THE SHRUBS OF CALIFORNIA. 49 



case with flowers that are pollinated by the wind. It comes at a time 

 when flowers are not especially abundant. Its gracefully pendant tas- 

 sels of fringe clothe it all over, and it looks like an inhabitant of 

 another sphere. 



The flowering ash (Fraxinm diphylla) must be classed among the 

 shrubs, for though it sometimes reaches the height of an ordinary tree, 

 it seldom has a distinct trunk. The flowers in this species are white and 

 small, but in many panicles, and the effect is as if a veil were thrown 

 over the bush. This shrub grows along the banks of streams, and does 

 not enter into the chaparral area. 



On the desert the shrubs differ according to the character of the 

 soil.' Where it is alkaline, plants belonging to the Chenopodiacese and 

 Composite are the chief representatives. They are generally known 

 as sage-brush and greasewood. Where the soil is not especially alka- 

 line, the class of shrubs is entirely different. The rose family has 

 some beautiful representatives, also the saxifrage family; but there 

 is one plant which is considered more distinctively typical of the 

 desert than any other, and that is the creosote bush, or Larrea tridentata. 

 This is viscid all over, and has an odor much like creosote. The flowers 

 are abundant in the right season, and the fruits are feathery. 



In the figwort family there are many shrubby Pentstemons, which 

 might, perhaps, be overlooked, as they are not large and tall. The 

 flowers are very showy, and there is a great variety in the species. The 

 shrubs, however, in this family which most deserve attention are the 

 species of Diplacus, known as monkey flower. The commonest species 

 is always in bloom, and were it not so common and so constantly in 

 bloom, we would perhaps appreciate it more. It has generally an 

 abundance of orange-colored two-lipped flowers. One species which 

 grows in southern California has the flowers red instead of orange, and 

 there are' several species that are less known in which the flowers are 

 large, beautifully shaped, and of a delicate buff or yellow. 



The Conifene sometimes form areas of brush. This is likely to 

 occur where the soil is poor and the winds are heavy from one direc- 

 tion. This is shown by the form of some of the Conifers at timber- 

 line, and by thickets of cypress which occur occasionally on the Coast 

 Mountains. On the hills above San Geronimo, in Marin County, there 

 is such an area, and the appearance is most strange. One genus belong- 

 ing to a related family is always a shrub. This is the Ephedra, of 

 which there are several species in California, confined principally to 

 the desert regions. This is an odd-looking plant, consisting of slender, 

 straight stems without leaves. It resembles he Equisetums more than 

 other plants which are generally known. These shrubs grow in erect 

 clumps, or spread over the ground. 



