The West American Scientist. 



Vol. XV. No. j. Janm 

 Published monthly by 



CHARLES RUSSELL ORCITTT, Editor. 



San Diego, California. 

 Price, 10 cents; $1.00 a year in advance, 

 $1.25 if paid at end of year. 



ZWE1 NEiUE OREGONISCHE 

 PFLiAJNZEtN. 



LASTHENIA MINIMA Suks. 



Wie L. glaberrima DC, aber kleiner, 

 nur 5—6 cm. hoch. Die obersten Blat- 

 ter oft sparsami behaart. Kopfchen- 

 stiele etwa 2— bis 3mal solang wie die 

 Kopfchen, meistens ktirzer als die 

 Blatter, ziemlich dicht bedeckt mit 

 woilichtan Haaren. Die 5-6 Zahne des 

 Hiillkelches ebenfalls behaart, auf 

 beiden Fl&ehen, aber dichter an den 

 Randan, Kronenrofcre etwas drilsig 

 —In sehr dichten Massen an seichten 

 TUmipeln nahe bei Dalles am Kolum- 

 biastrom, 4. Mai 1898. (Meine Nr. 2683). 



EATON I A ANNUA Sksd. 



Pflanze elnj&hrig, 4—16 cm. hoch 

 Czuweilen vielleicht grosser). Blatter 

 kurz, 1-6 cm. lang oder weniger, rauh, 

 ihre Scheid'en fast kurzhaarig. Rispe 

 dicht, 1-4 cm. lang, oder ktirzer und 

 dann oft zu einer armiblutigen Ahre 

 verkummert. Ahrchen 3-4 mm. lang, 

 2-oder Sbltitig. Kelchepelzen fast 

 gleichlang, rauh, besonders l&ngs den 

 Nerven; die unterste breitlinealisch. 

 stumpf bis fast spitz; die oberste wie 

 bei E. Pennsylvania. — In dichten 

 Massen an den Randern von Tt'tmpeln 

 die bald austrocknen. bei Dalies am 

 Kolumbiastrom, 8. Juni 1897. (Meine 

 Nr. 1553.). 



WILHE'LM SUKSDORF. 



CULTIVATION OF CACTI. 



Botanists generally recognize more 

 than a thousand species of cacti, while 



>y, igo6. Whole No. 12$. 



of varieties, and natural and artificial 

 hybrids, there is an unknown number. 



These plants occur in nature under 

 very diverse conditions; some in the 

 moist temperate and torrid 

 regions of North and South 

 America; some in the dense, warm, 

 humid forests of the tropics—often 

 growing on the trees; others occur on 

 the fertile temperate plains of Mex- 

 ico; a great proportion, in point of 

 individual plants, are found in the arid 

 regions of the American continent, 

 where they are compelled to maintain 

 an existence sometimes for two or 

 three years without a drop of rain; 

 yet a few must be sought at high 

 elevations, where rigorous winters 

 must be endured. 



The cacti of the Rocky Mountain 

 region are widely advertised as hardy, 

 and used in rockeries and out-door 

 plantings in the eastern United States 

 and in Europe, but even they will not 

 withstand a low temperature when 

 abundantly supplied with water, but 

 must be kept dry during the cold 

 months. In California these plants 

 have not seemed to enjoy themselves 

 under the usual conditions. 



The species which occur in Texas, 

 New Mexico and Arizona, and in the 

 Californian deserts are next in hardi- 

 ness, but occurring as they do under 

 diverse, and adverse conditions to 

 most plant life, they do not all re- 

 spond to the same treatment. The 

 prickly pears will mostly thrive under 

 any treatment that involves a moder- 

 ate supply of water; the giant Cereus 

 of the desert seems always thirsty for 

 more water and will make a good 

 use of an abundance — making rapid 

 growth when planted in rich soil and 



