CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTERN BOTANY NO. 15 ^7 



he stated that this might have been called Tanquilla canon by some. 

 Tanqui canon means the canon of tanks, water-holes, and Tanquillas 

 would mean little tanks. And this is what is found at Tanqui canon. 



significance 



be 



would be the rendesvous for men traveling by burro. It was for a Ion-; 

 time an Indian settlement There are two groups of palms, the first 

 a little niche in the range where water seeps and where about 40 palm^ 

 grow now. None of these trees is over 30 feet high. Thy were fn.*il- 

 ing copiously when I was there. All belong to the typical species no •/ 

 called Washington filifera, and none are like the var. robusta. Tlie 

 petioles vary from very spinose to almost bare of spines on the same 

 tree, and the leaves are very filiferous. The flowers seem perfect, b'jt 

 few of them set. The flowers are about 5^4 inch long and a'e v,hitp. 

 From beneath each bract on the rope-like peduncle ari.srs a panicle of 

 flowers which is about six to 18 inches loner. The floral c''ust(r 

 droops and is 6-8 feet long, longer than the reflexed old haves, ]mr\^^ 



composed of about half a dozen panicles and each panicle suhtenr'ed by 



a long sheathing bract which splits with age. The lower bracts a 

 often a foot or more long. The leaves are apple-green, the blades bein.; 

 about 2 feet long, and each section copiously filiferous with white threads. 



In the Botany of California vol. 2 p 211, and in Proc. AM. Acad. 

 11 146 1867 Waston first uses the term "Tantillas Mountains'*. So to 

 the illiterate Dr. Palmer rather than to Orcutt belongs the .^titrma 0^ 

 inventing the mythical canon, though Orcutt used the term "Tantilln^ 

 Canon.'' Palmer was notoriously ignorant. The thing that ar^e-ts t'^^ 

 interest of botanists is the type locality of several new species attribute'l 

 to Tantillas Canon by Orcutt. It is now certain that Orcutt did not 

 c:et the new species accredited to the canon at the tanks, Tanqui Canon, 

 but on the road between Campo or the Valley of Palms and the Canon, 

 or in going over the range to the south of Campo. The exact locality 



determined till someone follows the old trail from Tia 



J 



species there. Brandegee in Zoe, 88 speak 



■M 



such place. 



miles below the foundry n^ar Campo, .but thene .is :ni> 



