106 



THE SALTON SEA. 



GRAMINE^E— Continued. 



Leptochloa imbricata Thurb. 



Alamo and New River bottoms, and now become an 

 abundant weed in irrigated lands and about towns 

 throughout the Sink. Indio, Thermal, Mecca 

 (8119), Holtville (8243), Brawley, Imperial, New 

 River at Calexico, Imperial Junction beach (Mac- 

 Dougal 118). 



Known in Imperial Valley as " water grass " because 

 believed to be carried into the fields by irrigating 

 water. Probably an entrant from the delta, as it 

 occurs along the lower Colorado River. A few col- 

 lections have been made in cismontane southern 

 California, probably of waifs. 



Eragrostis megastachys Link. 



A depauperate form 1 to 2 cm. high, plains northwest 



of Mecca (8442). 

 Common weed throughout the United States and 



Mexico, but not seen elsewhere in the Sink. 



Triodia pulchellus Hitchc. 



In sand along the base of the travertine range, south- 

 west of Travertine Rock (8434). 

 A common species of the lower Colorado Desert. 



Distichlis spicata Greene. Salt grass. 



Common in moderately damp saline soil throughout 

 the western part of the Sink. Thermal, Mecca, 

 Mortmere, Dos Palmas, Agua Dulce. 



Common throughout United States and Mexico. 



Phragmites communis Linn. 



In alkaline soil, Salton slough, near the Southern 

 Pacific Railway station of that name (8068). Abun- 

 dant at Travertine Terraces. 



Frequent about springs in the Colorado Desert, but 

 rare elsewhere in California. 



CYPERACEiE. 



Eleocharis capitata R. Br. 



Dos Palmas (Hall 5984, May 4, 1905). 

 An infertile Eleocharis was seen at Travertine Terraces. 

 A common species at low altitudes in southern Cali- 

 fornia. 



Cyperus erythrorhizos Muhl. 



Wet bottoms of Alamo and New Rivers and along 

 canals and ditches in Imperial Valley. New River 

 near Rockwood (8234), canal at Holtville (8237), 

 New River at Calexico (8379, 8380), ditches at 

 Imperial and El Centro. 



A widely distributed species eastward and collected 

 at several places in central California, but not other- 

 wise known from the State. It grows along the 

 lower Colorado River and is probably an entrant 

 from the delta. 



Cyperus esculentus Linn. 



Abundant in the Government Date Garden near 

 Mecca. 



A common weed in many places in cismontane south- 

 ern California. 



Cyperus speciosus Vahl. 



An immature specimen, only 3 cm. high, which prob- 

 ably belongs here, was collected on Obsidian Island 

 (MacDougal 304). Mecca, in the stream from 

 the railway waterworks (8616). 



The species is common in the Colorado River bottoms 

 at Fort Yuma. 



Cyperus laevigatas Linn. 



On the borders of the pool at Figtree John Spring 

 (8615). 



A species of wide distribution in warm latitudes, but 

 in the United States known only in southern Cali- 

 fornia, where it is frequent. 



CYPERACE^I— Continued. 



Scirpus americanus Pers. 



In saline seepage, Travertine Terraces (8427). 

 Very common in saline marshes in the Colorado 

 Desert, and rare in cismontane southern California. 



Scirpus olneyi Gray. 



Common in springs at northwestern end of the Sink. 

 Figtree John (8378). Widely distributed in North 

 America. Dos Palmas, Mortmere, Travertine Point 

 (MacDougal 409, Parish 8426). 



Scirpus paludosus A. Nelson. 



Common in the margins of New and Alamo Rivers 

 and of the irrigation canals and ditches of Imperial 

 Valley. New River at Rockwood (8249), Seeley 

 and Calexico, Alamo River at Holtville, Irrigation 

 ditches at Imperial (8376, 8377), Meloland (8093), 

 and El Centro, Mecca, beaches (MacDougal 404). 



The type was collected in Wyoming, and the species 

 has been known heretofore only from that State 

 and a few places in Utah. It grows along the Colo- 

 rado River at Fort Yuma and is here an entrant 

 from the delta. Identified by Dr. Nelson. 



TYPHACE.E. 



Typha latifolia Linn. 



Common in the margins of water and in marshy places 

 throughout the Sink. Indio, Thermal, Mecca, Rock- 

 wood, El Centro, Calexico. 

 A cosmopolitan species common everywhere in Cali- 

 fornia. 



JUNCACE-ffil. 



Juncus cooperi Engelm. 



Dos Palmas (8244), Figtree John Spring, Travertine 



Terraces (8428). 

 A rare endemic species of the California deserts. 



Juncus balticus Willd. 



Ditch along railroad south of Mecca (8455). 

 A rush of wide distribution, abundant in most parts 

 of California. 



Juncus torreyi Coville. 



In drain of railway water-tank at Mecca ( 8619). 

 An occasional species in cismontane southern Cali- 

 fornia, but here evidently introduced. 



LILIACEJS. 



Hesperocallis undulatus Wats. 



A few plants on plain northeast of Mecca. 



Abundant further east in both deserts, extending 

 thence into Arizona. The present station is prob- 

 ably the western limit. 



PALMACEJE. 

 Washingtonia filifera Wendl. 



A group of a few trees in the alkaline flats near Mecca, 

 two trees in Dos Palmas Spring. 



The species is endemic in Cahuilla Basin, and there 

 are extensive groves, not far from the margin of 

 the Sink, north of Indio. The two trees at Dos 

 Palmas have leaves whose petioles are unarmed 

 throughout, the first mature trees thus unarmed 

 which have been seen, except in cultivation. They 

 belong, therefore, to the variety microsperma 

 Beccari. But the varieties of this species are 

 founded on insufficient characters and are merely 

 forms. 



SAURURACE^;. 

 Anemopsis californica Hook. 



Moist saline soil bordering Dos Palmas Spring. 

 Frequent in similar soil, notably in southern California 

 and as far north as Sacramento River. 



