109 



only has been recorded at Yuma during 1903, and Palmer visited 

 an island in the gulf in 1889 which had had no rain for a year and 

 a half. Landings were made at three points, the farthest at San 

 Felipe Bay, 55 miles below the river. Mr. Brandegee visited San 

 Luis Bay once, but the San Felipe region was entirely unexplored 

 by botanists. Here the coast rises by gradual slope to 500 feet 

 and then by precipitous rocks to peaks, one of which is over 

 10,000 feet high. The seasons are evidently irregular and not 

 clearly marked. Many of the plants have milky or resinous juice 

 and many are aromatic. Corns Schottii was found forming 

 dense groves near San Felipe. Living plants of what is prob- 

 ably Ccreiis Pectcn-aboriginwn were brought home. The Indian- 

 comb cactus has a short trunk and long branches in contrast to 

 the usual form of C. gigantciis. 



Although the plants are very sparse it is not to be supposed 

 that they have a harder struggle for existence than others, as is 

 shown by trying to grow them under artificial conditions. Fou- 

 qiiieria sploidcns seems to reach its optimum development in 

 the delta lands. Cactuses with sheathing spines were noted and 

 some of these shed their spines. The flora is not Arizonian. 

 In San Felipe there are no plants with storage organs for there 

 is no surplus of water to store. 



In the discussion it was mentioned that the poison cacti are 

 all unarmed. 



Professor Underwood remarked on a specimen of the southern 

 brake sent from Burlington, Vermont. This form, described in 

 recent years as Ftcris aquilina var. psciidocaitdata by Clute, is the 

 Ptcris latiuscula Desv., described in 1827. 



William T. Hokne, 



Stcrctary pro tcvi. 



REVIFWS 



Bailey's Plant Breeding.* 



Professor Bailey is a teacher in a rare sense and American 

 botany owes much to his abundant, skilful and simple exposition 



♦Bailey, L. H. Plant Breeding. i2nio. Pp. 13 -f- 334. New York, The 

 Macmillan Co. 1904. [Ed. 3.] 



