VOL. IV.] Contributions to Westei^n Botany. 367 



vegetation as whole, and no possible means of distribution of 

 seeds except that of the wind and birds, the former quite strong 

 and the latter very scarce. The elevation of the region is at its 

 lowest along the river at or near Tree's Ferry, about 3000 feet 

 above the sea, and is warm enough for figs, almonds, and possibly 

 ■oranges; the upper end is at Green River, Utah (not Wyo), 

 and Grand Junction, Colorado, a little over 4000 feet above the 

 sea, and a most admirable place for grapes, peaches, etc. The 

 rainfall will not average over ten inches and for the most part 

 will not exceed six ;inches. The soil is a tenacious and very 

 barren clay for the most part, though it is gravelly and sandy on 

 the mesas bordering the region. The species of plants found 

 peculiar to it so far are about sixty, possibly not so many; the 

 species of mammals and reptiles, etc., so far found are about a 

 dozen. There are a number of new insects, but I do not know 

 just how many. The number of species that are identical with 

 the Upper Sonoran of S. Utah and N. Arizona is not very great, 

 but the general character of the life is Sonoran. The climate is 

 very hot and dry; water is scarce except on the rivers which 

 simply pass through the region. The region is almost unin- 

 habited and never can support much life; game is scarce, 

 and it is a veritable desert. The country is simply a great 

 trough with branches, and is bordered with lofty cliffs of 

 crumbling sandstones of Triassic age which make it a very 

 difficult thing to traverse it except by long detours. At some 

 other time I will try to give a list of the flora and fauna of the 

 region, and show its relation to the surrounding ones. 



II. SOME NEW SPECIES. 



/ PHI.OX ALBOMARGINATA n. sp. Allied to P. CCESpitosa, 

 •densely matted flowering stems mostly simple, i to 3 inches 

 high or none, erect or ascending, i to 3 flowered, usually i-flow- 

 ered; leaves 2 to 3 lines long, i to lyi wide, rigid, spreading, 

 acerose, ovate to lanceolate, usually the latter; general appear- 

 ance light green, mid-rib narrow and not prominent, margins 

 cartilaginous, thick, white, glabrous except the coarsely hispid 

 ■ciliate base, inner surface (that inside the cartilaginous edge) dark 



' green, rather loosely pubescent, with short, coarse, white hairs 

 ojQ both sides; internodes longer than the leaves, argular, white 



( 



