20 Miihlenbergia, Volume 7 



HARTWEG'S EXPLORATIONS IN CALIFORNIA— I 

 By AIvICE Eastwood 



While looking up types of Californian plants at the Gray 

 Herbarium, I became aware of the great number of specimens 

 collected by Hartweg contained therein. About the same time 



1 happened upon a reference that led me to Hartweg's Journal, 

 published in the Journal of the Horticultural Society, 1846-48. 

 The earlier part of this refers to travels in Mexico, and is of 

 little interest to Californian botanists; but the part that narrates 

 his travels and collections in California are not only interesting, 

 but also give us knowledge of where he collected and the ap- 

 proximate localities where his types were obtained. While I 

 had the opportunity I sought in the Gray Herbarium all the 

 specimens numbered, described and named in Bentham's Plantae 

 Hartwegianae, so as to see whether later botanists had made any 

 changes. The following reprint of the Journal and list may be 

 of value, since so far as in my power it gives the results of lat- 

 est determinations. 



I have been able to learn very little about Theodor Hart- 

 weg. He was a German botanist sent first to Mexico in 1836 

 by the Horticultural Society, and later in 1846 and 1847 visit- 

 ing and collecting in California. The beginning of the part of 

 his narrative which concerns us is found on page 122 of volume 



2 of the Journal of the Horticultural. Society, received Novem- 

 ber 4, 1846: 



"On the 14th of March, I finally left Tepic for San Bias, 

 whither my luggage had preceded me, and embarked the follow- 

 ing day on board of a small schooner for Mazatlan where I ar- 

 rived after a passage of five days. Mazatlan is now the most 

 important port on the west coast of Mexico, as the customhouse 

 officers are more accommodating than at San Bias or Acapulco. 



Upon making inquiries about merchant vessels j^rocecding 

 soon to Northern California, I found to my con.sternation that 

 no opportunity had offered for the last six months, nor was it 

 likely there would be any for .some time; but that the United 

 States ship 'Portsmouth' would sail in a few days for Monterey. 



