34 Muhlenbergia, Volume 3 
This rough sketch of the geography of the county will give 
some idea of what may be expected botanically, for in the foot- 
hills and mountains, which comprise so much of the county’s 
territory, is where we will find the most interesting plants. 
At first we shall take up the flora by months, and it is our 
intention in the very near future to illustrate at least one species 
each month. 
JANUARY 
Owing to the lateness of the fall rains, and the long-contin- 
ued cold and wet weather after the rainy season did begin, the 
number of species found in bloom during January this year was 
small. T'wo years ago when we had an exceptionally favorable 
season, some of these species began to bloom in October. 
UMBELLULARIA CALIFORNICA (H. & A.) Nutt. Mountain 
laurel. Bay. . 
This beautiful tree is common in many places in the moun- 
tains of California, extending into southwestern Oregon. It hes 
also a considerable altitudinal range, occurring at elevations of 
between about 600 and 5000 feet. It prefers a moist soil, and 
is most common in and along ravines near mountain streams. 
It is a graceful tree, often thirty or forty feet high, not widely 
branched, the bark smooth and gray, the evergreen leaves thick 
and leathery, four or five inches long, about an inch wide, bright 
green and glossy. The small, shallow cup shaped greenish yel- 
low flowers are gathered in numerous little ball-like clusters, 
and present a very pleasing appearance in their setting of green. 
In our vicinity thick clumps of young saplings are common on 
the hills west of the town. The wood as well as the leaves is 
aromatic, hence one of the common names, bay tree. The 
fruit is not unlike that of the olive in appearance, and is ripe in 
the fall, usually in November or December. It is a member of 
the Lauraceae or laurel family, a family not well represented in 
temperate regions. 
