Lower Californian Notes. 12^ 



LOWER CALIFORNIAN NOTES. 



[Tlie following from the San Dicgan of May 14, will interest our readers. The author, of 

 the U. S S. Ranger, will contribute further to' the Scientist. Ed.] 



South of Rosalia Bay the shore is low and sweeps gracefully 

 arrund towards the south and southwest- The flora is abundant; 

 the valleys are covered with splendid white flowers of damiana 

 and with red scarlet blossoms of palo-adan The last named 

 plant, sometimes called Hocotillo, reta ns, however, but the 

 flowers; its leaves are in this season already yellow and dry. It 

 grows occasionally very near to the beach^ contrary to the fou- 

 quiera gigantea, which grows further in the interior. This most 

 remarkable tree, called by the Mexicans, cirio, is to be met with 

 in great abundance in the vicinity of San Andreas, east of 

 Rosalia Bay. All hills and mesas are covered with it and it 

 attains a height of 40. 50 and even 60 feet. It forms a very sin- 

 gular view in the desert, sometimes growing straight like an 

 arrow, sometimes inclined in all possible positions or bent in 

 most fantastic forms. The wild date or datilillo grows also in 

 immense quantity and it is used for the preparation of fibre and 

 paper. San Andreas Valley and the surrounding country belongs 

 to an English company, Henry Louis & Co., which proposes to 

 start the manufacturing of datilillo paper. 



The valley itself is very beautiful. It is sheltered by high 

 hills, which further grow higher and higher and finally end in 

 mighty peaks of Sierra Yubal and Sierra Massal. Beyond the 

 first r:d;:^e of hills one can see three prominent peaks, Guia 

 Izquierda, Guia Derecha and Punta Prieta, and behind them the 

 clcud-like outline of the titanic Cerro Colorado is dimly visible. 



The flora in the valleys and the neighboring canons is very 

 rich. Damiana does not grow here; it prefers more sandy ground 

 a little further south, but we have here many other fragrant' herbs. 

 Between the rocks and on the high ground grows yerba del 

 venado, used as tea, and on the level plain, together with mes- 

 quite wood, I remark the green bushes of jojova, covered with 

 acorn-Hke fruit. The fruit has a nice flavor and it is used with 

 cacao. The prickley bushes of rutilla are covered with red 

 berries and the yellow gubernadora is losing also its flowers. 

 Similar to torote is copalquin, quite a considerable tree with 

 whitish bark and soft red wood, greatly used in the tanneries. 

 Dark green copal and timbe and haria grow also in abundance, 

 and between them is easily perceived the splendid red flower of 

 yerba del tabardillo or burning iever plant. The giant columnar 

 cactus is here 50 feet high and the pitalla dulce, tall and similar 

 to carambuyo, appears here for the first time. Century plants, 

 echinocacti and pitalla agria are also abundant, and between 

 chollas I remark two species with magnificent flowers; small and 

 prickly tasahio with yellow flowers, and the taller but not less 

 prickly civire with red blossoms. The common milky liga is, of 



