148 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



grass and the worthless weed, filling iip the beds of rivers, and thereby 

 immensely increasing swamps and malarious fens, till the race removes, 

 or cretinism and reptiles creep in and croak unmolested amid the gloomy 

 solitudes. What then avails the famed Italian sky, bright silver-lined 

 clouds in gold and roj'al purple, and generous rain storms! They but 

 sweep down in cursed fury — cursed, not by God, but man ! They destroy, 

 but do not water; they inundate, but do not refresh; they only come as 

 transient phenomena, that leave the waste still more barren. 



We cannot better close this important subject than by giving in sub- 

 stance a short historical relation, leaving to the reader its a])plication : 

 During the middle ages there was an uninterrupted pine forest from 

 Danzig to Pillau, on the Baltic. King Frederick 1 needed money; a 

 certain individual who wished to ingratiate himself with his sovereign 

 said, that if he was willing to put away useless (!) things, he could get 

 money without taxing; and the result was he began to cut down the 

 woods. The financial operation was a success, i. e. the King had money. 

 But ill fares the State to this day — winds sweep over the bare hills, and 

 even the bays have been destroyed ; reeds fill the swamps, which extend 

 continually inland; fisheries languish, and are well nigh gone. In vain 

 were all exertions to fasten the land by oats, willows, and trailing plants; 

 the wind now laughs to scorn such futile exertions! Yes, financiering 

 gave the King two hundred thousand dollars; and to-day the State is 

 willing to pay millions to have their sweet a^olian woods once more! 



Purple Clintonia — ( Clintonia Andrewesiana — Tor.) 



As from the great bosom of nature all may draw somewhat of interest, 

 so in our notices of the Califbrnian vegetation, we propose to invite the 

 public attention to some of the most striking and rare objects of horti- 

 cultural and rural ornament, as well as those of nse in the most restricted 

 sense. We therefore select as a sample this jiurple lily of the valley, for 

 the reason that it is a new native plant, now for the first time illustrated, 

 and still little known. 



The steni seen in the figure, (No. 1,) rises from a somewhat fleshy, 

 upwardly curved, creeping root, throwing off numerous descending 

 fibres, and clothed at the base with lance-pointed sheathing scales. The 

 leaves mostly spring from this short root stock, and are six inches to a 

 foot long and three to five broad, narrowed and sheathing below, very 

 smooth, and alike green on both sides, with regular nerves running from 

 the base to the apex, like the common plantain ; the upper leaves (when 

 present) are more lance-shaped, clasping, and each side running down 

 the flower stem. The purple flowers are chiefly terminal, in an umbellate 

 head, but usually with a partial or rudimcntar}- close set umbel, and a 

 few scattering flowers below from the axils of minuter flower leaves. 



The most remarkable feature of beauty, and one we deem quite unique, 

 is the peculiar ultramarine blue of the berries. We often see pale blue 

 bloom and ])urple blue, but I cannot now recal any other instance of this 

 peculiar, charming blue. 



This plant abounds in the loose, shady soils of our redwoods. 



Plants of the Solomon Seal affinity, like the present, are considered 

 stimulant, diuretic, and of mild tonic, mucilaginous, and restorative 

 properties. 



Dedicated to Doctor Andrews, late of this State, an energetic botanist 

 and collector, and a member of the California Academy of Natural 

 Sciences. 



