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No. 388.] VACATION NOTES. = 303 
remains of the large inflorescences, which much exceed in size 
those of C. florida, this may well be true. By far the most 
beautiful of the flowering shrubs, at the time of my visit, was 
the exquisite azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), which formed 
extensive thickets covered with masses of the lovely pink and 
white fragrant flowers. It is not unlike R. viscosum, but is 
much finer than that species. Calycanthus and Philadelphus 
were seen along the railroad, but were not noted in the immedi- 
ate neighborhood. Wild roses were abundant, and the thimble- 
berry (Rubus nutkanus), with its big maple leaves and showy 
_ white flowers, was very common, as it is throughout the whole 
of Pacific North America, from the mountains of middle Cali- 
fornia to Alaska, and east to Lake Superior, where I remember 
to have seen it for the first time many years ago. 
The abundant moisture of the lower forests and the numer- 
ous streams at their bases are favorable to the development of 
a rich herbaceous flora, among which we find many beautiful 
flowers. The spring flowers, like the Fritillarias and Erythro- 
niums, and the early violets, were gone, but the early summer 
flowers were abundant. Most of these belonged to familiar 
genera, and the species were not infrequently allied to east- 
ern ones. Dicentra formosa, much like the eastern D. eximia, 
was very common, and Aguzlegia truncata, differing but little 
from A. canadensis, was frequent. Carpeting the floor of the 
forest were two or three species of Asarum, one with beautifully 
reticulated leaves, and several species of Pyrola, among them the 
curious P. aphylla, were common. Above the thickets of brakes 
in the low ground, the gay flowers of Lilium pardalinum were 
to be seen, recalling the brighter forms of Z. superbum. 
Orchids, which are rare in California, were represented by 
several striking “species. Two Cypripediums, C. montanum, 
much like a white-lipped C. pubescens, and C. californicum, 
with smaller flowers, were met with, but both are rare plants. 
A Habenaria with inconspicuous flowers, and the very striking 
and peculiar Cephalanthera oregana were the two commonest 
orchids. The latter was frequent in the shady woods, where 
its ivory-white stems and flowers, the latter with a touch of 
yellow on the lip, were very conspicuous. 
