EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY. 107 



Very few of the larger size have altogether escaped period- 

 ical fires, arc too often well nigh in ruins, bearing broad and 

 Lengthened charred records of past peril adown one side, and 

 so were rejected by M r. William ( larke in aid of the California 

 centennial contribution. It is worthy of passing remark that 

 this species often grows on high coast ridges, and on the bor- 

 ders and bluffs of canons or precipitous gorges, where only red 

 or yellow loam abounds without a vestige of peat, showing that 

 atmospheric humidity, or moisture, to some extent, from 

 precipitating fogs on the half-shady coast, or shady banks of 

 mountain streams, among oaks, firs, and the like, fully suf- 

 fice for its prosperous growth. However, here the largest 

 specimens flourish in soils of rich local alluvion, mixed with 

 recent leaf and other debris, answering to peat, associated 

 with enormous briar stems, ten to fifteen feet high, two to 

 four inches in diameter, stout enough for one to climb — we 

 allude to the splendid Red-flowered Salmon Berry (Rubus 

 spectabalis). The flowers appear from June to August, in 

 large, terminal clusters, condensed racemoid-umbels; color, 

 a delicate rose or pink, broadly bell-shaped; border, five- 

 parted, and lobes wavy-margined; throat, brown-spotted 

 above, but none on the two lower-lip lobes; ten unequal 

 stamens included, etc.; leaves large, about six inches long by 

 two wide, elliptical lance-like, base usually slightly wedge- 

 form, on short leaf stems; texture thick and leathery, sha- 

 green-roughened and softly lustrous green above, beneath 

 whitish and very finely net-veined, etc. Among the Rose 

 Bays we find a white-flowered variety, equally evergreen, and 

 in essential particulars agreeing with the type. Extends 

 from California through Oregon to the British Possessions. 

 Deserving cultivation abroad, for there seems little hope at 

 home. 



Western Azalea, or the Great Pacific Honeysuckle 

 (R. Azalea occidentale). — A large summer-green shrub, rang- 

 ing from three to twenty feet high, and several inches 

 through, say two to four inches in diameter; grayish flaky 

 bark in age, usually smooth; leaves slightly spatula-form or 

 somewhat wedge-base, sometimes lanced, always tender, very 

 soft hairy, especially on the margin and beneath, becoming 

 rather shiny-varnished above; the flowers appear long after 

 the leaves, those of the coast nearly clear white, or only with 

 a softened broad band of delicately shaded buff-tinge on the 

 upper lip or inside; this bright, chaste, and cheerful white 

 is greatly heightened by the light-green background that 

 brings out in radiant relief the copious masses of flowers. 

 As mementos they cannot be well preserved, on account of 

 their viscid-glandular quality sticking them into such con- 

 fused heaps in the book. As found on the mountains, or 



