586 



A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CANON. 



around me were covered with the brilliant lemon-yellow 

 flowers and pale pea-green foliage of DendvomccoJi 

 rigida. The slender, leafy stem of this shrub bears its 

 wealth of beauty at from two to six feet above the ground 

 on a level with the surrounding chaparral. Its flowers 

 are extremely delicate, two to four inches across, much 

 resembling some forms of the eschscholtzia. The pods 

 burst at maturity, making the seed difficult to gather, so 

 that this shrub has not yet found its way into general 

 cultivation. It does not tranquilly bear transplanting in 

 the way shrubs are usually handled. 



The Yerba Santa— A broad, sticky-leaved variety of 

 Eriodictyon glutinositm, with large heliotrope-purple 

 flowers, was a near neighbor of the dendromecon. It 

 was very different from the narrow-leaved, white-flowered 

 mountain form of the yerba santa, sometimes classed as 

 E. angtt'stifoliiim, more nearly resembling in aspect the 

 Coast-valley form, formerly known as E. lomcntosum, 

 which has conspicuous broad, light green, velvety foliage. 

 At a distance, an occasional mountain yucca ( 

 Wkipplei) with its magnificent candelabra-like panicle of 

 creamy white flowers tinged with a rich maroon, lent a 

 tropical appearance to the canon slope. 



The Blue Cypress. — With the exception of a few 

 sycamores growing along the course of the clear mountain 

 stream running very leisurely through the canon at this 

 season of the year, Cupressus Cundaliipcnsis formed 

 the chief arboreal growth ; but a disastrous forest-fire 

 swept over the mountains a few years ago, leaving only 

 dead and blackened cypress skeletons, to which the very 

 persistent cones still cling with tenacity. Here and there 

 a cypress thicket had escaped apparently unscathed, and 

 formed a dark green relief to the red, sun-baked earth so 

 prevalent through this section of the state. . The blue 

 cypress rarely attains a height of over 30 feet, more often 

 less than 20. Millions of young cypress trees have started 

 up along the water-course in this capon, with the evident 

 aim to reforest the desolated slopes. Probably the seed 

 had been retained in the cypress-cones for years for just 

 such an emergency, and the fire that destroyed the parent 

 trees liberated it, thus indirectly repairing the injury 

 done. 



MiMULUS PUNicEUS. — Another elegant flowering shrub 

 which never fails to excite admiration is the shrubby 

 monkey-flower, with dark evergreen foliage and rich, 

 brilliant, velvety crimson blossoms, borne in great pro- 



fusion. It blooms when less than a foot high, and under 

 favorable circumstances forms a wide-spreading bush six 

 feet high, with slender, drooping branches. The flowers 

 on one bush will occasionally vary from a shade of buff 

 to deepest crimson — the usual normal color. A smaller 

 species, M. gliUinosiis, bears larger, uniformly buff or 

 salmon-colored flowers. 



Pickeringia MONTANA. — Beside the mimulus in this 

 canon there grew a slender bush a few feet high, with 

 light pea-green foliage. It was literally covered with 

 small pea-shaped flowers of a dark, rich magenta color. 

 As it is a peculiarly profuse bloomer, much might be ex- 

 pected from it in cultivation, but I do not know of its 

 having yet been introduced into gardens. The shrub 

 was only from two to four feet high, and was most 

 aboundant on the dryest and rockiest ridges of the canon 

 slopes. 



Cham^batia foliolosa. — A low, rosaceous shrub, at 

 times scarcely a foot high, with delicately divided, fern- 

 like foliage, and white, strawberry-like flowers, was 

 found in considerable patches, almost monopolizing the 

 ground where it grew. This shrub, C. foliolosa, might 

 very appropriately be called the strawberry flowering 

 bush, but has the far less pleasing common name of 

 "tar-bush" — from what cause I know not. 



Fremontia. — The crowning glory of the canon at the 

 time of my visit was the tangled jungle of Fremontia 

 Calif ornica, then in full bloom. It bordered the slow- 

 funning stream for miles, its beautiful wax-like yellow 

 flowers giving occupation to millions of bees, and re- 

 minding one somewhat of abutilon blossoms. Even 

 young plants of the Fremontia are tree-like in shape, and 

 in cultivation it makes symmetrical flowering trees. It 

 is also of comparatively quick growth, and the green 

 leaves, tawny beneath, do not detract from its beauty. 

 Fremontia is certainly destined to be one of the most 

 popular flowering shrubs of California. A single tree 

 growing in San Diego invariably causes inquiry from 

 every one interested in horticulture. 



There was beauty enough in this southern California 

 canon, at the time of our visit, to make us long to repeat 

 it. The wild white sage, Audibertia polystachya, was 

 just coming into bloom, and our last look backward 

 showed glimpses of tall lilies growing beside the water 

 and nodding us goodbye. 



San Diego, California. C. R. Orcutt. 



