shares in the character from which the genus was named —in allusion to Silenus, the com- panion of Bacchus, who is described as covered with foam. S. laciniata, Cav., is a similar species found from Central California southward. It is usually a taller plant, with many stems and narrow leaves. It is also quite viscid, and many small insects, mostly ants, are almost always to be seen en- snared upon its stems. We areata loss to account for this until we remember what Sir John Lubbock says in this connec- tion. He suggests that ants are not very desirable visitors for promoting cross-fertilization among plants, as their progress is slow, and they cannot visit many plants far apart. On the other hand, winged insects, such as bees, butterflies, and moths, making long excursions through the air, are admirably adapted for bringing pollen from distant plants. Hence plants spread their attractions for such insects, while they often contrive all sorts of ingenious devices for keeping undesirable ones, like ants, away from their flowers. The Spanish-Californians call this plant ‘‘ Yerba del Indio,” and make it into a tea which they esteem as a remedy for all 354 INDIAN PINK—Silene Californica. RED sorts of aches and pains, and use as a healing application to ulcers. Another species—.S. /fookeri, Nutt.—is easily known by its large pink flowers, often two and a half inches across, and delicately slashed. This is found in our western counties, grow- ing upon wooded hillsides, where its charming flowers show to excellent advantage. COAST LILY. Lilium maritimum, Kell. Lily Family. Bulb.— Conical; twelve to eighteen lines thick, with closely ap- pressed scales. .Stem.—One to three feet high; slender. Leaves.— Seldom, if at all, whorled; linear or narrowly oblanceolate; obtuse; one to five inches long. /lowers.—One to five; deep blood-red; spotted with purple; long-pediceled; horizontal. eritanth-segments. —Six; lanceolate; eighteen lines long; the upper third somewhat ae ee HTab.—Near the Coast, from San Mateo to Mendocino ounty. The little Coast lily is found most abundantly in the black peat bogs of Mendocino County, though it ranges southward to San Mateo County and northward to Humboldt County. Mr. Purdy says of it: ‘‘It is seldom seen farther than two miles from the ocean. On the edges of the bogs the lily is often a dwarf, blossoming at three or four inches. In the bogs it roots itself in the tufts, and becomes a lovely plant five feet high with ten or fifteen fine blossoms.”’ The leaves are dark, glossy green and the blossoms are more cylindrical than funnel-form, the three inner segments spreading more than the outer, which remain almost erect. The little oval anthers, with cinnamon-colored pollen, almost fill the narrow tube and conceal the fact that the segments are yellow below and more decidedly spotted. CHOLLA-CACTUS. Opuntia prolifera, Engelm. Cactus Family. Leafless, spiny, arborescent shrubs, three to ten feet high, with elongated, cylindrical joints, covered with oblong tubercles which bear from three to eight spines. Longest spines twelve to eighteen lines long. Stems.—Two to seven inches thick. /Vowers.—Purplish-red; 256 RED densely clustered at the ends of the branches. Seals, petals, and stamens, many. Ovary.—One-celled. Style one. Stigmas several. fruit.— Green; obovate; concave on the top; having no spines, only bristles; usually sterile; often producing other flowers. Mab.— From Ventura to San Diego and southward. Upon dry hills, even as far north as Ventura, the cholla- cactus is a familiar feature of the landscape. In many places it forms extensive and impassable thickets, which afford an asylum to many delicate and tender plants that retire to it asa last refuge from sheep and cattle. The young joints, which are clustered at the ends of the branches, are from three to nine inches long. By means of their barbed spines, these adhere to any passing object, and as they break off very readily, they are thus often transported to a distance. As they root easily, this seems to afford a means of propagation, in the absence of seed—for the fruit is usually seedless. The spines are quite variable in length, the longest being sometimes an inch and a half. Each one is covered by a papery sheath, which slips off easily. Upon the ground about these shrubs may usually be found the skeletons of old branches. These are hollow cylinders of woody basket-work, which are quite symmetrical and pretty. O. serpentina, Engelm., found at San Diego, and often growing with the above, resembles it somewhat, but may be known by its much longer spines, which are from three to nine inches long, and by its greenish-yellow flowers. The plants are usually found near the seashore and scattered —z. e. never forming thickets. Upon the sea-coast at San Diego is found another plant similar to the above—Cereus Emoryi, Engelm.—the ‘‘ velvet cactus.’’ Instead of being covered with tubercles, these plants have from sixteen to twenty vertical ribs, upon which are borne the bunches of slender spines. These spines are from a quar- ter of an inch to one and three quarters inches long, and without barbs. The flowers are greenish-yellow, and not par- ticularly pretty or attractive. 357 RED SCARLET BUGLER. Pentstemon centranthifolius, Benth. Figwort Family. Very glaucous and smooth. S/em.— One to three feet high. Leaves.— Ovate-lanceolate; mostly sessile; the upper cordate-clasping; thick. Panicles,— Narrow; a foot or two long. Corol/a.— Bright scarlet; an inch or more lone; hardly bilabiate. (See Pextiienina:) Hab,—From Monterey to Los Angeles. The tall spires of the scarlet bugler are such familiar sights along southern roadsides and sandy washes that people almost forget the enthusiastic admiration their bright beauty first elicited. It is said that acres of mountain lands are sometimes a solid mass of vermilion during the blooming season of this lovely plant. The panicle is often two feet long, with its aisle of scarlet horns. The individual flowers bear quite a likeness to those of the honeysuckle, common in Eastern gardens, and by those who encounter the plant for the first time, it is usually spoken of as ‘‘honeysuckle.’’ The blossoms are sometimes yellow near San Bernardino. P. Bridgesii, Gray, met more frequently in the Yosemite than elsewhere, though it occurs in the Sierras from the Yo- semite southward, is a very similar plant to the above. But it differs in having its corolla quite distinctly bilabiate, though of the same general tubular, funnel-form shape. LARGE VETCH. Vicia gigantea, Hook. Pea Family. Climbing. _.S¢ems,— Five to fifteen feet long. Leaves.—Alternate; pinnate; terminated by a tendril. Leaflets. —Ten to thirteen pairs; linear-oblong; obtuse; mucronulate; one or two inches long. me fe —An inch long; semi-sagittate. 2 acemes.— De ‘nse; one- -sided; ve to eighteen- flowered. /lowers.— Dull red. C orolla.- - Papilionaceous. Petals not spreading. Sfamens.— Nine united; one free. Sfv/e.— Hairy all around under the stigma. /od.—An inch or so long. (See Leguminose. ) Hab.—From San Francisco Bay northward to Sitka. This vine is usually found in moist places. Its blossoms are never attractive—for they have a faded, worn-out look, even when they are fresh. The pods are black when ripe, and the seeds are said to be edible. 358 SCARLET BUGLER—Pentstemon centranthifolius. RED SCARLET GILIA. Gilia aggregata, Spreng. Phlox or Polemonium Family. Stems.— One tg three feet high. Leaves.— Pinnately parted into seven to thirteen linear, pointed divisions. Upper leaves more simple. Flowers.—In a loose panicle. Calya.— Deeply five-cleft; glandular. Corolla.— Scarlet, pink, or rarely even white; with funnel-form tube, one inch long; and rotately spreading five-lobed border. Lobes three to six lines long. (See Gila.) Hab.—Throughout the Sierras. The scarlet Gz/éa is a familiar flower in the Sierras in late summer, growing everywhere in dry places. It may be easily recognized by its rich, glossy, flat, green leaves, pinnately divided into linear divisions, its tall, loosely branching habit, and its bright, delicate scarlet flowers, standing out horizontally from the stem. The corolla-lobes are often flesh-pink or yel- lowish within, splashed or streaked with scarlet. The whole plant is quite viscid. SCARLET MONKEY-FLOWER. Mimulus cardinalis, Dougl. Figwort Family. Stout; viscid; hairy. S¢ems.—One to five feet high. Leaves.— Sessile; ovate to ovate-lanceolate; ragged-margined; several-nerved; two or three inches long. /eduncles.—Three inches long. Corolla.— Scarlet; two inches or more long. Upper lip erect; its two lobes turned back. Lower lip three-lobed; reflexed. S/amens.— Exserted. (See Mimulus.) Hab.—Throughout Oregon and California along watercourses. One day in June, when riding upon the shores of Bolinas Bay, I came upon a spot where a cafion stream flowed out upon a little flat at tide-level, making a small fresh-water marsh, in which mint, bulrushes, and scarlet J7zmudus were striving for the mastery. But the J/z¢mudus was the most wonderful I ever saw. It stood four or five feet high—a patch of it—strong and vigorous, and covered with its handsome, large scarlet flowers, a sight to be remembered. This species is often culti- vated in gardens. 360 SCARLET GILIA—Gilia aggregata. RED SNOW- PLANT. Sarcodes sanguinea, Torr. Heath Family. Fleshy, glandular-pubescent plants; six inches to over a foot high; bright red; without green foliage; having, in place of leaves, flesh scales, with glandular-ciliate margins. Llowers,— Short - pedicel t Sepals.— Five. Corolla,— Six lines long; campanulate; with five-lobed limb. Stamens.—Ten. Anthers two-celled; opening terminally. Ovary.