THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



93 



abundantly and give color to the landscape. Then there are 

 the palms — tall spires with large umbrellas formed of spread- 

 ing fans or gracefully bending feathers. 



The sea ox-eye {Borrichia fmtescens) which grows along 

 the margin of the bay is very interesting because it defies the 

 hot sun and raises its head even when the beach is like molten 

 brass. An excellent instance of adaptation is this low fleshy- 

 leaved halophyte. Occasionally a bunch of alkali grass 

 (Distichlis maritima) may form a hiding place for the little 

 swift lizards while sea oats (Uniola paniculata) grows with 

 less pretense but with a persistance that meets the conditions. 

 Farther back the scalp lock (Euthammia graminifolia) flaunts 

 its cylindric heads. In order that they may not be without all 

 the symbols around which are grouped some beautiful and 

 playful superstitions, the matrimony vine (Lycium) has a rep- 

 resentative that compares favorably to^ some of the forms that 

 have been so carefully cultivated for more than a century. 



In the vast areas which might appropriately be termed the 

 median shelves of the ancient salt water basin, it seems that 

 every plant has spines. Here may be found various forms of 

 prickley pear, Indian fig, pin cushion, Mexican beads, lady 

 fingers and medicine bottles, besides dwarfed yuccas, sword 

 cactus and many other cacti, but the thorny chaparral, cats' 

 claws, mesquite and huisache are silent emblems of the prin- 

 ciple of preparedness. Possibly the most formidable of the 

 shrub-like cactus is the thorn bud (Opuntia, leptocaulis) whose 

 varying forms and lengths of sharp brittle spines stand like a 

 phalanx against intruders, large or small. The little Mexican 

 beads (Minimal pallida) displays varying shades of green that 

 are always restful to the eyes, and a vast hoard of little butter- 

 flies such as the lyside (Kricongonia lyside), the phaon 

 (Phycodes phaon) and the southern snout butterfly (Libythea 

 carinenta) are continually darting among them with a calm 

 disregard for the thorns. The fruit of the Mexican beads are 

 gathered by the Mexican children and strung on threads. 



