The West- American Scientist 



Vol. I. 



San Diego, California, January, 1885. 



No. 2. 



Ap ?of^7^^oL e r d \ Published Monthly by C. B. Obcutt. { ^^g^^S^^g 



[Written for the Scientist.] 

 The oak that spreads its branches wide, 



Three hundred years or more; 

 The lily by the mountain side, 



Whose bloom with morn is o'er, 

 Alike are perfect in their way, 



And full of lessons choice 

 To him who listens day by day, 

 To Nature's kindly voice. 



PALMS. 



This large tropical family of 

 plants is represented near the 

 southern borders of California by 

 three species, only one of which, 

 Washingtonia filifera, Wendland, 

 is known to occur in the United 

 States. This deservedly popular 

 tree, well known as the California 

 fan, or thread-bearing, palm has 

 been largely cultivated in Europe 

 under. its* various synonyms, Bra- 

 hea ftlamentosa, PrUchardia f. 

 etc. This palm is easily grown 

 and now forms one of the char- 

 acteristics of ornamental horticul- 

 ture in this state. In its native 

 haunts it blooms about the last of 

 September, the fruit maturing the 

 following September. J 



Livingstone writes that rfie lan- 

 guage of the palm to him 'was al- 

 ways "far from home," and as one 

 gazes upon the blue palm, Evythea 

 armata } Watson, in its wild home, 

 the desert canons of Baja Califor- 

 nia, one cannot wonder at the sen- 

 timent, so strange, and fearfully 

 grand are its surroundings. The 

 dark, blue-green leaves giVife to it 

 its common name and causes it to 



be highly prized by horticulturists 

 to whom it is generally kno»^n as 

 Braliea glauca. It blossoms in 

 June, the fruit maturing the fol- 

 lowing June, when, in case of a 

 fruitful year the Indians hasten to 

 a plentiful feast. 



A similar species, known as the 

 Guadaloupe Island palm, Erythea 

 edulis, Watson, is considered by 

 some as more graceful than the 

 last, and is even more difficult of 

 access in its volcanic inland home. 

 It is said to be in blossom and 

 fruit throughout the year, the edi- 

 ble fruit hanging in clusters weigh- 

 ing forty pounds or more apiece. 

 By botanists it is supposed to have 

 been introduced into Europe un- 

 der the name of Brahea Koezli, 

 but that name is given as synon- 

 ymous with E. armata, by some 

 European nurserymen in their 

 catalogues. 



Another palm, Washingfonia ro- 

 busta, Wendland, credited to Cal- 

 ifornia, is perhaps a form of the 

 common species but it is not cer- 

 tainly known. These three (or 

 four?) varieties are the only in- 

 digenous species, but several oth- 

 ers are in cultivation in the state. 



The water newts of the falls of 

 the San Diego river, this county, 

 are the "sad-colored anaides." 

 Anaides lugubris, Hallowell. This 

 is the furthest southern limit of 

 the species known. 