— Five-celled; globose. Style stout. Stigma capitate. Aab,— Throughout the Sierras, from four to nine thousand feet elevation. I shall never forget finding my first snow-plant. It was upon a perfect August day in the Sierras. Following the course of a little rill which wound among mosses and ferns through the open forest where noble fir shafts rose on every hand, I came unexpectedly upon this scarlet miracle, standing in the rich, black mold in a sheltered nook in the wood. A single ray of strong sunlight shone upon it, leaving the wood around it dark, so that it stood out like a single figure in a tableau vivant, There was something so personal, so glowing, and so lifelike about it, that I almost fancied I could see the warm life-blood pulsing and quivering through it. I knelt to examine it. In lieu of leaves, the plant was supplied with many overlapping scalelike bracts of a flesh-tint. These were quite rigid below and closely appressed to the stem, but above they became looser and curled gracefully about among the vivid red bells. I had heard that the plant was a root parasite; so it was with much interest and great care I dug about it with my trowel. But I failed to find its root connected with any other. I have since learned that it is now considered one of those plants akin to the fungi, which in some mysterious way draw their nourishment from decaying or decomposing matter. I carried my prize home, where it retained its beauty for a number of days. I afterward found many of them. They gradually follow the receding snows up the heights; so that late in the season one must climb for them. The name ‘“‘snow-plant’’ is very misleading, because from it one naturally expects to find the plant growing upon the 262 SNOW-PLANT—Sarcodes sanguinea. RED snow. But this is rarely or never the case, for it is after the melting of the snow that it pushes its way aboveground. Late in the season the plant usually has one or more well- formed young plants underground at its base. These are all ready to come forth the next season at the first intimation that the snow has gone, which easily accounts for its marvelously rapid growth. By the end of August, the seed-vessels are well developed, and as large as a small marble, but flattened; and by that time the plants have lost their brilliant coloring, and become dull and faded. It is said that the stems have been boiled and eaten, and found quite palatable; but this would seem to the lover of the beautiful like eating the showbread from the ark of Nature’s tabernacle. SOUTHERN SCARLET LARKSPUR. Delphinium cardinale, Hook. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family. Stems.—Three to ten feet tall. Zeaves.—Large; five- to seven- lobed nearly to the base, the lobes three- to five-cleft, with long-pointed segments. /lowers.—Large. Sepals.—Lanceolate; eight lines or more long; rotately spreading; the spur an inch or more long; pointed. Upper petals.— Orange, tipped with red; pointed; standing promi- nently forward. (Otherwise as JD. zudicaule.) Hab.—The mountains, from Ventura County to San Diego. During all the long springtime, Nature has been quietly making her preparations for a grand floral denouement to take place about mid-June. If we go out into the mountains of the south at that season, we shall be confronted with a blaze of glory, the like of which we have probably never witnessed before. This is due to the brilliant spires of the scarlet lark- spur, which sometimes rise to a height of ten feet! One writer likens the appearance of these blossoms, as they grow in dense masses, toa hill on fire; and Mr. Sturtevant writes: ‘‘To come upon a large group of these plants in full bloom for the first time, is an event never to be forgotten. I first saw a mass of them in the distance from the top of a hill. Descending, I came upon them in such a position that the rays 364 RED of the setting sun intensified the brilliancy of their fiery orange- scarlet color. I gathered a large armful of stalks, from three to seven feet high, and placed them in water. They continued , to expand for several weeks in water.’’ There is a general resemblance between this and the north- ern scarlet larkspur, but the clusters of this are far larger and denser, and the individual flowers are finer. The half-opened buds more resemble the open flowers of D. nudicaule; but the fully expanded flowers have the form of some of the finest of the blue larkspurs. The plants affect a sandy soil or one of decomposed granite. WESTERN CARDINAL-FLOWER. Lobelia splendens, Willd. Lobelia Family. Stems.—Two to four feet tall; slender, smooth or nearly so. Leaves.—Alternate; mostly sessile; lanceolate or almost linear; glan- dular-denticulate. Flowers.—iIn an elongated, wandlike raceme; car- dinal red. Calyx.— Five-cleft. Corolla.—With straight tube, over an inch long and split down the upper side; border two-lipped; upper lip with two rather erect lobes; lower spreading and three-cleft, with lobes three to six lines long. Stamens.—Five; united into a tube above. Anthers somewhat hairy. Ovary.—Two-celled. Style simple. Stigma two-lobed. Hab.—San Diego, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles Counties, and eastward to Texas. The Western cardinal-flower quite closely resembles ZL. car- dinalis of the East, differing from it in a few minor points only. I have never been fortunate enough to see it; but I am told that it is a magnificent plant, and that from July to September many a wet spot in our southern mountain cafions is made gay with its brilliant blossoms. Of the Eastern plant Mr. Burroughs writes: ‘‘But when vivid color is wanted, what can surpass or equal our cardinal- flower? There isa glow about this flower, as if color emanated from it as from a live coal. The eye is baftled and does not seem to reach the surface of the petal; it does not see the tex- ture or material part as it does in other flowers, but rests in a steady, still radiance. It is not so much something colored as it is color itself. And then the moist, cool, shady places it 365 RED affects usually, where it has no rivals, and where the large, dark shadows need just such a dab of fire! Often, too, we see it double, its reflected image in some dark pool heightening its effect.’ HUMMING-BIRD’S TRUMPET. CALIFORNIA FUCHSIA. Zauschneria Californica, Presl. Evening-Primrose F amily. Woody plants, more or less villous. Stems.— Much branched; ascending or decumbent; one to three feet long. Leaves.— Mostly alternate; sessile; narrowly lanceolate to ovate; six to eighteen lines long. /Vlowers.—Bright scarlet; in a loose spike; funnel-form; twenty lines long. Calyx.—Scarlet; four-cleft. Fe¢als.— Four; obcordate; borne on the calyx-tube. S/amens.—Eight. Filaments and style more or less exserted. Ovary.— Four-celled; inferior. Stigma four- lobed. //ab.—From Plumas County to Mexico; and the Rocky Moun- tains east of the Great Basin. In late summer and through the autumn, the brilliant blos- soms of tie California Fuchsia brighten the sombre tones of our dry, open hill-slopes. Its aspect is one of gay insouciance, which would drive away melancholy despite oneself, and though other plants have been put to rout, one by one, by the sun’s fierce glare, nothing daunted, it puts on its brightest hues, like a true apostle of cheerfulness. It has been culti- vated for some time, and is highly prized in Eastern gardens, where it has earned for itself the pretty title of ‘‘humming- bird’s trumpet.’’ It is not confined to our limits, but extends southward into Mexico, and eastward to Wyoming, We have seen it flourishing in the Sierras, where it is particularly beau- tiful. It is called ‘‘balsamea’’ by the Spanish-Californians, who use a wash of it as a remedy for cuts and bruises. It varies greatly in the size and hairiness of its leaves, in the form of its flowers, which are broadly or narrowly funnel- form, and in the exsertion of the stamens and style. The var. microphylla has a woolly pubescence, linear leaves often very small, three or four lines long, and other small leaves crowded in their axils. This is found in the south. 366 f, CALIFORNIA FUCHSIA—Zauschneria Californica, re ey ieee, nt ahh = as Re See — » - a Prd Med Fr a a a ES sooe! “ —_ a - 7 0 — 5 . 2 7 * i e . ) _ oy ae < < ms — « _ ad @ ae ‘ d- “Se ' aN - al a ' “s ~ = Ate ~ we a 2 so - ‘a * There is no glory in star or blossom Till looked upon by a loving eye; ee There is no fragrance in April breezes Till breathed with joy as they wander t ye : VI. MISCELLANEOUS MUILLA. Muilla maritima, Benth. Lily Family. Root.— A small membranous-coated corm. Leaves. — Radical; linear; equaling the slender scape. Scapes.—Three to twelve inches high, bearing an umbel of small greenish-white flowers, subtended by several small lanceolate to linear bracts. Pedice/s.— Five to fifteen; two to twelve lines long. Ferianth.—Al|most rotate; of six segments; two or three lines long. Sfamens.—Six. Ovary.—Globose; three- celled. Mab.—The Coast, from Marin County to Monterey; also inland. The generic name of this little plant is 4//zuwm reversed. Though it has a coated bulb like the onion, it has none of its garlic flavor. It differs from the other umbellate-flowered genera of the Lily family in not having its flowers jointed upon their pedicels. It thus seems to be a link between the onion, on the one hand, and the beautiful Brvodigas and Bloomerias, on the other. It is not at all an attractive plant, though its blossoms are pleasantly fragrant. It is found on the borders of salt marshes and in subsaline soils in the interior, as well as upon high hills in stony soils. Another species—J/. serotina, Greene—common upon inland hills in the south, is quite a delicate, pretty flower. Its greenish-white blossoms, with dainty Nile-green anthers, are nearly an inch across, and each segment has a pale-green mid- nerve. The plant has a number of very long, slender leaves, and its flower-stems are sometimes two feet tall and very slender. 369 MISCELLANEOUS SILK-TASSEL TREE. QUININE-BUSH. Garrya elliptica, Dougl. Dogwood Family. Shrubs five to eight feet high. Leaves.— Leathery; white-woolly beneath; wavy-margined. //Vowers.— Of two kinds on separate shrubs; in solitary or clustered catkins; and without petals. Staminate catkins. —Two to ten inches long, consisting of a flexile chain of funnel-form bracts, depending one from another; each having six flowers like clap- pers. These flowers with four hairy sepals and four stamens with dis- tinct filaments. /2sti/late catkins.—Of similar structure but stouter, more rigid. Their flowers without floral envelopes; pistils two; fleshy and hairy; stigmas filiform; dark. /7a6.