22 THE PLANT WORLD. 



Ptilepida argentea (A. Gray), formerly Actinella argentea A. Gray, 

 Mem. Am. Acad. (II) 4: 100. 1849. It is a beautiful plant, with large 

 yellow flowers, and silvery, canescent leaves. It is also found well up 

 on the mountain sides east of the town. Pcntsteiiwn Fendleri occurred 

 at intervals, and appears to grow only on these hills. It is a low plant, 

 rarely over fifteen inches high, and bears beautiful blue-purple flowers. 

 Of late years it has been confused with a very different plant whose 

 home is in the far Northwest. 



Two species of Astragalus, A. cyaneus and A. diphysiis, were 

 rather plentiful. Both were originally described from specimens col- 

 lected on these hills by Fendler. The flowers are purplish, and the 

 latter species has bladdery, curved pods, mottled with purple. 



Everywhere, clinging closely to the ground, were showy, yellow- 

 flowered plants of Lesqnerella intermedia ( S. Wats.), {Lcsqiierella al- 

 pina, var. interjnedia S. Wats. Syn. Fl. N. Am. i: Pt. i, Fasc. i, 117. 

 1895). It differs from L. alpina of the northern Rocky Mountains, in 

 having a stouter stem, broader and blunter leaves, and larger flowers. 

 The petals are also narrower, and the pods are of a different shape, 

 being rounded and blunt, instead of pointed. 



Another plant found only on these hills, is Linum piiberiilum 

 (Engelm.), iyLinuvi rigidnni, vox. puberuliim Engelm. PI. Wright, i: 

 25. 1852.) It is a small plant as a rule, branched from the base, has 

 entire leaves, no involucral leaves below the calyx, the flowers are al- 

 most copper-colored, with a darker center, and are rather small for 

 the group to which it belongs. The seed pods are also small. 



Several species of Evening Primroses flourished in suitable situa- 

 tions. One of these, Anogra albicaulis, was very plentiful on grassy 

 slopes, making a very pretty showing with its large white flowers. 

 They open in the evening and close early the next forenoon, although 

 on cool, cloudy days some belated blossoms can be found as late as 

 eleven o'clock. The above are only a few examples of the early spring 

 flowers, which day by day give way to others " too numerous to men- 

 tion." 



Of the summer bloomers, the most abundant one, clothing the 

 hills and plain with its wealth of golden blossoms, was Ptilepida flori- 

 bunda (A. Gray), [^ Actinella Richardsonii, var. floribmida A. Gray, 

 Mem. Am. Acad. (II) 4: loi. 1849.) This species has a more ex- 

 tended range than the majority of the others mentioned, as it also oc- 

 curs in Colorado and Utah, but the original specimen was collected 

 at Santa Fe by Fendler. It is much taller and more branching than 

 the plant to which it was first referred as a variety, the branches form- 

 ing a broad fastigiate cyme, with smaller flowers. There are several 

 other distinguishing characters which are constant. 



