40 BRODI/EA COCCINEA. SCARLET CALIFORNIA-HYACINTH. 



fornian wild flowers, and is called 'Fire-cracker Flower,' but its 

 botanical name is BTociicra coccinca. The flowers are a little 

 larger than Chinese fire-crackers, nearly the same shape and 

 color, though the scarlet is more brilliant. The clusters are very 

 large, and if my recollection is not at fault, they measured some- 

 times eight inches across, and at a little distance the resemblance 

 to a pendant bunch of fire-crackers is certainly very striking. 

 The bulb grows deep in the ground, as do nearly all the Califor- 

 nian bulbs. The flowers retain their briorht color for a lone 

 time after every particle of moisture has dried out, and I have 

 had them of orood color six months after beine fathered. From 

 forty to fifty flowers are often found in a single stalk. The root 

 is edible, and sought for by the Indians, and abounds in a mucil- 

 aginous or starchy substance, very apparent when a bulb is only 

 slightly bruised. It belongs to the Lily family, and is found 

 mainly along the Northern coast of California, on the tops of the 

 mountains, in gravelly and rocky soils, in open woods, among 

 oaks and conifers." 



Professor Asa Gray has characterized it as "a very striking 

 and handsome plant," and every botanist has spoken of it as 

 beautiful each in his own way; but no one has described it as so 

 large and so floriferous' as Mr. Vick, who evidently met with it 

 in an unusually favorable spot, and what he has said of it is 

 encouraging to those who may be disposed to cultivate it. Our 

 specimen was taken from an under-sized plant because it gave 

 the opportunity to show on our small page every part of it from 

 the bulb and fibrous roots to the opening flowers ; and we are 

 the more glad to have been able to do this as very often the 

 bulb shows better distinguishing characters than any other part 

 of the plant. The drawing has been taken as the flowers are 

 opening, instead of after they have formed the "pendant umbel " 

 spoken of by authors, as in this stage it gives the opportunity 

 of showing how the buds behave before expansion. 



Explanations of the Plate. — i. Complete plant. 2. Flower opened to show the internal 

 arrangement. 3. Stamen, with oval pollen grain. 4. Ground-plan or front view of tiie 

 flower. 



