356 A Trip Ihroiigh Southeastern Utah. [zoe 



conspicuous. On each side of a slight depression, which was a rise 

 compared with our starting place, the bands of strata were tipped 

 up slanting towards each other, and plainly matching. It was from 

 this break in the strata that the canon began, which at first imper- 

 ceptibly, but later more decidedly, became deeper and deeper, until 

 when we reached the Grand River, the rocky walls seemed to rise 

 perpendicular for a thousand feet at least, and here and there were 

 carved into wonderful and weird outlines by the action of the air 

 and water. The vegetation constantly changed, for we were not 

 only descertding, but also passing from the flora of the plain to that 

 of the canon. 



It was a day full of delight; new plants were constantly seen, and 

 some that may be new species were collected. Lupinus pusillus was 

 so abundant over large areas that the earth seemed to mirror the 

 sky, while occasionally the rarer Lupinus Shockleyi was also seen; 

 Cleomella plocaspernia, or a nearly allied form, was found growing in 

 a small tract with a most peculiar and new Phacelia. Eriogonnni 

 inflatnni was common over miles of country, and it was noticeable 

 that the amount of swelling at the nodes varied from absolutely n< )ne 

 to more than an inch in diameter. The plants destitute of inflation 

 were small and weak, compared with the others, and the question 

 arose as to the cause of the difference. The evolutionist would 

 regard the variation as an illustration and living proof of the forma- 

 tion of a new species, and would look upon the plants without infla- 

 tion as the original from which the inflated forms arose. The infla- 

 tion is a feature especially beneficial to a desert, slender-stemmed 

 annual and undoubtedly takes the place of the involucral bracts that 

 most Eriogonums possess. It furnishes the surface essential to the 

 vital functions of the plant during the ripening of the fruit, since the 

 leaves at the root, by which the plant was enabled to raise its stem 

 and spread out its branches, become dried into dust long before the 

 flowers are gone, and often before they are in bloom. It can easily 

 be seen what an advantage the inflated plants have over the others 

 in the struggle for existence, and they show their superiority in 

 greater size and abundance. They even crowd out other plants and 

 almost usurp the soil. New Astragali were continually seen, and 

 were collected in both flower and fruit. Gilia Gunnisoni, Biscutella 

 Wislizeni, Coloptera Neivberrvi and Asclepias involiicrata grew on a 



