SOME OREGON EXOTICS 



By J. C. Nelson. 



/^\N June 2, 1917, Mr. M. W. Gorman and the writer made 

 ^^ an excursion to the steep wooded cliff known as Elk- 

 Reck, on the left bank of the Willamette about seven miles 

 south of Portland, Oregon. Our primary object was to look 

 for the very local Poa alcca at the station where it was first 

 reported by C. V. Piper ; and in this we were successful, as the 

 Poa was abundant near the base of the rock below the level 

 of the railroad trestle. But our exploration of the rock 

 revealed another plant that to our knowledge has not been 

 before reported from the West. A winding path leads up the 

 rock from the suburban station at the base to the beautiful 

 estate of Mr. Peter Kerr on the summit. Forcing our way 

 through the dense shrubbery bordering this path, we found 

 the wet shaded rocks covered with vegetation. Along with 

 Saxifraga Mertensiana and S. Nitttallii we soon observed in 

 abundance another yellow-flowered Saxifraga that was wholly 

 unfamiliar, and which we were unable to determine. It had 

 every appearance of being a native, and it did not occur to 

 either of us to surmise that it might be introduced. Had we 

 found it along the margin of the path, where some rock- 

 loving species had at an earlier date been transplanted, we 

 might have guessed it to be exotic ; but it seemed to prefer 

 more remote situations, and was nowhere associated with in- 

 troduced species until the summit of the rock was reached. 

 Here we found in the spacious grounds about the residence 

 a beautifully laid-out rock-garden, through which we were 

 shown by the courteous and intelligent English gardener: and 



