CALIFORNIAN MANZANITAS. 485 



beauty, first collected in fraiting specimens by Mrs. M. K. 

 Curran in Lake County, in 1886, and during the present 

 season abundantly gathered in all stages of growth by the 

 writer, in the vicinity of Calistoga. Desirous of recogniz- 

 ing in some suitable wa}^ the facilities for botanical explora- 

 tion extended to myself and others in California by 

 Hon. Leland Stanford, I have, with his permission, dedi- 

 cated this interesting species, which I hope to be able to 

 introduce into cultivation, viz. : Ardostaphylos Stanfordiana, 

 to the memory of his son, Leland Stanford, Jr., whose name 

 is to be associated with a richly endowed institution for the 

 advancement of human knowledge. 



While postponing for the present the consideration'and 

 possible settlement of the vexed question of determining 

 just how far the aggregation of constant characters as the 

 result of enlarged exploration, may justify the raising of 

 sub-genera or sections to full generic rank — which is espe- 

 cially urgent in view of the polymorphous character which 

 is now assumed by the genus Ardostaplujlos in more recent 

 botanical works — I must content myself with a synoptical 

 arrangement of all the known species, heretofore included 

 in Section Uva-ursi, giving detailed descriptions of such 

 only as are new, or corrected notes of such as are imper 

 fectly known or wrongly defined. 



Preliminary to this, some general observations on the 

 ordinary botanical features, that may aid in discriminating 

 species as observed in the field, is herewith submitted. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Notwithstanding considerable diversity in habit and 

 growth, varying from low procumbent to almost arbores- 

 cent forms, this Uva-ursi group presents certain uniform 

 features, probably justifying its retention as a distinct 

 genus, under the earliest applied name, ArctostaphyloSy 

 Adans., separated generically from the other allied groups 



