304 PLANT.?: KOV^ THURBERIAN-C. 



" At Sau Felipe, a miserable Indian village, the country begins to put on a barren 

 aspect, and oaks and other trees are no longer met with. The sterile table-lands bear 

 only stunted Mezquit, Larrea, and other plants characteristic of the dry North-Mexican 

 flora. At this place a new Zizyphus, with a very large and woody fruit, was collected. 

 This was also sent home by Dr. Parry, and will be described by Dr. Torrey in the forth- 

 coming account of that gentleman's collections. A plant, which proves to be a new 

 genus in Eriogonese, a new Porophj/Umn, Thanmosma montannm, Torr.,* and Simmond- 

 sia, Nutt., were also found in the same locality. 



" The desert was crossed in the night, to avoid the heat of the sun, and no opportu- 

 nity was aff"orded for noticing its scanty vegetation. The Colorado Eiver, near the 

 junction of the Gila, presents little variety as to the vegetation, which is chiefly of Wil- 

 lows, Cotton-wood, Mezquit, a few species of Baccharis, and Tessaria horealis. The lat- 

 ter plant is exceedingly abundant. The quarters at Fort Yuma were built of frames 

 of poles, covered with the long and straight stems of the Tessaria; beneath this 

 shelter the tents were pitched, and protection was thus afforded from the otherwise 

 insupportable sun. 



" The distance from the confluence of the Gila and Colorado to the Pimo Villages is 

 about two hundred miles. The valley of the Gila, the general direction of which is 

 followed by the road, is narrow, and bordered by high table-lands, which sometimes 

 extend quite to the margin of the river. Isolated ranges of rugged mountains, Avithout 

 trees or verdure, are seen in all directions, and the whole region has a desert-like char- 

 acter. The route is almost entirely destitute of grass ; and the only food for ani- 

 mals is the pulpy pods of the Mezquit [Algarobia glandiilosa). These at the season 

 of our journey (June) were in perfection ; and the animals belonging to the party not 

 only subsisted, but really improved in condition, during the time it was almost their 

 sole food. Among the new ^flants furnished by this region is a curious Dalea, a very 

 spinose shrub of four or five feet in height, with light greenish bark and deep indigo- 

 blue flowers. Another shrubby species, Dalea Emori/i, which Avas mentioned by 

 Dr. Torrey in Colonel Emory's Report, but not characterized, owing to the want of 

 sufficient materials, grew in the ravines. A singular parasite was observed upon some 

 specimens, which proves to be a new species of Pilostyles. In the bottom near Indepen- 

 dence Eock (Johnston's Report), a remarkable new genus in Loasacese (Pefaloni/x) 

 was discovered. Along the margins of the river several Cyperacese, yet unexamined, 



* This plant, which was imperfectly characterized, from a poor specimen, in Fremont's Second Eeport, 

 proves to be nearly, if not wholly, congeneric with the Riitosma Tcxanum, Gray, Gen. PI. t. 155, an herba- 

 ceous, Texan and North-Me.xican, truly Kutaceous plant, which was published considerably later. 



