Flora of the Alamo. 133 



erably to its beauty. The young bushes are exceedingly orna- 

 mental, and once known would be greatly prized for cultivation. 



The broad valley which I have just passed through was over- 

 grown with emerald green grass, closely cropped by a multitude 

 of horses, mules and burros in passing to and fro Irom the mines. 

 In earlier spring it must have been a lovely spot, as seen from 

 the top of the hill, with the edge of the valley bordered with a 

 strip of the glaucus mountain Artemisiae (A. tridentata), forming 

 a band of white around the green, and it in turn surrounded by 

 bushes of olive green. On account of the bluish-white foliage of 

 this graceful bush it also might be used with great effect by land- 

 scape artists. 



The Golden Rod is just coming into bloom, reminding me of 

 autumn in New England, but scarcely in keeping are the fresh 

 catkins of the "pussy-willow." 



Patches of the beautiful deep red Zauschneria (Z. Californica) 

 occasionally enlivens the dry slopes of some of these valleys. 



A dead beef carcass, swarming with bees, just passed, is a re- 

 minder of the parable: "Out of the strong came forth sweet." 

 Wild bees are abundant all through these hills, swarming among 

 the rocks, in holes in the ground, and in one place they had at- 

 tached their comb to a bush simply, not able to find even a 

 vacant crevice for a lodging. 



The great bee feed, the white sage, is abundant, but now out 

 of bloom. Another great source of honey for the bees, the wild 

 buck-wheat, (Eriogonum fasciculatum) is likewise nearly out of 

 bloom, but its more modest congener, (E. Wrightii), is in full 

 bloom, but the slender spikes of white blohsoms might easily es- 

 cape observation. 



The cardinal mimulus is one of the striking flowers now to be 

 found along the watercourses, growing in large masses or border- 

 ing running streams with a profusion of showy flowers. It grows 

 abundantly in moist places from a foot to four feet in height, with 

 a light green, slightly sticky foliage. 



Above it rise the tall slender stems of a species of wild sun 

 flower (Helianthus Californicus), ten to a dozen feet in height, 

 surmounted by golden disks. 



Since writing the above I have followed up a little stream of 

 clear running water, for a couple of miles and passed a lovely 

 waterfall. Clumps of the tea fern are fresh and green, as also 

 patches of selaginelia moss (S. rupestis). Willows border the 

 creek, with occasionally a live oak tree, an elder or other species 

 of trees or shrubs along the banks. 



A species of wild lilac (Ceanothus) turns its leaves to the sun, 

 conspicuous among the other shrubs for the silvery lustre on its 

 foliage. As I approach Mexican Gulch, I find numerous clusters 

 of the silver and the Cleveland ferns, both as green and fresh, 

 owing to a recent shower, as they are in the spring. 



The wild almond, the tree poppy, the oak-leaved cherry, the 

 sugar tree (Rhus ovata), and manzanitas are among the other 