— Near the Coast from Mon- terey County to Washington. This shrub might easily be mistaken for one of our young live-oaks, with its leathery leaves and gray bark; but the leaves are opposite, and not alternate, as with the oaks. The bark and leaves have an intensely bitter principle, similar to quinine and equally efficacious. Early in February, after the first spell of balmy weather, the bushes put forth their flowers, and then they are exceed- ingly beautiful. The long pale-green chains at the ends of all the branches hang limp and flexile, shaken with every breath of wind, or, falling over other branches, drape and festoon the whole shrub exquisitely. The catkins of the female shrub are stouter and more rigid than those of the male; but when the fruit is mature, they lengthen out into beautifully tinted clusters of little papery-coated grapes, which are quite attractive in themselves. This is cultivated as an ornamental shrub in England. G. Fremonti, Torr., another species, is distinguished by having its leaves pointed at both ends, not wavy-margined, and not permanently woolly; and also by its solitary catkins. This is the shrub usually spoken of as ‘‘ quinine-bush,’’ ‘‘fever-bush,”’ etc., and whose leaves were used as a substitute for quinine in the early days among the miners. It is said that its roots, left in the ground after the cutting of the shrub, become marbled with green, and are then very beautiful for inlaying in orna- mental woodwork. 37° SILK-TASSEL TREE—Garrya clliptica. MISCELLANEOUS CALIFORNIA LAUREL. Umbellularia Caltfornica, Nutt. Laurel Shrubs or trees, ten to one hundred feet high. Z short-petioled; lanceolate-oblong; two to four incl shining green; very aromatic. //Jowers.—In clust ereenish-white; two and a half lines long. fetads.— — Nine; in three rows; the filaments of the inner ro side, at base, a stalked orange-colored gland. Azth the cells opening by uplifting lids. Ovary.— One-ce stigma lobed. /Avuit.—Olive-like; an inch long; Hab.— From Oregon to San Diego. Early in February we usually have some days. Life is then pulsing and throbbing every The clear sunshine, the murmur of streams, freshly turned sod, the caroling of larks—all the springtime. The whole air is filled with fragrance which makes it a delight to breathe. laurel is shaking out a delicious, penetratin countless blossoms. Mr. Sargent refers to this tree as one of t most beautiful inhabitants of the North Amer one of the most striking features of the Califor In France it is now much appreciated al parks and gardens. In Southern California it is only a shrub; b and northern counties it becomes a magnificent feet in height and from four to six feet in diam best in the rich soil along stream-banks, thou upon hillsides. It would be impossible to mist any other; for its leaves, when crushed, give ou M of choice furniture. The olive-like fruit is ripé would remain upon the tree until the next yea: squirrels so fond of it. This tree is known in different localities b names, such as ‘‘spice-bush,’’ ‘‘balm of heave laurel,’’ ‘‘cajeput,’’ ‘‘California bay-tree,’’ ‘‘ Cal Samcuntain laurel,’’ and ‘‘California laurel.’ 1 these is the one prevalent where its finest forms | MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY. Cercocarpus parvifolius, Nutt. Rose Far Shrubs two to twenty feet high; branching fro Leaves.—Alternate; short-petioled; cuneate; serrate mit; more or less silky above; densely hoary-tomentc to eighteen lines long. //lowers.— Mostly solitary; ax Narrowly tubular, with a deciduous campanulate Fetals.—None. Stamens.— Fifteen to twenty-five; vary.—One- (rarely two-) celled. Style simple. / with a silky tail, at length becoming three or four inche The Coast Ranges from Lake County to Southern Cal The mountain mahogany is a common st interior hills of the Coast Ranges; and when made its acquaintance, it is always easily recc wedge-shaped, dark-green leaves, prominentl notched at the summit. Its flowers, having green and inconspicuous; but the long, solitar’ little fruit are very noticeable and pretty. It heaviest and hardest we have. | Mr. Greene says that its leafy twigs have a flavor, rendering them excellent food for cattle 1 MISCELLANEOUS DUTCHMAN’S PIPE. PIPE-VINE. Aristolochia Californica, Torr. Birthwort Family. Stem.—Woody; climbing. Leaves.— Alternate; short a large; ovate-cordate, two to four inches long. //owers.—CGreeni veined with purple. /erianth.—Pipe-shaped; the lobes of the lip teather-colored within. duthers.—Six; sessile; adnate in pairs to the thick style under the broad lobes of the stigma; vertical. Stigama.— Three-lobed. Ovary.— Inferior; six-angled; six-celled. Fruit.—A large, leathery pod two inches long. A/7aé.—The Coast Ranges, from Monterey to Marin County. This odd flower is found rather sparingly in our middle Coast Ranges from February to April, and in some parts of the Sierra foothills, reaching even to the Yosemite. As it flowers before the large leaves ‘come out, and the blossoms are much like dead leaves in color, it requires keen eyes to find it. It usually grows on low ground, in a tangle of shrubs under the trees, often festooning gracefully from branch to branch. | Before the flowers are fully open, the buds resemble ugly little | brown ducks hanging from the vine. ) The common blue-black butterfly is often seen hovering over this vine, and it is said that its caterpillar is so fond of the fruit that it rarely permits one to ripen. Later in the season, the large cordate leaves are quite con- spicuous, and cause people to wonder what may have been the flower of so fine a vine. TURK’S-HEAD CACTUS. TURBAN CACTUS. Echinocactus viridescens, Nutt. Cactus Family. Depressed, hemispherical, fleshy, leafless plants, with from thirteen to twenty-one prominent, vertical ribs, bearing groups of rigid spines; usually less than a foot in diameter. Sfives.— Straight or recurved; stout; reddish; transversely ribbed or ringed. //owers.—Sessile; borne about the depressed woolly center; yellowish-green; about eighteen lines long. .Sepals.— Many; closely imbricated; merging into the numerous, oblong, scarious petals; sometimes nerved with red. Stamens.—Very many. Ovary.—One-celled. Stigmas twelve to fit pen ae erry.— Pulpy; green; scaly. //aé.-- From San Diego inland. The Turk’s-head cactus looks very much like the end of a watermelon protruding from the ground, if one could imagine 374 meme : = 7a RCC AV creer, AS : st ae A coe nee, F DUTCHMAN’S PIPE—Aristolochia Californica, MISCELLANEOUS a watermelon deeply furrowed and furnished with very formid- able spines. This plant is abundant near San Diego, growing all over the mesas; and it is marvelous that horses and cattle are not more often injured by stepping upon these disagreeable, horrent globes; but long experience has doubtless taught them the instinct of caution. The plant is really beautiful when crowned with its circle of gauzy, yellow-green flowers, which are more like some exquisite artificial fabrication than real flowers. The fruit of this cactus is slightly acid and rather pleasant. The plant is cultivated in Europe under the name of Zchz- nocactus Californicus. FAIRY BELLS. DROPS OF GOLD. Prosartes Hlookeri, Torr. Lily Family. kootstock.— Creeping; spreading. Stem.—A foot or two. high; branching horizontally. Leaves.—Alternate; ovate; cordate; acute; several-nerved; two or three inches long. F/owers.— Greenish; one to six; six lines long; pendulous under the ends of the branches. /ert- anth.— Spreading-campanulate. Segments.—Six; lanceolate; arched at the base. Stamens.—Six; equaling or exceeding the perianth. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style slender; entire. Aruz¢.—An obovate, somewhat pubescent berry; golden, ripening to scarlet. Sy#2,—Dzispo- rum fookeri, Britt. Hab.— The Coast Ranges from Marin County to Santa Cruz; in shady woods, but not by the water. In our walks through the April woods, we often notice a fine plant with branching stems, whose handsomely veined leaves are set obliquely to the stem and all lie in nearly the same horizontal plane. In our subsequent meetings with the plant it seems to change but little, and we begin to grow im- patient for the coming of the flower, which, however, seems to show no disposition to appear. Some day, when bending over a bit of moss or a fern-frond, or peering into the silk-lined hole of a ground-spider, we suddenly catch a glimmer of something under the broad leaves of our hitherto disappointing plant, and hastening to examine it, we find to our amazement one or more exquisitely formed little green bells hanging from the tip 376 MISCELLANEOUS of each branch. Later these are often succeeded by small ber- ries, at first golden, and afterward scarlet. The generic name, Pvosartes, comes from a Greek word signifying Zo hang from, and is in allusion to the pendulous flowers. By some authorities this plant is called Disporwm Flooker?. The common name, ‘‘drops of gold,’’ applies to the berry. _ Another species—P. JZenziesiz, Don.— 1s found growing along stream-banks in the Coast Ranges from Marin County northward. This differs from the above in its longer, more cylindrical, mz/k-whzte flowers, and its salmon-colored berries. It usually blossoms a little later than the other species, lasting till June. COMMON MUGWORT. Artemisia vulgaris, var. Californica, Bess. Composite Family. Sfems.— Rather simple; a foot or two high. Leaves.—Ample; slashed downward into long acute lobes; green above; cottony-woolly beneath; bitter; strong-scented; the upper often entire, linear or lance- olate. Flower-heads.—Minute; two lines high, one broad; composed of tubular disk-flowers only; greenish, in long, slender, crowded pani- cles. Mab.— Near the Coast, from San Francisco northward. This is a common weed along our roadsides, and is easily known by its slashed leaves with silvery under surfaces. These leaves are very bitter. This is closely allied to the wormwood, and by many people is called ‘‘ wormwood.”’ ARTEMISIA. SAGEBRUSH. Artemisia Californica, Less. Composite Family. Stems.—Shrubby; four or five feet high; with many slender branches. Leaves.