388 CALIFORNIA—SUPPLEMENT. iSantalacem. 
1. G. polygaloides. Hook, et Arn, in Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 28]._Chenopodium ? spino- 
sum. Hook. Flor. Bor. Am. II. jo. 127, (mas.); supra p. 384.* 
Hab. Interior of California, Nov. 1826 ; Mr Douglas. Snake country ; Mr Tolmie. 
Our first knowledge of this very singular and interesting plant, was derived from extremely young and im- 
perfect specimens collected by Mr Douglas during his first journey in North West America, and noticed in 
the Flora Boreali- Americana as a doubtful species of Chenopodium. Our specimens with female flowers and 
fruit, from the Snake country, have an aspect so extremely different from those, just alluded to, partly from the 
more fully developed foliage, and partly from the very different structure of the perianth, that it was not till after 
a most careful comparison of the two plants, that we could satisfy ourselves of their belonging to one and the 
same species. The habit and foliage resemble considerably some Cape Polygalce, a resemblance still further 
strengthened by the shape and colour, frequently tinged with red, of the fructiferous perianth. The leaves 
when young are thick and fleshy, obovato-cuneate, and covered with minute mealy scales as in several species 
of Atriplex ; and it is from this circumstance very probable that the plant grows in salt marshes. When the 
leaves are older they elongate, and the mealiness disappears. 
We have dedicated this genus to Dr Asa Gray, Professor of Botany in the newly established university 
of the State of Michigan, U.S., the distinguished author of the revision of North American Rhynchosporece 
and MelanthacecB, and coadjutor with Dr Torrey in the Flora of North America. It is true that already two 
other genera have been named after our excellent friend, the one Grayia of Arnott, in Wight’s Catalogue of 
plants of the Peninsula of India, No. 2033 ; but as Dr Arnott has reason to think that Dr Gray would prefer 
his name to be connected with the American plant, the Eastern one will be described under another designa- 
tion I the other is the Asagraa officinalis of Dr Bindley, in the Bot. Reg. (1839) t. 33 : but no sooner 
had Dr Gray seen this figure than he felt almost certain that the plant belonged to his genus Schoenocaulon, an 
opinion, he informs us, he has since verified by an examination of Schelde’s specimen, the authority for the 
species.f 
Ord. LI. SANTALACE^. Brown. 
1 . Comandra umhellata. Nuit. — Hook. Flor. Bor. Am. 11. p. 139. 
Hab. Snake country below the American falls. Mr Tolmie. 
* Inserted there by mistake under Plumbaginece. 
t “ Of Schcenocaulon I now' know four species. The genus is extremely well marked and distinct, though 
the character requires some emendation, since it was draw'n from a single species, and that without the fruit. 
There is first the original species, S. gracile .—then this of Lindley—thirdly, a plant in Drummond’s Texan 
collection ; in the herbarium of Vienna I had named this S. aletroides, but as that name is not very appropriate, 
it may be rather called S. Dmmmondii ; I have not seen the base of the stem, but it probably is bulbous like 
the others. — The fourth species {S. caricifolium) is Veratrum caricifolium Schlecht. in Ind. Sem. Halens. 
of which he has given me a specimen in fine fruit 5 he possesses young plants raised from the seed also : the 
foliage, &c., is exactly the same as in the original species, but the spike is shorter and thicker.” Gray in litt. 
We have received from G. U. Skinner, Esq., of Guatemala specimens precisely according with Scheide 
and Lindley’s plant, from Guatemala, as the Sabadilla of commerce of that country : but this must not be 
confounded with the Veratrum Sabadilla of Descourtilz Flor. des Antilles, III. t. 195, and of Turpin in the 
plates to the Diet, des Sc. Nat., which it is to be feared has nothing to do with the true Sabadilla. 
