58 Bulletin Santa Barbara Society of Natural History. Vol. I. 



probable that other localities might furnish them. 



Examples ol the wood of various diameters were ob- 

 tained. It is exceeding close-grained, hard and of sim- 

 ilar specific gravity of many tropical species. Speci- 

 mens are in the. process of seasoning with a probabili- 

 ty that the wood will prove susceptible of taking a high 

 polish with fine color. Notwithstanding its great weight 

 proportionate to the size, it is said to be quite brittle 

 when green. When seasoned it has long been a favor- 

 ite wood for hand-spikes used by the sailors and others, 

 who have knowledge of its strength. 



The Lyonothamnus Asplenifolius adds another sin- 

 gularly beautiful tree to our already long and desirable 

 list that should be introduced in ornamental planting. 

 Its showy flowers, rare foliage and general novelty, 

 should make it a favorite wherever planted. Its pro- 

 pagation by seeds ought not to be difficult, as they are 

 produced in profusion. 



It belongs to the order Saxifragaceae.jandis the first 

 tree of the family that has yet been discovered in North 

 America; most representatives of the order being herbs 

 or shrubs. The Saxifrage family embraces about 75 

 genera, and 540 species, mostly found in the cool re- 

 gions of the Northern Hemisphere. 



The Astilbe, Escallonia, Hydrangea, Saxifraga and 

 Ribes are the best known examples. 



Santa Barbara, Sept. 28th, 1889. 