—Alternate; pinnately parted into three- to seven- filiform divisions; or entire and filiform; an inch or so long; strong- scented. /lower-heads.—Very small; two lines or less across; numer- ous, in narrow panicles; greenish; composed of tubular disk-flowers only. 7ab.—Marin County to San Bernardino. The Artemisia, or, as it is more commonly called, ‘‘sage- brush,’’ is an old friend that we always expect to meet in our walks on rocky hill-slopes. Its leaves have a clean, bitter fragrance, similar to that of the mugwort, but sweeter, and when crushed in the hand they emit a strong odor of turpentine. 377 MISCELLANEOUS Dr. Behr tells me that in the early days the miners laid sprays of it in their beds to drive away the fleas. The Spanish-Californians regard it as a panacea for all ills, and use it in the form of a strong wash to bathe wounds and swellings, with excellent results. Another species— A. tridentata, Nutt.—is the shrubby form, growing so abundantly all over the alkali plains of the Great Basin, where it holds undisputed possession with the prairie-dog and the coyote. It has narrow, wedge-shaped leaves, which are three-toothed at the apex; and the whole plant has a strong odor of turpentine. This is highly esteemed by the Indians as a medicinal plant. WILD PIE-PLANT. CANAIGRE. Rumex hymenosepalus, Torr. Buckwheat Family. eoot.— A cluster of Dahlia-like tubers. Stems.—About two feet high. Leaves.— Narrowly oblong or lanceolate; a foot long or less; acute; undulate; narrowed into ashort, very thick petiole. lowers. — Light raisin-color; in a large panicle a foot orsolong. /erianth.— Of six sepals; the outer minute; the inner about five lines long, appressed to the ovary. Stamens.—Six. Ovary.—Three-angled; one-celled. Styles three; short. Stigmas tufted. MWad.—Dry, sandy plains of Southern California. The wild pie-plant is closely related to the garden rhubarb, and also to the dock and the sorrel. In early days in both Utah and Southern California housewives used its stems as a substitute for the cultivated pie-plant, finding them quite accept- able. The Indians have long used the root in the tanning of buckskins, and they have also found in it a bright mahogany- brown dye, with which to paint their bodies. Of late this plant has been attracting much notice under the name ‘‘canaigre,’’ and it is hoped that it will prove a valuable substitute for tanbark. If it does, we shall hail it with delight as the savior of our beautiful oak forests. Tannin exists in large quantities in the thick roots; but it is yet a question whether it will prove remunerative to the farmer as acrop. At Rialto a company has been formed, which employs many men 378 \ \ \ \\ , f y, \ AR YY \ \\ \\ I CANAIGRE—Rumex hymenosepalus. MISCELLANEOUS to gather and prepare the roots, and there will soon be thou- sands of acres of it under cultivation. The tops of the plants, with the small upper portions of the roots, which have all the eyes upon them, are cut off and replanted for the next year’s crop, while the remainder of the root is sliced, dried, pul- verized, and leached to extract the tannin, which is then ready for use. The plant is a very noticeable one, with its red leaf-stems and veins and its large, dense cluster of small raisin-colored flowers, and it is often seen upon our southern plains. But I am told that over the border in Lower California it grows in great abundance, covering the ground for miles. It would seem as though its cultivation might be carried on with best results where nature produces it so freely. HORNLESS WOOLLY MILKWEED. Gomphocarpus tomentosus, Gray. Milkweed Family. Densely white-woolly plants, with milky juice. Sfems.—One to three feet high. Leaves.—Two to four inches long. /lowers.—Sev- eral, in a pendulous cluster on yarnlike pedicels; lateral upon the stem between the leaves. Calyx.—Five-parted; inconspicuous. Corolla.— Deeply five-parted; greenish without, pinkish within. Stamens.— Five; sunk in the column and alternating with the five hoods. Hoods.—Two lines across; saccate; open down the outer face. Ovaries.—Two; pointed; capped bya flat stigma. /rwit.—A pair of follicles; with a silken-tufted seeds. /ab.— Dry hills from San Diego to Monte iablo. In the south by late spring the very woolly stems and foliage of this milkweed become quite noticeable before any hint of blossoms appears. The thick, gray leaves look as though they might have been cut out of heavy flannel. By May the flower- clusters begin to take definite form, and at last the buds open and reveal a most interesting flower, whose structure is quite complicated. The center of the blossom is occupied by a fleshy column, in which are sunk the anthers, and upon which are borne certain round, dark wine-colored bodies called the ‘‘hoods,’”’ which are in reality nectaries, holding honey for insect visitors. All the pollen in each anther-cell consists of a 380 HORNLESS WOOLLY MILKWEED—Gonmphocarpus tomentosus, MISCELLANEOUS a ea waxy mass, and the adjacent masses of different anthers are bound together by a gummy, elastic band, suspended upon the rim of the stigma. The stigma occupies the top of the fleshy column, and forms a cap, hiding from view the two tubes, or styles, leading down into the ovaries. The milkweeds of California are divided between two genera —Ascdepias and Gomphocarpus,— the difference between them lying in the presence of a horn or crest rising out of the hoods in Asclepias. Bees visiting the blossoms of the milkweeds are said to be frequently disabled by the pollen-masses, which adhere to them in such numbers and weigh them down so heavily that they cannot climb upon their combs, but fall down and perish. MOUNTAIN LADY’S SLIPPER. Cypripedium montanum, Dougl. Orchis Family. Stems.— Stout; a foot or two high; leafy. Zeaves.— Four to six inches long; pointed. /vlowers.— One to three; short-pediceled. Sepals and petals.— Brownish; eighteen to thirty lines long; the two lower sepals united nearly to the apex. Sac.—An inch long; dull white, veined with purple. Azthers.—Two fertile (one on either side of the column); one sterile, four or five lines long, yellow, with purple spots longer than the stigma. /Yaé.—The mountains from Central California to the Columbia River. The mountain lady’s slipper is a rare plant with us, which affects cool, secluded spots in our mountain forests. The plants, of which two or three usually grow from a creeping rootstock, generally stand where some moisture seeps out. The leaves are ample and shapely, and the quaint flowers quiet and elegant in coloring. The long, twisted sepals and petals and the oval sac give these blossoms the aspect of some floral daddy-long-legs or some weird brownie of the wood. We feel that we have fallen upon a rare day when we are fortunate enough to find these flowers, and we are reminded of Mr. Burroughs’ lines: ‘*‘ How fastidious and exclusive is the Cypripedium! . . . It does not go in herds, like the commoner plants, but affects privacy 382 ii Re, 7 My WO SS lee \ | \ SS IK sss N Avi Vy Wess : ; SS SS SAN SF SSF MOUNTAIN LADY’S SLIPPER—Cypripedium montanum. MISCELLANEOUS and solitude. When I come upon it in my walks, I seem to be intruding upon some very private and exclusive company.’’ In our Coast Ranges we may look for these blossoms in May. We have but two or three species of Cypripedium. C. Cali- fornicum, Gray, is similar to C. montanum, but its blossoms have comparatively short greenish-yellow sepals and petals, and the sac is from white to pale rose-color. They have a more compact look, and lack the careless grace of those of the mountain lady’s slipper. Their haunts are swamps in open woodlands in the northern part of the State, where they bloom in August and September, and are often found in the company of the California pitcher-plant. REIN-ORCHIS. Hlabenaria elegans, Bolander. Orchis Family. Root.—An oblong tuber. Stem.—Rather slender; a foot or two high. Leaves.—Two; radical; oblong; three to six inches long; eight- een lines to two inches wide. /Vlowers.—Small; light green; in a dense but slender spike. Sepals and petals about equal; two lines long; gbtuse. £7.—Similar, with a filiform spur three to five lines long. (Otherwise like HW. leucostachys.) Hab.— Near the coast, from Monterey to Vancouver Island. In early summer the fragrant spikes of the rein-orchis stand half-concealed under the trees and along the banks bordering wooded mountain roads. The little greenish flowers are incon- spicuous, and reveal themselves only to those who have the habit of observation. Early in the spring the rather large lily-like leaves were far more noticeable and handsome; but they seemed to weary of waiting for the tardy arrival of the blossoms, and faded away long since. The little flowers are very deliberate about unfolding themselves; and I have some- times watched them when they seemed for weeks at a stand- still before yielding to the summer’s invitation to come forth. They are arranged in a three-sided spike, on two sides of which the long spurs interlace and cross one another in quite a warlike manner. 384 ~ -ORCHIS—Habenaria elegans. REIN MISCELLANEOUS TEASEL. FULLER’S THISTLE. Dipsacus Fullonum, L. Teasel Family. The teasel is not an uncommon sight along our roadsides, having spread considerably since its introduction from Europe, | some years ago. The strong stems are tall and slender, and bear at summit the large bristly cones, surrounded by rigid, erect bracts. These cones are the inflorescence of the plant, and each downward-pointing little hook is a bract beneath a flower. Before the flowers come out, the buds show their round, green heads, packed away down among the bristles. Then for a time the cones are ringed or covered by the deli- cate flesh-colored flowers, which stand out from the bristles, giving the cone a soft, fluffy look. After these have passed away, the cavities in which they were stored give the cone a pitted appearance. These burs are exquisitely symmetrical, and have long been in use by the fuller to ‘‘tease,’’ or raise a nap upon cloth, whence the name, ‘‘teasel.’’ They are cut in halves or quarters, and these are set in frames which are worked by machinery. Many vain attempts have been made to manufacture an instrument to take the place of the teasel; but it is difficult to find anything that is strong enough to do the work that at the same time will not injure the cloth. This is enumerated among the plants which are supposed to foretell the weather. Mr. Dyer quotes the following:— ‘‘tezils, or fuller’s thistle, being gathered and hanged up in the house where the air may come freely to it, upon the alteration of cold and windy weather will grow smoother, and against rain will close up its prickles.”’ 386 MISCELLANEOUS SAMPHIRE. GLASSWORT. Salicornia ambigua, Michx. Goosefoot Family. f1ab.—The Coast, from San Francisco to Oregon. Ye marshes, how candid and simple, and nothing withholding and free, Ye publish yourselves to the sky, and offer yourselves to the sea; Tolerant plains that suffer the sea and the rains and the sun, Ye spread and span, like the catholic man who hath mightily won God out of knowledge, and good out of infinite pain, And sight out of blindness, and purity out of a stain. — SIDNEY LANIER. Though a humble enough plant in itself, the samphire, or glasswort, is the source of a wonderful glory in our marshes in the autumn. Great stretches of tide-land not already pre-empted by the tule are covered by it, showing the most gorgeous blendings of crimson, purple, olives, and bronzes, which, seen with all the added charm of shifting and changing atmospheric effects, far outrival any Oriental rug that could be conceived of. This plant is easily known by its succulent branching, leaf- less stems and from the fact that it does not grow outside of the salt marshes. Its flowering is obscure, and all that can be seen is a few small stamens just protruding from the surface of the fleshy spike, which appears much like any of the other branches, the flowers being sunk in it. The generic name is derived from two Latin words— sad, salt, and covzu, a horn—and conveys the idea of saline plants with hornlike branches. The English name, ‘‘samphire,”’ is of French derivation, and comes originally from the old ‘‘ herbe de Saint Pierre,’’ formerly having been written ‘‘sampétra’’ and ‘‘sampire.’’ In Great Britain this plant is usually desig- nated as ‘‘marsh samphire,’’ to distinguish it from the ordinary samphire, which is a plant of the genus Cr7/hmume. This plant is much relished by cattle, and in England it is made into a pickle, while on the continent it is used as a pot- herb. Formerly, in Europe, it was burned in large quantities for the soda contained in its ashes. 387 MISCELLANEOUS 4 MOTTLED SWAMP-ORCHIS. FALSE LADY’S SLI Epipactis gigantea, Dougl. Orchis Family. Rootstock. — Creeping. Stems.— Leafy; one to four Leaves.—Alternate; sessile; clasping; ovate below; lanceola' three to eight inches long. fFlowers._-Three to ten; in 1 racemes; greenish, veined with purple. Sefa/s.—Three; lanceolate; an inch or less long. /ef¢a/s.—The two upper abe ing the sepals. The lip concave; saccate; eared at base; jointed, pendulous tip. Axther.— ‘One; sessile upon the tof column. Ovary.—One-celled. Had. —Throughout California The casual observer usually alludes to this pla n “‘lady’s slipper,’ and he is not so very far wrong, fe closely related to the Cypripedium, and resembles it m habit, in the aspect of its leafy stems, and in the gener of its blossom. But instead of having its lip in the fo a Sac, it is open and curiously jointed, the lower portion ing freely, as upon a hinge. When this lid is raised, 6 fancy some. winged seraph or angel enshrined within, but lowered the semblance is more to a monk bowed in medi These beautiful plants will be found abundantly fringit streams in June and July, and the disciples of dear old Walton who then pass down the stream with rod and : usually attracted by their quietly elegant colors. Dull and greens predominate, though the lip is tinged with ¢ or yellow. In Northern California and Oregon is occasionally fe rare and curious plant —the ‘‘ phantom orchis,”’ Cephadai Oregana, Richenb.f. This plant is white and gh throughout, has stems a foot or two high, but no lea only three to five scarious sheathing bracts. Its blossor very similar in size and shape to those of Epipactis giga I have never had the pleasure of finding this floral | myself; but one season a friend sent me the only plant 2 was found in a thicket near a pretty camp upon the Sacre River, in the Shasta region. , FALSE LADY’S SLIPPER—£pipactis gigantea. MISCELLANEOUS CALIFORNIAN PITCHER-PLANT. CALF’S-] Darlingtonia Californica, Torr. Pitcher-plant Fam Bog plants, with long horizontal rootstocks. Leaves. hooded and appendaged above; eighteen to thirty-four if Scape.— Eighteen inches or more high, with green bracts ero the solitary nodding flower. Flower parts in fives. Sepals twenty lines long. /e¢a/s.— Purplish; shorter than the se stricted above into a terminal lobe. Stamens.—Twelve to a circle around the ovary. Ovary.—Top-shaped; truncate; _ five-celled Style five-lobed. Stigmas thickish. Mab.—Th from Truckee Pass into Oregon. , Our pitcher-plant is one of the most wonderful an esting of all the forms that grow, linking, as it were, th table world with the animal, by its unnatural car habits. If you would like to visit it, this warm July” will take a mountain trail, leading around under lo pines, Douglas spruces, and incense-cedars, making ¢ through the undergrowth until we come to a swam upon a hillside yonder. While still some distance ay can discern the yellowish-green of the myriad hoods % lift themselves in the sunlight like spotted snakes. ’ If you have never seen the plant before, you will fever of excitement till you can reach the spot and @ take one of the strange pitchers in your hand to exaf Nothing could be cleverer than the nicely arranged this uncanny plant for the capturing of the innocent —y of the more knowiny ones—of the insect world wh within its enchantment. No ogre in his castle has € to work more deliberately or fiendishly to entrap his” while offering them hospitality, than does this play Attracted by the bizarre yellowish hoods or the tall m flowers, the foolish insect alights upon the former an mences his exploration of the fascinating region. F comes upon the wing, which often being smeared with of sweets, acts as a guide to lure him on to the dan entrance to the hoodlike dome. Once within this | pleasure, he roams about, enjoying the hospitality spre him. But at last, when he has partaken to satiety and 399 +2 CALIFORNIAN PITCHER-PLANT—Darlingtonia Californica. MISCELLANEOUS fain depart, he turns to retrace his steps. In the dazzlen of the translucent windows of the dome above, he a of the darkened door in the floor by which he entered anc forcibly upward, bumping his head in his eagerness to es sci He is stunned by the blow and plunged downward inte tube below. Here he struggles to rise, but countless d : ward-pointing, bristly hairs urge him to his fate. He si lower and lower in this ‘‘well of death’ until he reach 7 fatal waters in the bottom, where he is at length ingulfed, a ing One more to the already numerous victims of this diab ical plant. The fluid at the bottom of the well is secreted by the pk and seems to have somewhat the action of a gastric juice disintegrating the insects submerged in it. Many species ants, flies, bees, hornets, grasshoppers, butterflies, motl dragon-flies, beetles, etc., are to be found in the tube, sor times filling it to a depth of two or three inches. The disagreeableness of the vicinity of these plants can imagined upon a hot day when the sun is shining ‘‘upon t sad abode of death’’ and all the air is tainted with their sic ening odor. ‘ The mountaineers call the plant ‘‘calf’s-head,’’ beca the large yellowish domes of the pitchers. ‘ BS < 392 INDEX TO LATIN NAMES* [To assist in the pronunciation of the Latin names, the accented syllable in each word is indicated by an accent mark. If this syllable ends in a vowel, the vowel has the long sound; but if it ends in a consonant, the vowel has a short sound. Either the English or the Continental sounds may be given the vowels, though the former are more generally authorized. | PAGE manoenmia tatiio'lia...0...... 2. 146 AMARC... fli see 292 PEON Care 1.5 5) 8 292 LC GaN ee a a aneee 292 mene a Millefolium .....: .. 97 Aconitum Columbia’num.... 328 ASG Cl a. 2 os oe 328 Adenos’toma fascicula’tum... 60 SEAS CAT rr 60 ZBsemlus Califor’nica ........ 69 Amelan’chier alnifo'lia....... 88 Amor’pha Califor’nica ....... 255 A OSG Ai ae 128 Amaeallis arven'sis .......... 126 Anaph’alis Margarita’cea..... 102 Anemo’ne nemoro’sa........ 18 eumeauectotlia: ..i2¢. 5252: 18 Anemop'’sis Califor’nica...... 76 Je EEG 1a Gn ee ee rr 102 Antirrhi’‘num Coulteria’num .. 46 slandulo'suml ;..%.... 22. 320 eeattia NUNT 2 er. os 46 Bape EI Saat et Ler") ae os. 320 Apoc’ynum androszemifo'lium 236 GCatniialy (UUM. yak. een Fe 238 mauite’sia coerulea... . 6.2... 348 RAIA ACTA «Pct ky 5S) 5 ore 348 Ar’abis blepharophyl’la ...... 196 fea lia Califor MIGA yoni vis os = 7 Arbutus Menzie’sii.......... 37 Arctostaph’ylos bi’color...... 14 CAI Cae 0 tc ovtintt ssa ents: 14 manana ta eo Aas lee 12 PUI SENS sists cas Haken < I2 Argemo’ne platy’ceras ...... 74 PAGE Aristolo’chia Califor’nica ..... 374 Artemis‘ia Califor’nica ....... B77 fidlenianta =e ia pene 378 Villarnisen se en cc cee a7 As’arum catida’tum, ... 2: .....- 310 Piartwe eh oS. 4 4a os ae 310 Ascle‘pias “Mexicana, «32... Le As’ter Chamisso’nis ......... 332 salsucino’sus: . i. 22.2.0. 332 AS tacts. oo. sche a ace RONG leap SIS. 5. samo Se eee 4o Audiber’tia grandiflo’ra ...... 350 StacChMOUGeS «on ek aoe 294 DN Cd 2 shu ya 296 Bac’charis Douglas’li........ 106 pUllansS: oe a at een Io4 Bae Gla Ors Chisme: <5 yen eee 124 Ber’beris Aquifo'lium ........ 122 HEEVO'SE he eek! dso ane 118 Te Pens. <. -"Saaae ss ee 118 Bloome'’ria au'ted hae 154 Clevelan’di ing takes ee Pa 156 ER RC ae ae aCe 302 IMAI ee ke ae dss 262 TERT WIS Bone aw ohh ae ee * For additional names, see Addenda, page 398. INDEX TO LATIN NAMES Brodin a:vola'bile:...4 9a 232 Convol’vulus lute’olus....... Bronella vulea'tis:, -¢se55405 322 occidentalis ....... ae Bryan’thus Brew’eri ......... 