4^ V\esi American Scieniisf. 



Rhus lentii, ol Cerros Island, off the coast of Lower Cahfornia, 

 is said to fairly drip with the sour juice ot its larger berries, and 

 other species of Rhus found in California (R. aromitica, and its 

 varieties, for instance), produce an abundance of fruit with pulp of 

 a pleasant tart. 



In the hills and higher mountains, Rhus integrifolia is sup- 

 planted by another species, R. ovata, with larger, smoother leaves 

 and smaller fruit. The two were for many years confounded 

 with each other; in fact, Prof. Watson writes me that Dr. Torrey 

 even figured R. ovata for the Nuttallian species, notwithstanding 

 the very distinct characters of each. The fruit of R. ovata is 

 much smaller, but similar in shape, and possesses the acidity 

 common to this section of the genus. The fruit seems equally 

 greasy with that of R. integrifolia. 



On one of our botanical trips into the mountains of the north- 

 ern part of Lower California, a large stock owner, who had re- 

 sided in those mountains for many years, related to H. C Orcutt 

 and the writer, how the Indians formerly resided in great numbers 

 all through the country, and of their rapid decrease, until now 

 there were but a few dozen left where thousands had been. 

 Among other interesting details, he related how the Indians 

 obtained their main supply of sugar from a peculiar shrub com- 

 mon in these mountains. Upon his pointing out a bush, we 

 quickly recognized the Rhus ovata, and became rather incredulous 

 of the possibility of procuring sugar from berries that we knew 

 by experience were sour. 



However, we decided to test the truth of the story, and soon 

 had an opportunity upon coming to a large cluster of the low 

 shrub, loaded with an abundance of fruit. It is proper to state 

 here that the climate of these mountains is very warm and dry in 

 the summer, and this trip was made during the month of July. 

 We found the berries as tart as ever, but that the white oily sub- 

 stance had hardened into a thin crust which had cracked and 

 curled into a multitude of thin waxy curls of a delicate^ white. 

 These were easily shaken from the fleshy part of the berries upon 

 a sheet of paper or into the hand, and with the time and patience 

 of an Indian we might have secuied a liberal supply of sugar for 

 use. 



This curious substance w^hen rolled together in the hand would 

 form little balls of about the same consistency as the whitest of 

 bees' wax ; upon tasting, it was found to be as sweet and delicious 

 in flavor as the best of refined sugar. 



This must have proved a great delicacy to the hordes of In- 

 dians that in former years gathered the pinyones, the tecos palm 

 fruit), and the manzanita berries; and. this graceful little shrub, 

 with its clusters of pink-white blossoms, was to them both a 

 source of lemonade and of ' something to put in it.' But neither 



