Letters to a Friend 



and gathered into deep, glowing masses, but 

 side by side, flower to flower, petal to petal, 

 touching but not entwined, branches weaving 

 past and past each other, but free and separate, 

 one smooth garment, mosses next the ground, 

 grasses above, petaled flowers between. 



Before studying the flowers of this valley, 

 and their sky and all of the furniture and sounds 

 and adornments of their home, one can scarce 

 believe that their vast assemblies are perma 

 nent, but rather that, actuated by some plant 

 purpose, they had convened from every plain, 

 and mountain, and meadow of their kingdom, 

 and that the different coloring of patches, acres, 

 and miles marked the bounds of the various 

 tribe and family encampments. And now just 

 stop and see what I gathered from a square 

 yard opposite the Merced. I have no books 

 and cannot give specific names: 



Orders Open flowers Species 



Composite 132,125 2 yellow, 3305 heads 



Leguminosse 2620 2 purple and white 



Scrophulariacese 169 I purple 



Umbellaceae 620 I yellow 



Geraniacese 22 I purple 



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