246 Soldanel’la ...7. a 278 Cypripe’dium Califor’nicum . . VORUS GOS ays. see seriretats 78 monta’num . :.... see Weed'ii Pte vot 150 Calycan ite eee lis. .2 + 352 Darlingto’nia Califor’nica .... Calyp’so: boréais 3 a ot 210 Datu’ tclavtal Cafitas sta lesculen"ta2 7, 5, 292 2 Ste, mee Oe ae Campan’ula prenanthoi’des .. 322 sa sr a Cardam‘ine paucisec’ta ...... 4 Del hin’iur CNS) ie ee Castille’ia foliolo’sa .......... 344 iced ah at ee ee parvilio'ra (feiss oss 2 344 ss ae "le ae Geano thus: > 3-2 ae eee ile, let © oa dirvarica'tie. 8S 84 nO On ee ' Denta’ria Califor’nica ........ PLOSt ARIS On Oot spate 326 Dicen’tra chievsnalea thivrsilonmis’. on a meaes 274 foun irks ere Vel tims (deacon 39 Din’ F ee Cephalan’thera Orega’na..... 388 = Aap tims Hi citadel ae Cephalan’thus occidenta'lis... 98 ated ay <9) "Cl = 1 wmiditeil Cer'cis: occidentatie.-. un. te ee ie, sige Ne ee Cercocar’pus parvifo’lius ..... 373 Acatha Tine Chameeba’tia foliolo’sa ....... 92 ee 2 ee (Pronounced X’ameba'tia.) Downin gia el’egans ;....a as Cheiran’‘thus -as’per.........35.. 132 pulchel’la ...........s835 Chimaph’ila Menzie’sii....... 104 umbella ts + ie. 20.850 eee 104 Echinocac’tus virides’cens ... Chlorog’alum pomeridia‘num. 82 Echinocys’tis faba’cea........ Chorizan’the staticoi’des ..... 218 macrocar’ pa . »: anes Cicho’rium In’tybus ......... 312. Echinosperm’um floribun’dum Clarkia concin'ni« eae: 236 Ellis‘ia chrysanthemifollia. ... SLeMaNS | yo s aca 228 Emmenan’the penduliflo’ra. . . Clayto'nia perfolia’ta: 23 6.5. 16 Ence'lia Califor’nica ......... Clematis lasian’tha....2..... gt Epilo’bium angustifo'lium |... hististicito'liz,: >... 3 iste ae obcorda’tum .....:..5.05 Clinto’nia Andrewsia’na...... 202 panicula’tum ........es Collin’sia DFEOIr aia. s sacs 294 Spica’‘tum ...... lca. Collo’mia grandiflo’ra........ 178 Epipac’tis gigante’a.......... Convol’vulus arven’sis ....... 42 Erig’eron Coul'teri ........2% 394 es a INDEX :LO LATIN DAMES Raescron Slau'cus ........... 304 Enivadel’phicus.....:.-.. 216 See AO SUS. oo... fate 332 Eriodic’tyon glutino’sum .... 56 ROMMCNCO SUI oo 0ie- 2 ess 58° Eriog’onum fascicula’tum .... 34 SAMMI SR ee cS eda 34 Mimpena tinh ............ 178 WREMA TINA oo oF on SS St woes 178 Eriophyl'lum cespito’sum.... 182 eGniertifio’ ram 2. 2.5. .... 180 iim Win 225... ke oe 30 Prodi BO trys. 2. 25.0. :. 194 Reta TANIA os. vee 194 TADS E TEN 0000 ene 194 Baysimum as'perum-........ 132 PeAMOIO TUM. 5 Suis cs. 2 132 Bayihcce a venus ta-...... 2... 218 Erythro’nium gigante’um .... 136 PeeNGINO TUM 22.2 4k. 2. 138 Eschschol’tzia Califor’nica.... 114 Eucharid’ium concin’num.... 236 iMoegkia Mouglas'i.......... 126 eaeania Califor nica ........ IO Mme SIS). 2.220 oases. IO Fremon’tia Califor’nica....... 158 Rimailieacia biflo'ta .. 22.2... .: 266 Reece. .5) ro Ae oS. 346 EaeeOla tal. 5. eee 264 (GNC ae aaa are 267 pO far. eth 266 eee ge Nee Shs 8 267 feel ces tk ess 346 Sai ApariNe. ... 2.525. . 28 SMEUStHOUNIIM ao nef. 29 Secreta Clip LCa,. sj. se. - 370 RRMA Sorted. 2.) 2 370 Gaulthe’ria Shal‘lon.......... 75 Gentia’na calyco’sa.......... 330 MME ee es a a XXXVIil meniledto' la, 6.2. aac... 296 LEA Sy 2A 360 PEO Sa Cea: ys) es rie «k's 222 MalmOr MGA bo ofe..% <\s.<80. 206 api carers Une eo es. 296 (iaMUSSO MS: .. Fonds os. 296 UNOUCES 4.0 cll 7 2d 216 Pe LOMA 525. ol SY 50 Sch Oleg ah rrr 178 MP CONOR Oo ihe 5 Sa Me sta es 288 Gnapha'‘lium decur’rens...... 68 3/0121 os UA 68 Godetia 3) sine See te XXXVI Botts. hace oo eee 240 StanGuio ato ceo: ae 240 Vitintiea (6.0 Coes ots 240 Gomphocar’pus tomento’sus. 380 Goodye’ra Menzie’sil........ 98 Grinde'lia cuneifo'lia......... 17 hinsa tulas; hee eee 178 FODWS fa as eS se ee 176 Habenatiaelesans.. 55, 384 lewcosta’ehiys: 5 ote 94 Helian‘thus an‘nuus — ... 22>. 185 Califor nicns’ {seo 186 Heliotro’pium Curassa’vicum. 47 Hemizo’nia luzulefo'lia ...... 188 Heterome'les arbutifo’lia..... go FHeu'chera mitcran tia. ene. 58 Flosack‘ta. bi’color:2 a ee 165 €rassifo lia: 3.5 ay So oe 166 Sista 3 Sie ae aoe 152 Sta CHS, so ie Gas 166 Prrsiia 4 2 ae ee 252 SPOUT EVE osc 7 ce ee eee 165 Hyper’icum anagalloi’des .... 172 conem nuni 595 2 ae 162 Iris loneipet ala: 02.07 4 oe 280 imacrosi pho’): 2 223 ee 280 Iso’meris atbo'rea:: :....-22.- 144 Rerymitekia: 22'S, eee 30 Panted. Mexica ia»; 522 5 oe 1QI Lath’yrus splen’dens......... 212 MROETOYT: cic Fe 2 5213 aoe 25 WESt FS 2205s. 5 eee 25 Lava’tera assurgentiflo’ra .... 226 feivia clandulo'sa .. 2.408 202 28 platyelossan, -. 35% snes 148 Le’dum glandulo’sum ....... 103 Lepto’syne Douglas’ ....... 148 iptavil Mind >: < Sae ee eee 146 Lessin’gia Germano’rum..... 252 Jentowiada 722.) 2 oS. 252 Lewis‘la redivi’va ........... 224 Bivins. rambold’tir... 02... 185 Wlatse Wey se Pe 356 Pare au oo... - 182 Piet MNMNN eis, «. vie vores i) 28 1So AMES Cenioy. S608 a eS 72 Limnan’thes Douglas’‘ii ...... 126 Lina’ria Canaden’sis......... 304 Lobe'lia splen’dens_ ........ 365 395 INDEX TO LATIN NAMES Lonic’era hispid’ula.......... 226 involucta ta :0+.% > stds 122 [SIP US. as. Yaseen eee XXXIV Al DiiroOns: <. css een enes 161 ST WOOUS ci eid es wie os 161 Di COIOE Cie ams OES YU oe Bl 300 densi rusic teste. 203: 85 SHbl Vietiien: Save, 5 .- Site ure 161 Lysichi’ton Camtschatcen’sis. 166 Mia cha Clec ans. 2). cede 182 Sati Va. .S oe so ae ee 182 Maho’nia Aquifo’lium........ 122 Malaco’thrix Califor’nica ..... 151 2 #5 | ee ee ee 75 Fenniie Nao Fs napa chee 75 Malvas’trum Thur’beri....... 220 Mamilla’ria Goodridg’li...... 24 Marru’bium vulga’re......... A7 Meconop’sis heterophyl’la.... 129 Medica’go denticula’ta....... 132 Sati Vals sec at Lees 326 Megarrhi’za Califor’nica...... 26 Melhlo'tus:al bau) oo ese 2 156 Parvillo'tas ora 156 Mentze'lia levicau'lis ....:... 168 ind ey 2 eset 168 Mesembryan’themum zequila- terete ss). 2 tere ofe ce. ret 220 enystallnnne panic. ees 51 Micramfpelis =. ass et) 26 Microme’ria Douglas’ii ...... 62 Mian ulus 05:35 3 ieee DIeViIpes: 2.5% eee ee 134 cardinals... 4S.3ceaee 360 Dowels iss a eae ae 222 SIUtiNO SUS i.e ness eon 138 Lewis TS iSeries 248 MGUISS A kee es Ree 134 moscha tisk: Git ou nan 134 Mirab’ilie-Califor niea< 4 4o.5 208 Monardel'la lanceola’ta...... 324 odoratis’sima -1ia.l4 dere 324 RTUNGNS A <.:, %-2thhs eames ees 324 Mon tia. perfolia’ta’: 2832 305 16 Wiinlta miatit ina: 2.< dn eae od ae 369 (518) 1: A a re oe 369 Neil Tia opulito lia, cis ts 85 Nemoph'ila atoma riays.;.. = 39 Buri tas, ft ees os 278 Insio’ nis .JV5 Aoeeaee § 290 intermi¢e’dia +700. Suih |v 284 Nemoph’ila macula’‘ta....... ae Menzie’sii ..... 2.0 sane . 284 parviflo’ra |: 772 eee : ae Nicotia’na glau’ca ........... 129 Nu’phar polysep’alum ....... 184 Nuttal’lia cerasifor’mis ....... 18 (Enothe'’ra....:.. 1.) See XXXV bien’nis.. . .) 2.5) 175 bistor’ta’. .. . 2. see 136 Califor'nica ...) 7-5 eae . 48 cheiranthifolia ©.) > 77s 136 Ova'ta 2....2.+5) see 110 Opun'‘tia basila'ris 77 ee 225 Engelman’‘nit. ...7.gpeeae 170 proliffera .. -.. 20a . 356 serpeniti‘na. . ). 0 Sea . S57 Orthocar’pus....... 2-9 see densiflo’rus .. ;... yee 228 erian’thus.. . /... /Se0 ees I51 purpurascens 72. yee 228 versicolor =”, « sae 52 Ox’alis cornicula‘ta .7 737. 196 Orega'fia ...... 22 195 Peo’nia Brown'll ; .. see 340 Papa’ver Califor’nicum....... 116 Pedicula’ris attol’lens ........ 253 densiflo’ra .... ... «=. 336 Groenlan'dica . .. ce 253 Pentachze’ta aurea ........55 126 Peniste’mot. 4. <<. XXXIX azu' reuse... ..» «ane 308 Bridge’sit. . 5... 358 centranthifo'lius ......... 358 cordifo’ lias... See 350 heterophyl’lus........... 308 Menzie’sii ..... Js.) aaa 250 Phace lid. 21. as <= XXXVI Dougilas'ii.... . 33a 282 grandiflo’ra .. . 2. eee 267 Par’ryi ..... <1. 0 ose 28 tanacetifollia . ...vs9- wens 282 ViGIGa. 2. . acne 267 Whitla’via .. >... : Agee 288 Phlox Douglas'li ... ....3ina 248 Pickerin’gia monta’na........ 230 Pipto’calyx .......... . een 30 Plagioboth’rys .....0s .. sae 30 Platyste’mon Califor’nicus.... 112 Polyg’ala Califor’nica........ 286 306 INDEX Reweala comu'ta .: 2.2.2... 286 pememlla tay one oa 286 Perenrlla-Anseri'na .... .-....-. 175 merino sa 232 any 2 ae 175 Primu'la suffrutes’cens....... 250 Peosacies Elook’eri. .. ..°. oo: 27 Vener. Se aay Paraus demis'sa ............ 36 MeO NA iS. GE SMOEOLGA tA™, 92220. a ios 34 Pteros’pora andromede’a .... 186 Puteeieapnyllac’ 2. 26. ST, o T0O ME a eS 100 CiD ae a 100 PeMMMCUO NM A.!.. 5%. ba eet TOO Ranun’culus Califor’nicus .... 110 Rham/nus Califor’nica........ 67 fgesiia tas. 6g. he. 68 Rhododen’dron Califor’nicum 234 gecibdlentale 5.5... 2. Ses 86 Pabtisraromatica ..........5% 154 (ataden'Sis 2... .. 23 -: 152 miversil@ bas... 2.) |. 8 per MAL. 2... sk. 203 2 (0 ae 203 DELS eae ea a 204 Ri’bes glutino’sum .......... 214 ee SIV Se5 S ee a 338 PAN HIM | es er Sak 214 SC CIO SUI fo. 2k et. 338 STL SSI eae 338 Romanzof’fia Sitchen’sis..... 22 momme ya Coulter... 2.2... - 64 esa @alvorica.........-. 234 PeIMMOCAG DA. «<2... 6: 236 naonis Natkanis ........... 24 et 0 25 Ru’mex hymenosep’alus ..... 378 SAicor Ma aMmbic Wa. 2... .... 387 Sal wieweat ata CEA... Ls Sao. 307 Poalwmsba tires 68 2k s 6 - 298 Sando cus clau'ca... 2.2... . 45 Sarco'des sanguin’éa ........ 362 Sami raca Califor'nica 5... ... 14 ee etic en A) 242 Ay teed ten SIS 2. ats bisa 5. 14 Scoli/opus Bigelo’vii......... 256 Scrophula’ria Califor’nica .... 342 Scutella’ria angustifo’lia...... 270 CP AUIOC ICH pecs sed so wi 270 SUIHCEO SA) oekaki cee ae: 270 LO LATIN NAMES Se’dum spathulifo‘lium....... 170 Sidal’cea malvzeflo’ra ........ 198 Silene Califor nicals so 354 Gablicay 273 242 b eae 246 laginiaitas sc 5 sen ve. Oe Sisyrin’chium bel’lum........ 284 SCA Gr WICH, o).e ee le ae 284 Smilaci’‘na amplexicau'lis .... 22 Bessililoma Sl asec ees ee 22 Sola’num Douglas’ii......... 80 HUCON UAL. ones a se ey ee 80 umbellif‘eram., .. 72... 22. 268 DEAL TS Gitte eee 268 Solida’go Califor’nica........ 190 Occidentanis ac. 2a IQI Spita. cele ealyer ta. eer 42 Spica ‘betilito lias. cx S 85 GS COLOG 2 te ate oar 85 Dowelasti. 3055: ee oe 85 Spiran’thes Romanzofha’num. 92 Spiaeued wimbella ta 2-5-2 =. 70 Stachys bullata 2... 2-62-s- 230 Stropholi’rion Califor’nicum .. 232 Symphoricar’pos racemo’sus . 225 eltimavalnnisi<- ot oes 22 2,2 22 PUMA GAY. oe ie Sie ae 342 Thermop’sis Califor’nica ..... 