CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTERN BOTANY NO. IS 49 



r 



and Is the most graceful of the species. It has the trunk of typical 

 filifera and the leaves of the var. robusta, but not so long, but each pleat 

 in 'the leaves of the mature trees splits off from the rest of the blade at 

 least to the middle and droops and, like the aspen leaves, is perpetually 

 fluttering, and is long-linear. The threads on the margins vary greatly, 

 and usually get tied into knots after a while, suggesting little nests, or 

 fungus nodes. This form is either monoecious or dioecious or perfect. 

 There seem to be far more male trees than female. This extends north- 

 Avard at least to Guaymas. All the leaves of all the forms of this speciies 

 are apple-green. This variety has a wider range than the rest. It U 

 abundant in the canons of the Laguna mountains, along the water courses 

 and also grows among the live oaks on the hillsides about 3,000 feet alti- 

 iUde and up at least to 4,000 feet altitude. It is also common around 

 all the settlements along the river beds, growing with the cccoanuts. It 



roots 



;outhem 



occurs in long and drooping panicles, the whole longer than the leavc!^^, 

 having strap-shaped bracts about a foot or two long and ^2 to 3 inches 

 wide and white, and very conspicuous beneath each cluster of flowers, tbi: 

 clusters hang racemosely from the whiplike peduncles, much as buncher> of 

 grapes, one cluster beneath each bract. The green fniit as^ It near^ 

 maturity is rather brick-colored, becoming when dead ripe a shining black, 

 and a little oblately spherical and about S to 6 mm. long, with a juicv 

 and sweet pulp about 1 mm. thick inclosing the single seed, Vv'hich is 

 almost reniform and hard and bony. The Truit 'is ripe in November and 



n to bloom in June, as a rule. The trees appear to bloom 



every ten years or thereabouts. 



The flowers of Washinsrtonia filifera var. robusta have the calyx 





cylindrical and with erect and very short lobes. The corolla lol^es 

 reflexed abruptly at end of calyx and are pearly white when Tresh, and 

 about 1 cm. long, becoming dirty with age. The filaments are subulate 

 and with versatile anthers linear and arched. 



On Dec. 14, 1928, 1 had an exceptional opportunity to sludy the 

 critical palms of our region, in company wdth Mr. Thackary, and with 

 others of the Yuma Exp. stations. In the last two weeks the Washing- 

 tonias have come into full fruit, and seeds beginning to fall throughout 

 .^^outhern California. This recent trip enabled me to see the type locality 

 and type trees of Cook's Washingtonia Arizonica, and Er}'thea Brandegci 

 in frjit. The specific margin between E. armata'arid'^.'^randegei is~very 

 slight, and hinges on the panicle of flowers in Brandegei which is that of 

 edulis, that is, an open and wide panicle of uniform structure throughout, 

 about 3 feet long by 1.5 feet wide, and decidedly shorter than the leaves 

 and on a short peduncle. The seeds are those of E. armata, and the 

 leaves differ but little except that they are green and only slightly glaucous 

 in Brandecjei. Otherwise there is no noticeable diffrence in the two 

 =pecies. Thry have the same slender trunk, and narrow petioles, the 

 bases of vrhich hug the trunk closely and remain on'for many }TaTS, the 

 t ees. not being self -pruning as In edulis. 



