626 Part IV. Chapter 4. 
Frequently two or three plants cluster together, but these clusters are always 
surrounded by a clear area’). 
The leaves of the scrub are almost always very small and entire, commonly 
linear or lanceolate in shape. In texture they are somewhat leathery. Hairs 
are present in almost all cases, and are found on upper as well as under leaf 
surfaces. Often the hairs are glandular. The characteristic forms are: Zrzo- 
gonum fasciculatum, Artemisia californica, Audibertia polystachya, Rhamnus 
crocea and Adenostoma fasciculata. The last two, as mentioned, are occasio- 
nally found in the mountains, but it is in the foothill formation that they are 
abundant. 
In many cases cactuses make up a third or even half of the scrub. In 
some instances the hillsides are covered from base to apex with cactuses. On 
these the growth is quite tall, often as much as 9 feet (2,5 meters) high. On 
such hills, even herbaceous sröuth is largely wanting and the scrub is about 
equally divided between Opuntia, Eriogonum and Artemisia. The cactus 
growth is composed of two species — Opuntia Engelmannü and O. prolifera; 
the former being twice as common as the latter. 
In the open areas about the individuals of the scrub is alarge herbaceous 
vegetation. The composition of this varies at different times of the year. In 
fact there is a quite regular succession of forms, which begins in the early 
part of the wet season and continues until the early part of the dry season. 
‘From July until the end of the year there is but little change in the herbaceous 
flora of the foothills. Owing to the grayness of the scrub and the small 
number of herbaceous forms the hills have a dry dead appearance from 
July until January. Then owing to the sprouting of members of the first set 
of herbs, a greener aspect is assumed. 
The forms of this first series which are entirely or nearly restricted to the foothills are: 
Nemophila insignis, N. Menziesii, Plagiobothrys nothofulvus, Gilia dianthoidea, Calochortus albus 
and Mirabilis multiflora. Brodiaea capitata, ee fabacea and Eschscholtzia californica, 
which are also abundant here at this time are found in several formations. In March, the 
eher Se the second series attain their Fre development. These are Layia (Blepharo- 
pappus) platyglossa, Madia sativa, Amsinckia spectabilis, Phacelia distans, Ps tana rpm Sun 
carduacea, S. columbariae, Plantago patagonica var. nuda and Hosackia glaber. Durin i ; 
the hills are a blaze of orange owing to the great growth of Cuscuta subinclusa. Ai air a 
the scrub and often much herbaceous growth is attacked. 
During April and early May, the third set of herbs reaches maturity. The characteristie 
forms are: Allium serratum, Sedum obtusatum, Chorizanthe staticoides, Cnicus occidentalis and 
Krynitzkia leiocarpa. In late May and June, we find Phacelia hispida, Solanum Xanti, Calochortus 
catalinae and on the lower parts Nicotiana Bigelovii. By the middle of July the majority of 
herbaceous forms have fruited and, at least in their aerial parts, Be withered. 
_Ferns are found more frequently in the foothill formation than elsewhere. 
They do not, however, constitute a prominent feature of the formation. They 
frequently have a xerophilous structure. This is particularly true of Gymno- 
ı) Mc Kenney, R. E. B.: loc. eit. 
ee, 
