PLANTS FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA. 125 



intoxicating "mescal;" the leaves and twigs of Prosopis 

 are excellent grazing for mules, and " burros" live upon Bur- 

 sera Hindsiana when grass has disappeared. Lippia gives a 

 fragrance to cooking meats, and different plants under the 

 name of " damiana" are used as a substitute for tea. Many 

 have reputed medicinal virtues and supply nearly all the 

 medicines used. Larrea and Euphorbia are held in high 

 esteem for their curative properties, and it is difficult to 

 find any common, ill-smelling plant that, for some ailment 

 or other, is not " buena para medecina." 



The vegetation of a country shows unerringly the charac- 

 teristics of its climate, and the list of plants collected in 

 Lower California recalls the dry and arid regions of Arizona 

 and Sonora. 



The accompanying map, a reduced copy of one published 

 by the Coast Survey and carried during the trip, shows the 

 route travelled. The many names might convey an impres- 

 sion that it was a thickly settled country, but it must be 

 remembered that they are only the local names for springs, 

 water holes and in some instances of " dry camps," where 

 the distance to next water was a day and a half of travel. 

 Very few people live on the Peninsula between San Ignacio 

 and San Fernando, and. during two weeks of travel, some- 

 times not a single person w^as to be seen. 



One of the results of this trip has been the re-collecting of 

 the little-known plants from Magdalena Bay, described in 

 the Botany of H. M. S. Sulphur, and many points left 

 doubtful by the fragmentary specimens at Mr. Bentliam's 

 command, have been thus cleared up. It is much to be regret- 

 ted that the limited facilities for transportation and oppor- 

 tunities for drying plants, especially on the long overland 

 journey, prevented the making of many duplicates. 



Among the many persons to whom thanks are due for 

 courtesies and assistance, special mention must be made of 

 Mr. J. P. Hale, wdiose guest I was during my sojourn in his 

 extensive domains. 



