GENERAL EEPOET. 47 



for both E. tomentosum and glutinosum of Bentham. An infusion of the leaves 

 in whisky or other alcoholic liquor is reckoned almost a panacea by the 

 native population. Precise clinical trial is yet needed to determine its true 

 value. 



Ekitkichium pulvum, A. DC. — I have received from my friend Mr. 

 William L. Kennedy, of Fort Tejon, California, abundant specimens of this 

 plant, collected in white paper, which it had stained completely with a bright 

 orange-red color. Mr. Kennedy accompanied the specimens with the re- 

 mark that " the fresh root and leaves are used by the squaws to paint their 

 faces, and that the color is not inferior to the finest rouge." From the 

 abundance of the juice, as manifested by the stained paper in which I re- 

 ceived the plants, I infer that the plant might be turned to some commercial 

 account. The coloring matter is not confined to this species. 



Cuscuta racemosa, Mart. Alfalfa Dodder. — Coming from Chili, and in- 

 troduced thence into Europe; as early as 1874 was discovered in California, 

 and means indicated then for its destruction by Professor Thurber in the 

 American Agriculturist. Since then it has been doing extensive damage to 

 the Alfalfa crop, as we hear from Dr. Engelmann in the Botanical Gazette 

 for January, 1877, p. 69. An immunity from this pest would be cheaply 

 purchased by early and frequent examination of the Alfalfa fields and the 

 destruction of the plants infected before seeds can be matured, as advised by 

 Dr. Engelmann. It is also worthy of consideration as to whether it would 

 not be as well to prevent importation of Alfalfa from Chili, or, what is the 

 same thing, lucerne from Europe, in view of the likelihood of introducing 

 still further this unwelcome intruder from places where it has been so 

 thoroughly established* 



Nicotiana. — Various of the indigenous species of tobacco appear to 



"Cuscuta backmosa. — In the January number of the Gazette, Dr. Engelmann gave a warning to 

 the farmers who wished to cultivate the Alfalfa, or California clover, to beware of the dodder, Cuscuta 

 racemosa, which had always accompanied it in Europe and California. The warning was sent through- 

 out this region, to the county papers, but in spite of it all, seed-agents have succeeded in running in a great 

 deal of Alfalfa seed. As a consequence, a short time ago, after the clover had started well, I began to 

 receive specimens of the plant encircled by a " troublesome little vine ", and everybody wanted to know 

 what it was. It was the genuine Cuscuta racemosa in good flower and frnit, and it has come up in every 

 Alfalfa field in this county. The agricultural editors of several widely circulated papers are recommend- 

 ing it, and doing what they can to briDg this annoying parasite into our fields.— J. M. Coulter, Bot. Gaz. 

 vol. 2, p. 136. 



■V7x 



