42 
visit been made two months later, I was assured that not a flower 
would have been in sight. 
The sandy slopes around Caldera, especially where the soil 
was shaded by rocks, bore quite a number of species, the most 
common of which was a dusty—looking composite (Azcelia tomen- 
tosa, Walp.) wlth pale yellow ligulate flowers, known popularly 
as Corona de fraile, so-called from the convex mass of disk 
flowers which remind one of the shaven crown of a priest’s head. 
Several other species of Composite also occur in this vicinity, 
such as Polyachyrus fuscus, Walp., a tomentose plant with much 
dissected leaves and showy, oblong, close-flowered heads of 
purple florets, Chuguiraga acicularis, Don., a half shrubby, 
bushy, and very forbidding plant, which has crowded spine- 
tipped leaves, and small heads with yellow spinescent scales, and 
a Closia, the flowers and odor of which put one in mind of our 
Chamomile. Two delicate Cuscutas twined about small plants 
on the open sand, one of them with silk-like stems and white 
flowers, and the other with masses of purple blossoms. Both of 
these are popularly named ‘“‘Cabellos de angel,’ Angel’s hair. 
Lying close against the sides of rocks was a queer Asclepiadace- 
ous shrub known as Cynoctonum viride, Phil. The stock which 
manages to survive the summer is short and stumpy, with a thick 
head like an old pollard willow, from which it sends out new green 
shoots whenever the winter rain falls. Out upon the open sand 
one frequently meets with Frankenia aspera, Ph., throwing its 
dark colored branches over the ground, Scilla triflora, Ph., a 
bulbous plant with erect stems and racemes of pretty white flowers, 
and Oenothera Coguimbensis, Spach., one of the species noticeable 
for commencing to flower when not much larger than a needle, 
and continuing the process till it is two feet in height. Here too 
I collected several species of Eritrichium, Heliotropium, Osteocar- 
pus, Tetragonia, and other plants which there is no room to 
mention. 
After rambling over the Caldera sands till my feet grew weary, 
I made a number of expeditions on horseback and by rail to more 
distant points. One of these was. to a gorge among the hills 
seven or eight miles north of Caldera, known to the people as the 
“Quebrada (ravine) de los leones.” 1 was informed that the name 
