BOTANICAL OBSERVATIONS IN WESTERN WYOMING. 103 
in the high divide separating its waters from those of the Yellow- 
stone basin. On this route the chief point of botanical interest 
centred in the comparatively little explored district of Owl Creek 
range, the valleys of Owl Creek, Gray Bull and Stinking Water, 
and the high mountain region at the sources of the last named 
stream. We accordingly note briefly in their order of passing the 
features of botanical interest presented on our route. 
The valley of Wind River, as its name suggestively implies, i is 
especially subject to the sweep of fierce northwest winds, which 
necessarily leave their impress upon the native vegetation. Thus 
everywhere on the uplands and low open valleys there is a close 
uniform growth of stunted grasses, or the dull moorish aspect 
presented by the constantly recurring Artemisia. On saline flats 
the view is hardly improved by a ranker and more verdant growth 
of the spine-clad Sarcobatus; everywhere there is a monotonous 
recurrence of the same forms of vegetation, comprising such only 
as are capable of withstanding the combined unfavorable influ- 
ences of a parched soil during the season of summer growth, 
followed by an early and rigorous winter. Only in moist, shel- 
tered bottom-lands do we meet with anything like a rank vegeta- 
tion, made up of dense willow thickets, occasional copses of — 
. Shepherdia argentea Nutt., with irregular scattering groves of 
Populus balsamea. Especially abundant in all damp, rich, alluvial 
tracts in this region we meet with the ** wild licorice” (Glycyrrhiza 
` lepidota Nutt.), here very commonly infested with a parasitic fun- 
gus, Trichobasis leguminosarum Link. 
In the series of steep bluffs bounding the main river bottoms, 
the deep gullied ravines offer a greater variety of soil and expos- 
ure favorable to a diversified and peculiar vegetation. Here, 
accordingly, among other rarities we meet with a well marked new 
species of Astragalus, distinguished by its loose straggling habit, 
growing in light loamy soil, and sending up a loose spike of white 
flowers which rarely mature fruit. Prof. Gray has characterized 
this species (No. 65 of the distributed collection) as A. ventorum, 
n. sp. (see appendix). Here also along the slopes of high gypseous 
ridges we meet quite abundantly with a new composite, Schkuhria 
EEEO integrifolia Gray, n. sp. (see appendix, No. 
50); of a habit and e quite unlike any other species of 
sa genus. - 
On oe the broken foot-hills of the Owl Creek range, both 
