79 



NOTES ON ERIOGONE^. 



By Katharine Brandegee. 



Eriogonum giganteum Watsou, Proc. Am. Acad., xx, 371. On 

 Catalina Island this often forms a shrub 6 to 10 feet high, with a 

 trunk 3 or 5 inches in diameter, the branches near the top. This 

 arborescent form, if not entirely caused, is undoubtedly much assisted, 

 by the sheep gnawing away the lower branches. It is a showy 

 plant, with white foliage, and a dense whitish cyme, often a foot or 

 more in diameter. E. molle Greene, Pittonia, i, 207, seems not dis- 

 tinguishable except by its smaller size — -it appears never to make a 

 trunk; and the heads or cymes, so far as I have seen, are only a 

 few inches in diameter. Good specimens in late flower and fruit 

 were collected in 1886 by A. W, Anthony (No. 115), and young 

 plants are growing in our botanic garden. 



E. GIGANTEUM var. formosum. Branching from the base, rarely 

 arborescent; leaves densely white-tomentose on both sides, less so 

 above with age, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 5 to 8 cm. long, 13 

 to 20 mm. wide, on stout petioles 2 to 4 cm. long; cyme larger, looser, 

 and more foliaceous than the type; pedicels much longer and 

 exserted . 



Collected on San Clemente Island, by Dr. E. A. Mearns and 

 T. S. Brandegee, Aug., 1894. Type in the herbarium of T. S. 

 Brandegee, and now growing in our garden, from seeds of type. 



It is somewhat unexpected to find the type passing from Catalina 

 to a distant island, while the nearer shows a distinct variety. A 

 similar thing occurs with Lyonothamnus. The type is found only 

 on Santa Catalina, while the well-marked leaf-variety aspienifolius 

 occurs on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands to the north, and on 

 San Clemente to the south. 



Eriogonum peninsulare. Shrubby at base, 3 dm. or more 

 high, witii loose, shreddy bark, and intricate, somewhat geniculate, 

 leafy branches, which are pubescent, with spreading hairs; leaves 

 thickish, ovate or rounded, retuse, ciliate, sparingly pubescent, 

 1 to 2 cm. long; petioles half as long as the leaves; bracts 



Erythka, Vol. V, No. 7 [23 July, 1897]. 



