ARCTOSTAPHYLOS. 33 



Taking up the species in regular order, we note as follows : 



1. A. Uva-ursa, L. This is sufficiently well characterized by its 

 peculiar habit and its geographical range. Its smooth, bright red fruit, 

 leather copious granular pulp (in which its nutritive qualities reside), 

 and easily separable cells, only rarely coalescing, apparently justifies 

 the application of the name '■'■bear berry,'" though repeated in three 

 languages. 



2. A. Andersoni, Gray. Well characterized by its deep green foli- 

 age; its oblong, sharply serrate, hastate, or cordate leaves; its viscid, 

 glandular, depressed, deeply umbilicate fruit ; drupe with its irregularly 

 coalescent nutlets strongly carinate and deeply pitted in the intervals; 

 mealy pulp rather copious, and closely adherent to the putamen ; epi- 

 carp dull brick red. 



3. A. tometitosa, Dougl. ( unfortunately named as full oftener smooth 

 than pubescent ). As far as my imperfect observations go, this species 

 is best characterized by very irregular, coherent nutlets, not carinate 

 or roughened externally, but easily extracted from the close-grained 

 pulp as a smooth, unec[ually lobed drupe, generally closely adherent, 

 and when more regular in outline nearly approaching A. glaiica; cells 

 usually seven, nearly all fertile. 



4. A. pung^ens, H. B. K. This exceedingly variable and widely- 

 spread species, best known as the '' Matizafiita" (or little apple), is 

 easily recognized in its typical form as met with in the foot-hills of the 

 Sierra-Nevada. It is here a clumpy bush, branching close to the 

 ground, with smooth, mahogany-colored bark, peaHng off in flakes; 

 rather dull evergreen foliage ; its conspicuous white clusters of flowers 

 appearing as early as December, in the lower valleys ; fruit maturing 

 in July, smooth, brownish-red (or occasionally white before fading), 

 thin ejjicarp enclosing rather copious granular pulp, sub-acid, and 

 somewhat astringent; nutlets irregularly coalescent, often in pairs, 

 rarely all separate, keeled and roughened externally, of a dark color, 

 with thick putamen, five, to seven cells, generally fertile. 



In other districts, extending over a wide range of territory, an end- 

 less variety of forms are met with, probably including A. Hookeri, 

 Don., A. Nevadefisis, Gray, and A. pitmila, Nutt. Of these latter, my 

 complete observations apply only to A. Hookeri, which was carefully 

 watched during an entire season of growth. The specimens observed 

 were met with in I.one-Mountain Cemetery, near San Francisco, and 

 have been long recognized by California botanists as A. piimila. It is 

 here a low, prostrate shrub; leaves oval, reticulate, one-half to one inch 



[Proc, D. a. N. S., Vol. IV.] 5 [Jan. 12, 1884.] 



