242 Rhamnns Californica. [zoe 



due time by Mr. Clarence Sperry of the Big Tree Grove, proved of 

 course to be as black as in any other form of Californica, and Mr. 

 Belding's experience is but another reading of the old conundrum, 

 "When is a black berry red ? — when it is green." 



In a recent paper by Dr. H. H. Rusby, Professor of Botany and 

 Materia Medica in the College of Pharmacy, New York, entitled 

 " Cascara Sagrada and Its Allies," received through the courtesy of 

 Prof W. M. Searby, the author dissents from the view of the very 

 close relationship of the species, set forth by Professor Trelease and 

 by the writer, and dealing with them from the pharmacist's stand- 

 point, attempts to discriminate between R. Californica and R. 

 Piirshiana, first, by the relative strength of the medicinal extract; 

 second, by the habitat; third, by its dimensions; fourth, by the 

 wood; fifth, by the form and texture of the leaves; sixth, by the 

 fruit; seventh, by the external appearance of the bark and its cov- 

 ering of lichens; and eighth, by the character and arrangement of 

 the bast-bundles, resin-areas and medullary rays. 



The name " Cascara sagrada" certainly applies to Californica, 

 which IS a popular remedy in many places in California, especially 

 among the Mexican inhabitants, whose settlements reach not much 

 farther north than San Francisco, and are, therefore, not in the 

 region of typical Purshiana. 



It is not probable that botanists will seriously consider the greater 

 or less efficiency of the medicinal extract, as a means of distinguish- 

 mg species since variations in this respect are common In many 

 plants, and the questions of soil, exposure, climate, age of the 

 shrub, time of gathering, etc., have to be taken into consideration. 

 In his_ connection it should be remembered that the proper time of 

 gathering the bark must necessarily be different for at least each 

 degree of latitude. 



_ /?. Purshiana differs somewhat in habit from R. Californica, but 

 m the same respects and hardly as much as do other shrubs of a 

 similar range, and undisputed R. Californica varies in much wider 

 hmits. Thus in the sand hills of the western part of San Francisco 

 It gro^vs. m all exposed locations, prostrate and spreading on the 



foots oVr Vw' "'T '' '''' ^^^^"^ '^^ ^--^' ^^^^ infheltered 

 and?;f "t" 'r 7 ''''' "^">' °^ *^ ^^°°*^ -^ - blossom 



few m^e " r t"'" '" '^''''' ""^^'^'y' ^^^-^ O^---' only a 

 few miles away, tt makes small trees with distinct trunks ofte^ nearly 



