2 The West American Scientist. 



whatever skill he has as a bontanical collector. Strange it would 

 have been if the example set by these enthusiastic scholars should 

 not have kindled a feeling oi emulation in their young associate. 

 The friendship formed during these few weeks in camp and field 

 was lasting and the first was the beginning of a series of explora- 

 tions together. In January, 1883, Dr. Parry, with his wife, Miss 

 Rosa Smith (now Mrs, Eigenmann), W. G. Wright, of San Ber- 

 nardino, my father, H. C. Orcutt, and myself formed a party for 

 further exploration of the shores of 'All Saints' bay. On this 

 trip the new spice bush (Ptelea aptera, Parry) was discovered. 

 The main object of our party was the introduction of the Rosa 

 minutifolia into cultivation, but in spite of the greatest precau- 

 tions and care taSen with a thousand roots which were trans- 

 planted to a garden in San Diego, the experiment proved almost 

 a total failure. 



Dr. Parry discovered during his extensive explorations hun- 

 dreds of new plants afterward described by Dr. Gray and by Dr. 

 Engelmann, and his name is firmly fixed in the history of West 

 American botany. While his greatest service has been rendered 

 to botanical science, yet, horticulturists will not soon forget that 

 it was Dr. Parry who discovered Picea pungens, the beautiful- 

 blue spruce of our gardens; Pinus Engelmanni, Pinus Torreyana, 

 Pinus Parryana, Pinus aristata, and a host of others of beauty and 

 value. 



Through his zeal and enterprise, many plants now familiar to 

 American and European gardens were first cultivated. Zizy- 

 phus Parryi, Phacelia Parryi, Frasera Parry i, Lilium Parry i, Saxi- 

 fraga Parryi, Dalea Parryi^ Primula Parryi, and many other 

 plants of great beauty or utility bear his name in commemora- 

 tion of his labors and worthily do him honor. 



No name is more intimately connected with the flora of West 

 America than is the name of Charles Christopher Parry. For fifty 

 years his indefatigable labors and explorations in the West have 

 enriched our botanical lore. His name is associated with many 

 pleasant memories in the mind of every one who was so fortun- 

 ate as to know him personally. Since 1882 he has published 

 very important papers on the species of Chorizanthe found on 

 the Pacific Slope; on the genus Arctostaphylos (the manzanita); 

 on Pacific Coast Alders; and later, on the genus Ceanothus, 

 which contains the numerous mountain and coast shrubs known 

 as 'wild lilacs.' These papers were the result of special studies 

 in the field of these difficult groups of plants and contained de- 

 scriptions of many new species. 



Not only the botanical world, but every one with whom this 

 genial, unostentatious botanist has come in contact with, were 

 pained to learn of his death, which occured at his home' in Daven- 

 port, Iowa, on the 20th day of February, 1890, from pneumonia, 

 which followed an attack of influenza, contracted while on a 

 visit to the Atlantic States. The following review of his life is 



1 • i r* 



complied from several biographical sketches which have appeared. 



