40 WVild Grapes and Berries. 
species (Prunus ilicifolia) has evergreen foliage, and is a useful 
hedge plant. 
Of species bearing fruit in umbels, or true cherry style, we 
have two. Prunus emarginata makes a handsome tree, some- 
times thirty feet high, but its oval, dark red fruit is quite bitter 
and astringent. Another species bears bright red fruit, intensely 
bitter. 
California Grape (Vitis Californica)—Along our streams the 
native grape-vine attains large size and fruits freely, the fruit 
resembling the “frost grape” of the East. The vine frequently 
covers and sometimes kills large trees with the density of its 
foliage. Some variation is reported in the species, but it is pos- 
sible that some of the better kinds are seedlings from some. 
imported species, bird planted. The species has attained some- 
thing of a reputation as a phyloxera-resisting root for grafting, 
but it has proved exacting in its choice of soils and situations, 
and otherwise not desirable, and some Eastern species are now 
relied upon for this service. ; 
Elderberry (Sambucus glauca).—The elderberry makes a fine 
tree in California, sometimes twenty feet or more in height, and 
with a trunk a foot and a haif in diameter. The fruit is borne 
in large quantities and is used to some extent for preserves and 
pastry. 
Raspberries (Rubus sp.).—In the mountains of the eastern 
part of the State is a scarlet hemispherical berry of pleasant 
flavor, which is called “thimbleberry” (Rubus parviflorus). It 
seems to have an advantage over a variety (velutinus) of the same 
species which is found near the coast and has a dry, insipid fruit. 
Another raspberry, which is found in all hilly and mountainous 
regions, both on the coast and in the interior, is Rubus leuco- 
dermis. It resembles the black-cap raspberry of the Atlantic 
slope, except that it has yellowish-red fruit. This fruit is quite 
largely gathered for domestic uses, and some efforts have been 
made to cultivate the plants. 
Salmon Berry (Rubus spectabilis)—The beauty, size, and 
delicious flavor of this fruit are highly commended by all who 
have enjoyed it in the upper coast counties of California and 
farther northward. The plant makes a strong bush, five to ten 
feet high, and it delights in woods and shady banks of streams. 
The praise of all who know the fruit has led to frequent attempts 
to introduce the plant to warmer and drier parts of the State, but 
such efforts have thus far uniformly failed. 
Wild Blackberry (Rubus wvittfolits)—This fruit should per- 
haps be called a “dewberry.” as it has a trailing, or, at most, but 
partially raised stems, which extend from five to twenty feet. 
The plant occurs abundantly on banks of streams and. other 
sufficiently moist locations, both in the coast and interior regions 