148 Trichoste’ma lana’tum....... 316 Imccola tit 2.5 2020)58-2 315 ‘Enienta lis -Buropsea.i2. 2... 202 Am lnMNOva (UAL so oo set oe IO BSR. coe. pine Meas 260 Umbellula’ria Califor’nica .... 372 Waccin tim: ovartunas- . 4.0.2 200 Vancouve'ria parviflo’ra ..... 88 Venegas'ia carpesioi’des..... x75 Vera’trum Califor’nicum..... 108 (UME A Rn: Sa, es oe 108 Verbas’cum Blatta’ria........ 190 MEAP SUsin ells 2 2k Ss 190 VIG tel OTS Asie CS a oss 358 Wi ola beckowithnl oo... 3°... 2 SrTiO er 307 Recut ee y ws 50 SaMICMEN Se 6 oa av Mla «oss > 140 Whip’plea modes'‘ta ......... 32 Whitla’via grandiflo’ra ....... 288 Wye'thia angustifolia. ....... 157 E12 9) Slee ee ee 157 Se Hi INDEX TO LATIN NAMES Wye'thia helenioi’des........ 157 Yuc’ca Mohaven’sis ...... MOMS “13 5-35. pR eee 157 Whip’plei.......0% “ae Xerophy!’lum fe nas cr ore iss 51 Zauschne’ria Califor’nica .. Yuc'ca: arbores’cens <.)...'.:.;. 44 Zygade’nus Fremon'ti ... DCabhiras uch nies wales 20 veneno’sus ADDENDA. Aphy!lon fascicula‘tum ... 2.0. sgeenee 172 Capsel'la. But'sa-pasto'rs. . 2.0.5. .-ubes 78 Lil’ium Washingtonia‘num............ 102 Laltermn Partyves 2% . ic... oe eee so 103 Trox‘imon'grandiflo’rum., . ..22 2... «seem 164 Vi'ola pedunculata. .... en. iiss eee 120 398 INDEX? TO ENGLISH NAMES PAGE PAGE 2 SCTE at ene 223) pitteteh @ot 044 . sin. vie 224 meaiand Eve.............. Por pladderpodss sate no... 4.) 144 Adder’s Tongue, Fetid...... 250; eblazine-Stat. ..\..22 aso 168 Ju 2. 326 Bleedine-Heart.....¢.. 2. - 242 PEM 16s BlOOd=Dropr os. 7.2 129 Jo) T= C0) re 56, Blue-Bells; California... ..... 290 mintm-ioot, False.........-.. 242 Blue-BlOSSONE = ..22 6.) 2. 274 AAI. a ec ek es se TOUGH eae = CAMS Os 8k oa so choc s 315 JE 2 rr mere 82 Blue-Curls, Woolly....... 316 Pmmemenc. WOO... ......... 18 Blue-Eyed Grass......... 284 maces lenmipets........... Oewobite Willa as 78! oe we OS oe 302 ep eIMCMMIS 22... ss Dorwiltte Miynleies esi LL. . 274 mpme Gr Per... ...........-. ote Bineweediea ie) os a. 328 eG ee Ss es es See 377 2 DOUNALGIa Wales 2 tarde 0 17 PISteeCACH =. 2... ee lee 304. Boykinia, Western ....... 8I Peet OMIMOM, .: 22.2.0... . 332. Brass: Buttons, i 60. I5I imeense HIQWer.......-.... +: 176 Bridal-Wreath, Wild...... 85 pevatesd Walnormia............ Oe 18.7016 (Se ich ee ae re 262 ATES: 5 ee a a a 254," Brodizeay Hatvest..... 0)... 318 brodicas Golden oi)... 5S. 2": 156 Baby-Blue-Eyes............. 290 ©Brodiza, Large-flowered .... 318 (2315. elo ese 254... Brodicea, Winite . 2... 2s 156 Bachelor’s Button, Wild...... aro ‘Bronze-Bells. 23.2201. 260 Bauder Heaven ............ 472... Broom, WHG: - kee. 2S, 152 (22) S31 a 366 Broom-Rape, Naked..... 172 Barberry, Holly-leaved...... 122, “BLOWHIES. .)... 2. eee 222 Barrenwort, American ...... So. Sack-Brush 2. 7.56. pees 152 Bay iree,; California......... 373, Buckeye, California....... 69 551 10,2) 7) 12 Buckwheat, Wild......... 34 Bede taver 2). 0°05. eee oes k §2 Bur-Clover 2).c.. ios sar. 132 Beard-Tongue, Azure....... 308 Butter-and-Eggs ......... 151 Beard-Tongue, Violet........ 308 Buttercup, Common...... eae) EI WOOR Gaia ene aie 68 Butterfly Tulip........... SI RS ae iF eine ci ee Dias 28 Butterfly Tulip, Golden 150 Bee-Plant, California ........ 3A2 Butfon-Bush. 2. i. 98 PEOTIOWEE “cles Way elena ae on 322 Button-Willow........... 98 BREAST ss Go ia wb Mend Be ae re 26 Biri WEEN. .'. a ed Miwa nine On 2 Cactus, California Fish-hook. 2 Bird’ s-Hives:. oo. Casi aecssves 288 -@actus, Cholla. :¢ cs snc aa 356 Bitter-Bark! Ax ia. vee ee co es 68 Cactus; Turban.wis i. 25. 37 399 INDEX TO ENGLISH NAMES Cactus, Tutk’s THiead..:.. igs 374 Cactus, Strawberry .’....-255. 24 Cactus, Velvet: .':. .. 2. 2.5 357 Cajeput2....\ > sass. yee 373 Calabaailla occ tes see eae 117 Calf's-Hleads\.4%.2 eee eene 390 California. Cotlee: 25> pox 444. 67 California Fuchsia . 25.22: -- 366 California TAlae 5.462000 258, 274 California (Olive), sa8702> so » 27% California Poppy......-.+.-.+> 114 Calypso »\Acocmes le stn eh se 210 Camass i.e eee na es ss 292 Camass; eatiiet 205 eo > CAanaIete goatee is tees + oo 378 REN Votes gl 600; Oa a a 172 CEGTIGUP LET. 16 ai een eS aee 218 Canker-Lettuce.......3.0.%:%- 100 Canterbury-Bell, Wild........ 288 Cardinal Flower, Western.... 365 Cascara Sagratia::;. t+ vaxs<44- 67 Cat’ s-Hats...as aie eek oe 278 Centaury, Californian ........ 218 Choantisal. } <0; 4 capes beets = 60 Calis: . Us tigata as et eee a 60 Cherry, Choke i. samaueet fe anaes 356 Christmas-B@iry ..... Sena tay » go Christmas-Horns... .« 2uirs5 ves 346 Christmas-Rose 5..v.x 5/06 340 Cinauetoil ; < suis i+. 08 ».s =a I4I Elder, Common.,.....:sssemm 45 Elephants’ Heads........... 252 Ellisia ....... oss Ganmets no. ios 35% 100 Lesivice.* Inet. os koe. « 16, 100 leermce;. Miners... .ices aise» 16 Rae. -Caltlorniacss 562% 258, 274 Lilac, “Wid: White soo. is bakes 39 Lily-Bell, ‘Goldens. ivieeik. 2.0 144 Lily-Bell, ‘Snowy... ckchsis a: 54 Lily, Black... oo a is1sane eee 266 Laity, .Browthe usw. sae ates 264 Lily, “Ghamise stickies 136 Lily; awparral: cet sue ae 72 Lily. Choetlate ~: vats pie ato ot 266 Lily, Ghipter..2. hese ens Shee 262 Bly AOaSh oie oo ook n cies 356 ily Pawn sec oe tay 136 Lily, Timmbpoldt ss. 205 wetness 185 Lily, Demons... avacee fag 103 Lily, Leopard. \.. ae oe BUrnACh 5. saa 10+ ea 203 Samiphite oe. ss eee 387 Sumach, Fragrant: .773ep eee 152 Sand-Verbena ‘Lilacs sama 292 Sumach, Trefoil,. . 27eeeeeee 152 Sand-Verbena, Pink......... 292 Sun-Cups........., see 110 Sand-Verbena, Yellow....... 146 Sunflower .:3..%7...2) cee 157 Satin-Bell., o.5 222m ce geemetae e 54 Sunflower, Common......... 185 Sauce. tak, daa ee 45 Sunshine... ..:..ls..eeueeeee 124 Saxifrage, Californians... .,.’. 14 Sweet Clover, White ........... 156 Sea-Dahliaiscse 3 sode ee « Ys 146 Sweet Clover, Yellow........ 156 Self Heal 2, Sree os one 322 Sweet-scented Shrub, Cal’n.. 352 Scarlet Buaplerseraamrt tre ns 2. 358 Ser vice-Beriwi wank. 2 oss 88 ‘Tarweed: i. c2n7 ene 92, 182, 188 Shad-Bosiiaert et 6. also ee 90 Teasel..... 3.02.0 eee 386 Shepherd’s Purse.)........ . 78 Tea-Tree, White... 22 see" 84 Shinleaf, White-veined....... 100 Thimble-Berry .....2 see 24 BMOOUIO SS Otars, 5, Kea, eR 204 Thorn-Apple, ..... 5 2y5me of: ae Silk- Tassel Tree. .iekeic ) 2.0% 370 ‘Tidy-Tips ...... 22) nn 148 Silver-Weed 2) kee er 175 Tidy.Tips, False.) gee 148 SUK Weed.) cece wecatieee rae 312 Toad-Flax.....i2s2.0eeee 304 Si me quieres, no mi quieres. 124 Tobacco-Root.............. 224 Skullcap sein. ccs eek 270 ©Tolguacha.... . ict eee 54 Skunk-Cabbage ......... 166,.108 Toothwort..... <7) )aneeeeeee 4 Slippery-Elm, Californian .... 158 ‘Torosa........>. .s sen 114 Snapdragon, Coulter’s....... 46 Toyon. .....07)t0eeaeee go Snapdragon, Viglet. Hance 320 ‘Tree-Mallow....:..<.23em 226 Snow-Berikye, ciaecteeeds eat 225 Tree-Poppy........)meeneene 118 Snow-Plantss i420. ew 362 ‘Tree-Tobacco.... 5.) ans 129 Soap-Busi iis Monet: 84, 258 Trillium, Californian...) 260 Soaps Platts. cae Gros 6,° 82. Tuna.......3.. «0s. ane 170 Solomon’s Seal, False. ...... 22 Tuna, Spineless..:. iaoeeee 225 sotr-Grase oo ou) be re es 51 Tulip, White Globe .Ja22eeee 54 Spanish; bayonet: .45 5s 5 20, 70 Tulip, Yellow Globe. vias 144 Spat hme. er tee eet 224 Tulip, Butterfly. .: 9. a:aee Sr Spiee- Busi 35s es oa aes. 373 Tulip, Golden Butterfly ...... 150 Spice-Bush, Western ........ 352 - Tulip, Mariposa... .V oe 78 Spikenard, Californian....... 76 .Tulip, Star. ....\.:. 5. os 278 SPIE A See ee ach alas Sete 85 Tulip, Yellow Mariposa...... 174 Sprine-Blossonmi, i... sasou 4 Tulip, Yellow Star... .2a0eee 130 equaw-Betty. sc 2 aadscennl ts 152. TurkeysBeard..... \. “gee 51 Sctaw-Grase 720 Gl.) eee tk 51 Turkish-Rugging............ 218 eauaw's Carpeby. hoe. 8 fs 326 Twinberry ......... . ees ee eo 7 VellowsRoot, “ssi sree 67 Verba Bulende ssh /a ota 62 Yerba de: Chivatox .- Si gI Verba del Inidiow:. +2. 9 354 Yerba del Pasmo sree 61 Netba Mansa st.2.)ise:oet ee 76 Merba: Santa +..c+. 2 te ae 56 Muceds er eee ee 44, 20; “70 Viuceay Treesss 2 pels eee. 44 Mucca-Palniit \7see Os 44 FYPAACHEC. Jj) RIS, eee. see 6 405 PAGE Ageregate fruit. ..xxx eMC sg oka eat XXX Ament. 245.5. XXVIli Anther in. «osteo ae XXI1X TART 3, eee XxXil PeGEY ce i sists eto xk tle? as che anes ees XXili GAC wes ae ooh XXVIii ELD, tor etek XXill Galvin sass, . 3 XXViii Capsule. -2.5.onG% XXX Satkil® 2 ee cise XXVIli Complete flower xxviii Compound leaf. . xxiv (Gis ea) Gere ee ane ae XXiil Corolla? soi < XXVIiil Corymbs sa XXVii Cymeiis sa ees XXViil Denese. fackaras ax Essential organs xxviii Female flower. ..xxix Filament. ..... 223 XX1X Flower-cluster .. xxvii Flower-head ... xxviii Hameie 2.5 .404...4 XxX Foot-stalk....... XXiil POR ek ck eine XXiX PAGE Gourds): sags XEX Imperfect flower. xxix Inflorescence ... XXvil Internodes ...... XXil Involucre...3 .<. . XXVil Peaiet. feed ats XXiV eaves... uece es Xxlll Reoume:. . deck 3 XXX Male flower..... XXix Neutral flower... xxix Nodes 22% Jos. x XXil OSI wh cate XXix Palmate leaf..... XXiV Panieie 2. . oe ks XXVIil Pedicel > ....: 2. wa Pedunele. 23% XxVil PEDO sc. te en ee Perisnt:... ..c4 XXVIli Perfect flower... Xxix Penmcarp t.-s:20."- XXIX Petnis.n ics ease XXVill Petiole ue ee Xxiil Pinnate leaf... ... XXiV Fastil 22288 a eee 406 Raceme........ x: Rhizome, .Jaes ~ GLOSSARY Abortive, defective or barren. Acuminate, ending in a tapering point. Adnate, growing to; or said of an anther whose cells are borne upon the sides of the apex of the filament. Appendage, any superadded part. Appressed, \ying flat against or to- gether for the whole length. Arborescent, treelike; approaching the size of a tree. Attenuate, slenderly tapering toa point. Auricle, a small earlike lobe at the base of a leaf. Awn, a bristle-shaped appendage. Barb, asharply reflexed point upon an awn, etc., like the barb of a fish-hook. Basifixed, attached by the base or lower end. Beak, a narrow or prolonged tip. Bifid, two-cleft to the middle or thereabouts. Bilabiate, two-lipped. Blade, the expanded portion of a leaf, petal, etc. Bract, one of the leaves ofa flower- cluster. Bracteate, furnished with bracts. Bractlet, a bract of the ultimate grade; as one inserted on a ped- icel or ultimate flower-stalk in- stead of under it. Bracteolate, having bractlets. Bulbtferous, bearing bulbs. Caducous, dropping off very early. Campanulate, bell-shaped. Capitate, headlike, or collected in a head. Carina, a salient longitudinal pro- jection on the center of the lower face of an organ. Carinate, furnished with a carina, or keel. Carpel, a simple pistil, or one of the several parts of acompound one. Ciliate, marginally fringed with hairs. Clavate, club-shaped. Claw, the narrowed base, or stalk, which some petals, etc., pos- sess. Coalescing, cohering; used prop- erly in respect to similar parts. Column, a body formed by the union of filaments (stamineal); or (in orchids) of the stamens and pistil. Confluent, blended, or running to- gether, Connate, growing together; unite¢ in one. Connective, the portion of the fila- ment which connects or sepa- rates the cells of an anther. Connivent, coming into contact or converging. Cordate, heart-shaped. 407 GLOSSARY Coriaceous, leathery. Corymb, a flat-topped inflorescence flowering from the margin in- ward. Corymbose, in corymbs, or in the form of a corymb. Cruciferous, of four somewhat similar petals, spreading in the form of a cross. Cymose, in cymes. (See cyme, in Explanation of Terms, p. xxviii.) Deciduous, falling at the end of the season. Declined, bent or curved down- ward or forward. Decumbent, reclining, summit ascending. Decurrent, running down the stem; applied to a leaf with blade prolonged below its inser- tion. Deflexed, bent or turned abruptly downward. Dehiscing, opening by valves, slits, or regular lines; as a capsule or an anther, Deltoid, having the shape of the Greek letter de/ta,; broadly trian- gular. Denticulate, minutely toothed. Depauperate, impoverished in size by unfavorable surroundings. Dichotomous, forking regularly by pairs. Diecious, with stamens and pistils in diflerent flowers on different plants. Dissected, deeply cut, or divided into numerous segments. Divaricate, extremely divergent. Divided, lobed or cut clear to the base. but with Emarginate, notched at the ex- tremity. Entire, with the margin uninter- rupted; without teeth or divisions of any sovt. Equitant, astride; as of leaves folding over each other in two ranks; as in the iris. Erose, gnawed. E-xserted, projecting beyond an en- velop; as stamens from a corolla. E-xtrorse, facing outward; said of the anther. Falcate, scythe-shaped;_ sickle- shaped. Fascicled, ina close cluster or bun- dle; said of flowers, stalks, roots, and leaves. Fertile, capable of producing fruit; as a pistillate flower; applied also to a pollen-bearing stamen. Fibrous, composed of or of the nature of fibres. Filiform, threadlike. Flexuous, zigzag; bent alternately in opposite directions. Foliaceous, \leaflike in structure or appearance; leafy. Foliolate, having leaflets; the num- ber indicated by the Latin pre- fixes, 07-, ¢ri-, etc. Follicle, a pod formed from a single pistil, dehiscing along the ventral suture only. Free, not growing to other organs. Fugacious, falling very early. Funnel-form, tubular, but expand- ing gradually from the narrow base to the spreading border or limb; e. g. the Morning-glory flower. Galea, a helmet; applied to the helmet-shaped upper lip of the corolla in Ladiafe, etc.; also in some Scrophularinee, though not so shaped. Glabrous, without any kind of hairiness. Gland, any secreting structure, de- pression or prominence, on any part of a plant, or any structure having such an appearance. 408 GLOSSARY Glandular, glandlike. Glaucous,covered or whitened with a bloom like that on a cabbage- leaf. bearing glands, or flabit, the general form or mode of growth of a plant. Flerbaceous, having the character of an herb; not woody or shrubby. ffispid, beset with rigid or bristly hairs, or with bristles. Imbricate, overlapping, like shin- gles on a roof. Lncised, cut irregularly and sharply. Included, inclosed by the surround- ing organs; not exserted. Indigenous, native to the country. Inferior, said of the ovary when the calyx, corolla, or stamens are borne upon its summit or sides. Inflorescence, the flowering portion of a plant, and especially the mode of its arrangement. Innate, said of an anther when it is a continuation of the filament. Introrse, facing inward, or toward the axis, as an anther. Involucrate, having an involucre. Involucre, a circle of bracts sub- tending a flower-cluster. Involute, rolled inward. Keel. (See carina.) Keeled, furnished with a keel, or carina. Lacerate, torn; irregularly and deeply cleft. Laciniate, cut into narrow, slender teeth, or lobes. Liliaceous, lily-like. Limb, the dilated and per spreading portion of a perianth or petal as distinct from the tu- bular part, or claw. Line, the twefth part of inch. Linear, narrow and elongated, with parallel margins. Lip, either of the two divisions of a bilabiate corolla or calyx; in orchids the upper petal (often, apparently, the lower) usually very different from the others. Lobe, any division of a leaf, corolla, etc., especially if rounded. Lunate, crescent-shaped, or half- moon-shaped. Lyrate, lyre - shaped; pinnatifid with the terminal lobe large and rounded, and one or more of the lower pairs small. Membranaceous, thin; rather soft and translucent, like membrane. Monecious, with stamens and pis- tils in separate blossoms on the same plant. Mucronate, with a short, abrupt, small tip. Nectar, the sweetish secretion of the blossom from which bees make honey. Nectary, the place or gland in which nectar is secreted. Nerve, a simple, unbranched vein or slender rib. Nerved, furnished with a nerve or nerves. Obd-, used as a prefix meaning in- versely. Obtuse, blunt or rounded at the end. Odd-pinnate, pinnate, with an odd leaflet at the end. Falate, a protrusion at or near the throat of a two-lipped corolla. Panicle, a loose, irregularly branch- ing inflorescence. Paptlionaceous, butterfly-like; ap- plied to the peculiar irregular flower common in Leguminose. Fapille, minute, thick, nipple- shaped, or somewhht elongated projections. 409 GLOSSARY Parasitic, growing upon and de- riving nourishment from another plant. FParted, cleft nearly, but not quite, to the base. FPerfoliate, said of leaves connate about the stem. Persistent, not falling off; said ot leaves continuing through the winter. Fetaloid, petal-like. Fetiolate, having a petiole. Fetiole, the foot-stalk of a leaf. FPetiolulate, having a petiolule. FPetiolule, the foot-stalk of a leaflet. Pinnate, having its parts arranged in pairs along a common rachis. Pinnatifid, pinnately cleft. Pistillate, having a pistil or pistils, and no stamens. Puberulent, minutely pubescent. Pubescent, covered with hairs, usu- ally soft and short. Rachis, the axis (backbone) of a spike, or of a compound leaf. Radiate, diverging from acommon center, or bearing ray-flowers; said of flower-heads of compos- ite plants. Radical, belonging to or proceed- ing from the root, or from the base of the stem. ay, one of the radiating branches of an umbel; the marginal flow- ers, as distinct from those of the disk, in Composite, etc. Receptacle, a more or less expand- ed surface, forming a support for a cluster of organs (in a flower) or a cluster of flowers (in a head), eic. Recurved, curved backward or downward. Reflexed, abruptly bent or turned backward or downward. Regular, symmetrical in form; uni- form in shape or structure. Retrorse, directed backward or downward. Revolute, rolled backward from the margins or apex. khomboidal, quadrangular, with the lateral angles obtuse. Rudiment, an imperfectly devel- oped and functionally useless organ. Rugose, wrinkled; ridged. Saccate, sac-shaped; baggy. Sagittate, shaped like an arrow- head; triangular, with basal lobes prolonged downward. Salver-form, narrowly tubular, with limb abruptly or flatly expanded. Scabrous, rough to the touch. Scape, a naked peduncle rising from the ground. Scarious, thin, dry, membrana- ceous, and not green. Scorpioid, incurved like the tail of a scorpion; said of an inflores- cence. Segment, one of the parts of a leaf or other organ that is cut or divided. Serrate, having teeth directed for- ward, like the teeth of a saw. Serrulate, minutely serrate. Sesstle, stemless. Sinus, a recess or re-entering angle. Sheathing, infolding like a sheath. Spathe, a large bract or pair of bracts (often colored) inclosing a flower-cluster. Spinescent, ending in a spine or rigid point. Spinulose, with diminutive spines. Spur, a usually slender tubular process, from some part of a flower, often honey-bearing. Staminate, having stamens, but no pistils, Staminodium, a sterile stamen, or something taking the place of a stamen. 410 x GLOSSARY Stellate, star-shaped. Sterile, barren; incapable of pro- ducing seed; a sterile stamen is. one not producing pollen. Striate, marked with fine longitu- dinal lines. Subtended, supported or surround- ed; as a pedicel by a bract, ora flower-cluster by an involucre. Subulate, awl-shaped. Succulent, fleshy and juicy. Superior, growing above; a supe- rior ovary is one wholly above and free from the calyx. Terete, cylindrical. Ternate, in threes. Thyrse, a contracted or ovate pan- icle. Thyrsoid, thyrselike. Tomentum, dense, matted, woolly pubescence. Trtfoliolate, having three leaflets. Tubular, tube-shaped. Undulate, wavy. Unisexual, of one sex; said of flowers having stamens only, or pistils only. Urceolate, cylindrical or ovoid, but contracted at or below the open orifice, like an urn or a pitcher. Valve, the several parts of a de- hiscent pericarp; the doorlike lid by which some anthers open. Ventricose, swelling unequally, or inflated on one side. Versatile, swinging; turning freely on its support. Villous, bearing long and soft, straight or straightish hairs. Virgate, wandlike. Viscid, glutinous; sticky. Whorl, an arrangement of leaves, flowers, etc., in a circle about the stem, Or axis. 4Il ae 7 1902 ' . C546 ° hee g 1902, -% ~any ‘ a ee ee ee =t—e 4<—8 oh x e~h a + z a & >: + T* eo! é ra ehhh ~* 6 a< 9-4 as of + Oa) a ese yeas seats J ous SE -§ 8 oad 88 * + oat Kee ee Bend — s ~e eens rl She bated ~ASae =% + eae ~~ sist Text ah meet weet a r+ | 5 bot ek etal -~- eet 3)