928 



THJS GARDENEB'B MONTHLY 



[^August, 



This shrnh often covers seven feet square from a 

 single root. 



Chilianthus Calijoniicus. — I found a single 

 plant of this growing on a ledge of limestone in 

 the Beaver Dam Mountains, S. E. Nevada, two 

 years ago Inst month. It was then in full leaf 

 In Soiitoniher following I found the same hush 

 in flower, and sent you flowers off it. I have 

 since found it growing amongst the rocks on the 

 Saven river, ahout forty miles from its source. 

 Its fine cut foliage and hardiness will make it a 

 desirahle shrub, if not already introduced. As it 

 seeds abundantl}', it will he easily dissemin- 

 ated. At the same time that I found the above 

 shrub in fiower, September, 1875, I found in a 

 wash leading north from the Rio Virgin, Chil- 

 opsis linearis in full bloom, and they were truly 

 very pretty. On the same day I found a Nail 

 Keg Cactus, Cerpiis Le Contei, about two feet 

 high and 16 inches in diameter, in full flower. 

 These usually grow in sheltered situations, where 

 the north wind does not strike them with its full 

 force, and it is interesting to see a hundred or 

 more of them ranged along in regular order just 

 under a ledge where they can have the warm 

 sun, as they face to the south. They are found 

 all sizes, from the size of a tea cup to four feet 

 high, and as large as a flour barrel. Owing to 

 the spines retaining their pinkish red color, and 

 being so firmly attached to the base, they make 

 very pretty mantel ornaments. I know a lady 

 who has two of them in use, and has had for 

 over a year, and she tells me that when they 

 begin to lose their color, she sprinkles them 

 with water, and they are as fresh and brilliant as 

 ever. Since I have wandered off from the shrubs 

 to the Cactus (well, these are my delight), I will 

 speak kindly of a few more of these sharp fel- 

 lows. Cereus Engelmannii is almost hardy, 

 grows to the height of 12 to 20 inches, often 

 eight or ten leaves from root. Some have black, 

 others cream colored spines, with scarlet flowers 

 about three and a half inches in length. The 

 petals are very pretty, looking like the feathers 

 of a Yellow-hammer's tail. They have edible 

 fruit, cool and refreshing, with a strawberry 

 flavor. 



Echinocactus Johnsonii is found only in the 

 Beaver Dam Mountains, and south-west of them 

 they grow on flat limestone rocks. Wherever a 

 handful of dirt can lodge you find one of these. 

 They grow to be six to eight inches high, with a 

 diameter at the base of about half that; spines 

 red or yellow. They are very ornamental. I 



have never found one of them in flower. It is 

 only very recently that these have been sent 

 out. 



Opuntia rutila, with very long, hairy-like white 

 spines, bearing a pinki.sh purple flower as large 

 as a large rose. This is probably the only Opun- 

 tia of any value in this locality, and it is a 

 beauty when in flower. 



We have a Cactus that grows in masses of from 

 three to five hundred, each leaf resembling the 

 cone of a pine tree; hence it is called the Thou- 

 sand flowering Cone Cactus. It is perfectly har- 

 dy, with dark, blood-red flowers, which are borne 

 in great profusion. I have not been able to get 

 it named yet. 



SEDUM QLAUCUM. 



This is a beautiful little carpeting or rock gar- 

 den plant, some two inches high, of very dense 

 and rapid growth, and almost but not quite 

 hardy. It maybe wintered like Othonna, under 

 stages or out-of-the-way places, a^yay from froat. 

 Every little bit grows, and as it withstands 

 drouths unflinchingly, it is an oversight to omit 

 a panel of this stone crop in the succulent beds 

 that are now becoming so fashionable. AlS a 

 carpet under isolated Agaves in little beds, it is 

 very applicable, as it covers the ground quite 

 neatly, and never deigns to raise its head intru- 

 sively amongst the massive leaves of its fleshy 

 companion. 



A COUPLE OF CALIFORNIA FRITILLARIAS 

 OR RICE ROOTS. 



BY H., SAN JUAN, CAL. 



F. lanceolata is one of the stateliest of its class, 

 and I think the most beautiful. Though found 

 frequently on dry hill-tops, it luxuriates in warm 

 slopes of rich, well-drained soil. There seems to 

 be two varieties as to ground color; one a yel- 

 low, the other a purple, with a plum-like bloom. 

 In other respects they are similar, having the 

 orthodox, dice-box shaped flower, from one to 

 one and a half inches deep, and one and a half to 

 two inches in width. The mottling is various, in 

 some appearing perfectly checkered, and the 

 edges of the leaves of the perianth are crimped 

 and scalloped. The flower stem rises frequently 

 to the height of three and a half feet, and bears 

 one or more whorls of brightly shining, lanceo- 



