CHLOROGALUM POMERIDANUM. 



BY MRS. EMMA BUZEK. 



A MONG the first plants to show signs of renewed activity 

 ^~^ after the winter rains in California are over is the soap 

 root {Chlorogahini pomeridanum) . Last year early in March, 

 while climbing the hills I saw clusters of leaves with blades of 

 bright green, rippled along a midrib from two to three feet 

 long. They were beautiful, and I anticipated something rare 

 when the plant should blossom. A few weeks later, thinking it 

 about time for the flowers to appear, I went to see them, but 

 found all signs of life gone ; a few dry, brown leaves were all 

 that remained to indicate where the plant had been. I was 

 much disappointed, and promised myself I would watch more 

 closely another year. 



The following July I was walking in the same region, 

 and came upon a slender stalk growing from the spot where I 

 had seen the clustered leaves ; this stalk grew rapidly to the 

 height of five or six feet, with widespreading branches, so that it 

 looked like a small tree. Every afternoon at about four o'clock 

 the branches were covered with the dantiest little flowers of 

 lily shape, giving promise of seeds in abundance for my col- 

 lection. 



After the seeds matured I decided to examine the roots of 

 this wonderful plant which could produce such a luxuriant 

 growth of leaves, such beautiful flowers, and such quantities of 

 seeds on a dry hill side where everything else had given up 

 the struggle long ago. So with knife and trowel I proceeded 

 to dig it up, finding it more of a task than I had supposed. I 

 dug until I had a hole about eighteen inches deep, dry and hard 

 to the bottom ; I was fast becominng discouraged when my 

 trowel went into a cavity, and the hard work was over. 



This cavity was eight inches in diameter, and exactly the 

 shape of the bulb which had shrunk to half that size; a thick 

 coat of ragged brown fibres surrounded the bulb, many of 



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