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The Journal of Heredity 



a few years' time it was shown, how- 

 ever, that only some of the North 

 American grapes and hybrids derived 

 from them were phylloxera resistant, 

 and the African species fell once more 

 into oblivion. About 1900 Doctor Fenzi 

 happened to obtain seeds of Vitis 

 capensis from one of the botanic gar- 

 dens in Holland, and the few plants 

 raised were used for hanging baskets. 

 It was soon discovered that they pro- 

 duced tubers abundantly and that the 

 vines made very luxuriant growth. 

 This plant has now become popular in 

 California under the name of "Ever- 

 green Grapevine," and is unexcelled 

 for pergolas and arbors. The glossy 

 green leaves are persistent throughout 

 the year, and the dark purple berries 

 can be used for making jellies and pre- 

 serves. 



Buddie ia madagascariensis. — For 

 scrambling over boulders and stone 

 walls, this vine has proved to be excel- 

 lently adapted. Many years before 

 he left Italy, Doctor Fenzi had ad- 

 mired the species on a sea wall at Posi- 

 lipo, near Naples. During his first 

 year in California he sent over for 

 seeds, which were finally received and 

 planted, but failed to germinate. The 

 second year he tried again, and suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining young seedlings, 

 all of which died within a short time. 

 The third year seed was again pro- 

 cured, and two dozen plants were 

 successfully raised. 



Lyonothamniis florihundus var. as- 

 plenifolius. — This is the beautiful fern- 

 leaved Ironwood or Palo fierro, which 

 grows only on the islands of Santa 

 Cruz and Santa Rosa, off the coast of 

 California. It had been known to 

 botanists for a short time, but had 

 never been introduced on the mainland, 

 when, in November, 1894, Doctor 

 Fenzi spent a week on Santa Cruz 

 Island, and after trying in vain to 

 find small seedlings, he decided to dig 

 an old stump and take it home to his 

 garden. Being alone, and with no 

 tools but a small pick and a pocket saw, 

 it took three hours to do this, and then 

 it had to be carried a mile to the beach. 

 It was so heavy that Doctor Fenzi 

 had to stop and rest every fifty steps 



over the entire distance. But finally 

 it was brought home, and planted in 

 the lath house at Montecito. In five 

 or six months it began to sprout, and 

 when a year later Doctor Fenzi moved 

 to Santa Barbara it was transplanted 

 to his new place, where it is still grow- 

 ing, and blooms and seeds with each 

 returning year. 



Taxodium niiicronatum — This is the 

 Montezuma or Chapultepec Cypress, 

 a majestic tree famed in the history of 

 the conquest of Mexico, and closely 

 related to our redwoods or Sequoias 

 and to the Bald Cypress of the Gulf 

 States. Doctor Fenzi had many times 

 admired the specimen planted by Ten- 

 ore, who originally described the spe- 

 cies, in the Botanic Garden at Naples. 

 Seeds were obtained from there and 

 elsewhere, year after year, but they 

 always failed to germinate. Finally, 

 after ten years of unsuccessful effort he 

 obtained from the Federal Park at 

 Chapultepec, Mexico, seeds which ger- 

 minated, and from which were raised 

 the fine specimens now so greatly 

 admired at Santa Barbara and else- 

 where in California. 



Asparagus scandens var. deflexiis. — 

 In 1897 seeds of this species were 

 received from the Botanic Garden at 

 Cambridge, England. From them were 

 obtained the first plants ever raised 

 in this country. It did not take long 

 for the merits of the plant to become 

 appreciated, for it is much finer and 

 more graceful than Asparagus spren- 

 geri. By many people it unfortunately 

 became confused with Asparagus de- 

 ciimhens, through the sim larity of the 

 names. 



Acacia podalyriaefolia. — In the year 

 1900, Doctor Fenzi received seeds of 

 this species from Australia, and suc- 

 ceeded in raising two or three dozen 

 plants, which seemed to be more diffi- 

 cult to handle than other species of 

 Acacia. Three of these eventually 

 became good sized trees — one at Red- 

 lands, one at Pomona, and one near 

 Pasadena. Since they commenced to 

 bloom, much attention has been at- 

 tracted to the species, which is one of 

 the most beautiful of the Acacias. 



