126 Plants of Santa Clara. [ZOE 
Gate Park that yielded me the seeds of 2 Chamissonis, | procured 
fruit also of the Huron tansy ( Tanacetum Huronense ), and that, too, 
I find is quite as well pleased with the soil and treatment I have given 
it at Santa Clara as it could have been with the sands, winds and 
fogs of its native seaside. It is a rapid grower, beneath the ground 
as well as above it, has Jarge, handsome, silvery leaves, always 
looks trim because never exposing its faded foliage to sight, and is. 
altogether, as bright as anything I can think of in civilized gardens 
Why should it not have a place within garden fence or park paling, 
where, in either case, the area is large and trees and shrubbery are 
features ? 7 
Single specimens of purple salsify, 7; ragopogon porrifolius, are 
to be seen at a number of points along roadsides, in this vicinity 
evidencing recent establishment. Its occurrence, however, is rare 
enough compared with its near but very dissimilar and unattractive 
relative, the ox-tongue helminth, Pieris echiotdes, of Central and 
Southern Europe, England and Ireland. It would be interesting 
to know when this latter came and how far it already extends. It 
is a conspicuous object on the main roads from Alviso to Santa 
Clara and San Jose, and spreads laterally some distance from these 
toward the east and west sides of the valley. Two other composites 
of this same tribe, very prevalent here and well established per- 
haps all over the State, Sonchus asper and S. oleraceus, though 
not greatly better looking, are liked by horses and rabbits and, — 
doubtless, cattle and sheep, but not a single good word that I know 
of can be said for the thoroughly rough, coarse and crabbed new- 
comer, the helminth. Blue- flowered chicory ( Cichorium intybus) — 
last year appeared upon the footways of the Alameda, which is the 
broad drive connecting Santa Clara and San Jose, and this summer | 
I find a group of it just beyond the northwest corner of Santa Clara, 
on the San Francisco road. This plant is likely, before very long, 
to give the roadways of the State what they now so conspicuously 
lack—a touch of cool, clear blue to lessen, to the driver's fancy at 
least, the soaring temperature so frequently experienced during our | 
summer, and a something to contrast with the continuous marginal _ 
— of yellow, the dead and faded grasses and the ash-gray road | 
itself, 
My garden borders have Euphorbia peplus and Veronica Bux- 
daumit as occupants. The former came to them, by intention, from 
. 
