BOTANIZING IN THE LA PLATA MOUNTAINS. 31 



Peak. From here we returned to Durango and home, Prof. Tracy- 

 spending a week at or near Durango. 



The result of this month's work was about 25,000 well-prepared 

 specimens, and this in spite of the fact that our efforts were some- 

 what retarded by frequent rains. The collection includes a number 

 of novelties and a number of things described from this region, but 

 never before distributed to herbaria. 



About Mancos the lower foothills are covered with an abundant 

 growth of Amelanchier alnifolia and Peraphyllum ramosissimum; Q>\h&v 

 shrubs like Cercocarpus, Ribes and Fendlera are occasional. Growing 

 among these shrubs we found Pentstemon ccespitosus, Balsamorhtsa, 

 Astragahis amphioxys, A. Wingatanus, A. scopiiloruui, Hcdysariim 

 Mackenzii, Lcsquerella Paliiieri, Physaria didyinocarpa, var. Newber- 

 ryi, a new Lupinus and other interesting things. 



In the river bottom we found Thalictiim Fendleri, var. Wrightii, 

 Silenc Mensiesii, Rosa Arkansana, Geranium c ce spit sum, Prunus 

 demissa, DelpJiiniiim scaposum, Peucedanum Grayi, Astragalus Hayde- 

 nianus. 



In the higher foothills came a zone of the Piiion {Pinus edulis) 

 and the Juniper {Juniperus occidentalis). Here, among other things, 

 we found Ceanothus Fendleri, Hosackia puberula, Chcenactis and several 

 Eriogonums. 



Above the Piiion {Pimis edulis), we find Pinus ponder osa, and 

 above this a rich and extended growth of Englemann's Spruce {Picea 

 Englemanni). The most conspicuous genera in the Picea zone were 

 Wyethia, Lupinus, Valeriana, Hydrophyllum, Populus, Fragaria, 

 Pedicularis, Ribes, Symphoricarpos, Mertensia and Potentilla. 



High up, 10,000 to 13,000 feet, we found the usual run of Alpine 

 genera, and there the " fun grew fast and furious." We frequently 

 came in with both arms and back " loaded to the guards," and many 

 days saw sixteen to eighteen hours of hard labor. Several marked 

 differences were noted between the Alpine flora here and that of 

 northern Colorado. Here Ranunculus Macauleyi, supposed to be rare, 

 was very common and took the place of Ranuculus adoneus in the 

 north. The mat-like Paronychias and Arenarias were absent from 

 the bald summits visited, while a number of things were found here 

 which had not been previously seen by the writer in similar localities 

 in northern Colorado. 



One of the richest lots taken on the trip came from the dry sage 

 plains below Mancos. It is here that some distinctly southwestern 

 things find their most northerly extension. This character of country 

 affords many queer Chenopodiaceae and some fine Leguminoseae. In 

 this lot might be noted Physalis Fendleri, a new Gilia, Pentstemon 



