122 AS CALIFORNIA FLOWERS GROW 



to those of the Sunflower. Its floral head acts just 

 as that of Seaside Daisy does in attracting insects 

 and in dispersing its seeds; but because it blooms in 

 the open in the hottest season of the year, it has to 

 take precautions of which Daisy has no need. If its 

 buds were left exposed to the full glare of the sun, 

 they would be burned dry before they could open 

 To ward against this, Grindelia covers each bud 

 with a thick milky gum. In this gum are the heal- 

 ing qualities which have won Grindelia such esteem 

 from mankind. Each summer about five or six 

 inches of the top twigs are cut off and are shipped 

 by tons to the East. Later it is sent back to us in 

 the form of a medicine called Grindelia, which is 

 prescribed to soothe whooping cough, bronchitis, 

 asthma, and kindred complaints. It is also efficient, 

 taken internally and applied externally, in banish- 

 ing poison-oak. Grindelia is named for Hierony- 

 mus Grindel, a Russian botanist, who was a pro- 

 fessor at both Riga and Dorpat. Robusta, the 

 species, is so called because of its strength. 



Even more common than Coffee Berry, Yerba 

 Santa, or Grindelia, is Manzanita. It is a great 

 blessing to the valley dweller who ascends to higher 

 altitudes. Rarely a summer passes that a light 

 scourge of dysentery does not attack Sierra camps, 

 chiefly due to an overindulgence in mountain water. 

 A tea of Manzanita will cure every case. Indeed, 



