A COLLECTION OF PLANTS FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA, 1889. 



BY TOWNSHEND S. BllANDEGEE. 



On the morning of January 11th, the writer landed at the 

 small settlement known as Magdalena Bay, situated upon 

 Magdalena Island near the Avestern coast of Southern Baja 

 California. The sky w^as cloudless, the sun was bright, the 

 air warm and delightful, and best of all, the shores of the 

 bay and sides of the hills abounded with strange and inter- 

 esting plants in full bloom. Magdalena Island is a range 

 of hills or mountains, a mile or more wide and about twelve 

 miles long, continued northward as a narrow strip of sand 

 to the high, rocky promontory, Cape San Lazaro, then as 

 a sand flat again to the Boca de Soledad. Most of this long 

 distance is separated from the mainland by a channel of 

 water, called upon the map " Lagoon." These lagoons are 

 continued northward to San Jorge, forming a smooth inland 

 passage for boats. There are three " bocas " north of 

 Magdalena Bay through w^liich the tides rush in and out, 

 meeting at certain well known points. These lagoons or 

 " esteros " are generally fringed with bushes or small trees 

 of Bhizopliora, fifteen feet high, that at low tide seem like a 

 small forest standing on a framework or on stilts. In some 

 places the branches and roots, near high tide mark, are 

 covered with shellfish of some kind, giving rise to a com- 

 mon saying that oysters grow on trees. In the mountains 

 and on the sand flats about the town of Magdalena Bay, one 

 hundred and fifty-six species of plants were found, many of 

 them to be seen at no other place, excepting Santa Mar- 

 garita Island. No large trees grow on Magdalena Island, 

 and the only arborescent vegetation is Veatchia, but Bursera 

 HindMana, Jatropha canescens, Mayteiuis and Fouqideria be- 

 come almost tree-like. The sand flats are covered with an 

 annual Jhronia that fills the air with its fragrance; along 



2d Ser., Vol. II. November 12, 1889. 



