IN CALIFORNIA 29 



To the latter division belongs the date palm of 

 tropical Asia and Africa, now being extensively 

 cultivated in certain fertile valleys of the California 

 desert for its fruit. It was among the first for- 

 eigners to be planted on California soil, and fine old 

 specimens set out originally by the Franciscan mis- 

 sionaries still stand near a few of the ancient Mis- 

 sions as well as on some of the older ranches in the 

 central valleys. As a wayside tree, however, the 

 true date palm, useful as it might well be for this 

 purpose, has never been used in California ; though 

 a kindred species more robust in habit and without 

 edible fruit, the Canary Island date palm (Phoenix 

 Canariensis) is one of the most familiar exotics in 

 the State. A veritable gushing fountain of feathery 

 leaves, is one of these trees when young the foliage 

 arching out and downward until the tips touch the 

 ground a habit which causes each plant to occupy 

 so much ground before the growing trunk has lifted 

 the crown into the air, that this variety is more 

 suited to lawns or private avenues, than to public 

 thoroughfares, unless the latter are of exceptional 

 width. More common by the wayside are the airy 

 plumes of Cocos plumosa, a Brazilian cousin of the 

 cocoanut palm, of rare grace and loveliness. In the 

 same company are often seen the slender dracaenas 

 or cordylines of New Zealand, persistently regarded 



