[88 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



My investigations in this interesting vicinity were not sufficiently 

 early in the season or extended in range to meet with C. megacarpus, 

 Nutt, the peculiar floral characters of which not coming under the 

 notice of Nuttall, have been noted by Professor Greene in Bull. Cal. 

 Acad., III., pp. 80-81. The change in nomenclature from C. macro- 

 carpus, Nutt., to C. metacarpus, Nutt., though clearly stated by Nuttall 

 himself (Nutt. Sylv., II., p. 46), has, strangely enough, not as yet 

 been taken up by recent systematic writers. As the validity of the 

 earlier C. macrocapus, Cav., of Mexico, is admitted (Hemsley's Biol. 

 Cen. Am., I., p. 199), there remains no valid reason for not accepting 

 the necessary correction which, though merely verbal, sufficiently dis- 

 tinguishes the separate species. 



C. impresses, Trelease, from the Santa Ynez Mountains, did not 

 come under my observation. Though imperfectly known, its well- 

 marked characters seem sufficiently to distinguish it. 



Reaching Oakland in mid-April, pleasant and commodious quarters 

 were kindly offered as a guest in the botanical eyrie where the Lemmon 

 Herbarium is located. Here, overlooking the busy, bustling town, 

 above its noise and dust, the verdant slopes encircling the bay of San 

 Francisco presented ever-attractive views. In the latter days of March, 

 Professor Greene had gathered from Mt. Tamalpais luxuriant flowering 

 specimens of a Ceanothus, which I soon recognized as the species 

 which, from imperfect material, I had characterized as C. ititricatus, 

 Parry, 1. c. To my surprise I also found, through Mr. Greene, that 

 the same species had been in cultivation for several years in the private 

 grounds of Professor Rivers, at Berkeley, as well as the University 

 Botanic Garden. So that the material for clearing up this species 

 seemed close at hand, without requiring the climb to the summit of Mt. 

 Tamalpais. It also suggested a strong probability, since verified, that 

 this might more properly belong to an old established species. In 

 order to verify the original facts, however, I visited the lower slopes of 

 Mt. Tamalpais on April 30th, finding the species fairly represented, then 

 in forming fruit, while at the same time the mountain slopes were bril- 

 liant with the profusely clustered thyrses of C. thyrsiflorus, Esch. Not 

 allowing this elegant display to distract my attention from its lowlier 

 compeer, which, a full month before had its flowering season, thus 

 obviating any risk of confused forms resulting from hybridization, I 

 note herewith the characters then and subsequently observed, postpon- 

 ing till later the question of its systematic relations, viz. : 



A densely-branched shrub, 3-8 feet in height, light or reddish-gray 



