VOL. III.] Notes on Californian Plants. ' 353 



ably fi.x the sj3ecies; indeed, they differed only in having- the mark- 

 ings less distinct and well defined. But on the precipitous sides of 

 the surrounding grass-clad mountains, where every recess or gentler 

 acclivity was a thickly set bed of these flowers, all the color character 

 of the species vanished. Repeatedly I found it easy to gather from 

 one of these parterres a dozen flowers, each abundantly distinct for 

 a florist's variety, and some of which, if considered by themselves, a 

 botanist might well regard as distinct species. But with all the in- 

 termediate variations so profusely present the most diverse extremes 

 were traceable to the original form. 



A little study resolved these many-hued varieties into two series, 

 the one of lilacs and the other of yellows. In the former the range 

 of color proceeded from while through varying shades of lilac to a 

 deep purple, the extreme being the var. put-piirascens Watson. The 

 other series passed through similar gradations from very light yellow 

 to a bright lemon color, which may be identified with the var. cit- 

 rinus Baker.* Sometimes the petals were of uniform color through- 

 out, or were shaded from light to darker tints; in others a lilac petal 

 ]>assed into a yellow border above, or the reverse; others again were 

 yellow striate with hlac, or lilac with yellow. The upper and lower 

 spots of the normal flower were occasionally indicated in these va- 

 rieties, but in most instances were entirely obsolete. 



The glands were uniformly densely hairy, but varied much in size 

 and shape, being oblong, oval, or transversely flattened. In some 

 instances they were obsolescent. All the plants were slenderer 

 stemmed and fewer flowered than in the normal form, single flowered 

 specimens being common, and few exceeded a foot in height. The 

 flowers varied much in size, but were generally smaller than in the 

 type. The whole exhibition appeared to bean example of pure nat- 

 ural variation uninfluenced by hybridization, since no other species 

 was observed in the neighborhood. 



Considering how completely all distinctions of color and markings, 

 or of size and shape of gland, here break down, it becomes a question 

 as to what value can be placed on these characters in a group of 

 closely allied species which inhabit the same geographical region. 



In Dr. Wation's Revision of the N. A. Liliacea;, and in the Bot. of California this is referred as a 

 variety to C. lutens, Dou^l., the most natural disposition to make from herbarium specimens. But, 

 considering the associations with which it grows on these hillsides it is evident that Baker was right, 

 if the two species are to be kept up. 



