The West American Scientist. 



Vol. II. July, 1886. No. 17. 



A BOTANICAL TRIP. 



On the 30th of last March I and a companion left the city of San Diego with a 

 two-horse team, a snug camping outfit and what provisions we expected to need 

 during the next two or three months. Along the Tijuana, after crossing the U. S. 

 boundary into Lower California, we passed through extensive fields of alternate 

 patches of blue, white, pink or yellow flowers, which are a peculiar feature in Cali- 

 fornian landscapes in spring-time. Tall yuccas reared their stately heads of wax- 

 like flowers among the bushes or on the open hillsides, lending a tropical beauty to 

 the scene. 



On April fool's day we left the old Wildcat station, passing through large fields 

 of malva as high as our horses' backs and cross over the rollling hills to Carisito, 

 where we again pitch our tent in t ight of the sombre black hills of the border which 

 rose above us to the right. A little rain during the night made the beautiful 

 meadows of green and gold glisten in the morning as we passed on to Valle de los 

 Palmas — the Valley of Palms. On the adobe hills I again collected Heterodraba, an 

 inconspicuous cruciferous plant that was first discovered in the same place in 1882. 



Spending but a short time in the valle/, we entered the long and narrow can- 

 yon leading out, following as best we could the single wagon tracks that led before, 

 from which to deviate meant an impassable road. The road was largely under 

 water and composed more or less of treacherous quicksands so that the greatest care 

 was necessary to avoid a serious accident. Reaching solid ground at last we pitched 

 our tent on a level plat covered with abundant feed for the wearied horses, and gave 

 them several days for recruiting. Scutellarii tuberosa, a little labiate with blue 

 and white flowers, was our only discovery here worthy of mention. 



Monday, the fifth, we leave our camp and Vallecito behind, camping near the 

 fine Guadaloupe ranch of Messrs. Flower, for whom we kindly dispose of our can- 

 teen twice full of milk — equivalent to four good sized pans full — before we bid them 

 adieu. As my cousin and I are both from the old Green Mountain State, we are 

 able to handle ' Lake Superior ' (leche pura) without any inconvenience. 



The river we found was impassable at the old f jrd, so crossing a field of mud 

 further up the valley, we find a place where teams have settled the quicksands into 

 a hard bottom, making it safe to cross. Singing 'Glory, glory, hallelujah,' with a 



