76 West American Plants. [ZOE 
The specimens like those from the Sierra Nevada and from Howell 
Mountain, in Napa County, have awned akenes, but awnless speci- 
mens have been found by Mrs. C. M. Blake at Orinda Park, in the 
Contra Costa hills. It is probably much more generally distributed 
than has been supposed, being most likely confounded with Wyethia 
angustifolia to which it bears a considerable resemblance. 
MATRICARIA OCCIDENTALIS Greene. This plant is abundant 
about the streets of San F rancisco, especially about the suburbs 
towards the Presidio and the Marine Hospital. While it is suffi- 
ciently distinct from J discotdea, the real differences are other 
than those given by the author, who describes AL occidentalis as 
“ distinguishable indeed, more by its different habit and size, lack of 
fragrance, and its late flowering than by any striking characters of 
flower or fruit.” JZ. discoidea though usually low and spreading is 
often tall and stout, especially in the interior of this state. As to 
the lack of fragrance and much later flowering of MZ. occidentalis 
any one who takes interest in the matter may at this date (May 
15th) find them growing together inside the fences of abandoned 
gardens near First Avenue on the road to the Marine Hospital or 
within the southern boundary fence of the Presidio, and investigate 
the matter for himself. The flowers, though usually 4- are often 
5-cleft; akenes oblong, thickened upward, 3-nerved, the upper nerve 
double, the lateral ones glandular in the upper half and continued 
upward as auricles. Unlike the better known species the akenes 
are very persistent and do not develop mucilage when wetted. ; 
Neither of these species have the aspect or habits of indigenous 
plants; both probably coming to us from the north, and JZ. ocect- 
dentalis is perhaps the same as Jf. tnodora var. eligulata Seem. 
Bot. Herald 33, which was collected on this coast at St. Michael, 
Norton Sound. 
ANTHEMIS CoTuLaA L. commonly known as “May-weed,” is 
noted in the Botany of California, as “ sparingly found along road- 
sides: introduced but not yet common.” This remark must apply 
to the Coast region for I well remember when a child going to 
school through blossoming fields of such a robust growth as almost 
in turns of the pathway hid me from my companions. This was in 
1854 at the village of Prairie City near the eastern line of Sacra- 
