224 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
New Tanning Plants. 
Every now and then the papers have an ac¬ 
count of some new and wonderful natural pro¬ 
duct ; these phenomenal things were formerly 
furnished by S. T. Heath, Washoe Co., Neva¬ 
da, came to hand, we were glad to see an old 
acquaintance made in botanizing across the 
country from Texas to the Pacific —Ephedra 
antisiphyllitica. Aside from any economical 
“tanning plant.” —(Ephedra antisiphyllitica.) 
a , fertile ament; l>, staminate branch ; c. pistillate branch; d, stamiuate ament; e, flowerless stem. 
all accredited to California, but of late Colora¬ 
do and other of the newer states and territories 
come in for their share. When we see a news¬ 
paper article showing forth the wonders of a 
new forage plant, or one that is useful in dye¬ 
ing, or in some other way, we take pains to 
trace the matter up, generally with the result 
of finding that the marvellous story is told of 
some old and well known plant, and that we 
have another instance of the general inaccura¬ 
cy of newspaper science. Within a few months 
there has been much said about tanning plants; 
one of these, the Nebraska tanning plant, turn¬ 
ed out to be Polygonum ampkibium, a well 
known species of smartweed, and instead of 
being confined to a few localities in Nebraska, 
is very common from New England westward, 
as well as in Europe; so we fear that the com¬ 
pany formed for gathering and baling the plant 
in Nebraska, will hardly have a monopoly of 
wood, taber & morse’s engxne.— (Seepage 223.) 
the article. Then Nevada presented its claims 
to having a valuable tanning plant, and this, 
upon being followed up, proved to be much 
more interesting than the other; we found it to 
be a plant quite unknown to the majority of 
our readers, and one of the most curious of our 
native plants. When the specimens, kindly 
value they may have, the Ephedras are exceed¬ 
ingly interesting plants, being in structure and 
habit quite unlike any other natives; they be¬ 
long to a small family, the Gnetacece, which is 
near to the pine-family; it is not necessary for 
us to minutely describe their structure, as their 
external appearance and habit is such as to al¬ 
low them to be recognized at sight. There are 
some 15 species in different countries, the two 
or three found here being low shrubs, two or 
three feet high, with clustered branches, which 
are jointed, and have sheaths at the joints, giv¬ 
ing the plants much the appearance of a branch¬ 
ing horse-tail or scouring-rush, (Equisetum), 
the sheaths sometimes on flowerless stems, de¬ 
veloped as ate in the engraving, are all the leaves 
the plant has, the green stems serving as foli¬ 
age ; the staminate and pistillate flowers are on 
separate plants, both kinds being in cone-like 
aments; b shows a staminate branch, and c a 
pistillate one about the 
natural size, and at d is 
an enlarged staminate 
ament, consisting of over¬ 
lapping scales, from be¬ 
neath which the stamens 
protrude; the fertile one, 
a , bears one or two fruits 
or seeds, which present a 
structure of much interest 
to the botanist. The 
plants are resinous and 
astringent to the taste, and 
the one in question is used 
in localities where it 
grows as a medicine, and 
as a substitute for tea. 
The plant grows in large 
clumps,and the dense mass 
of peculiar yellowish-green leafless stems, if 
not beautiful, would at least produce a novel 
effect in gardening, and wherever it would be 
hardy, it is worth growing for its oddity. The 
European species have the common name of 
Shrubby Horse-tail; the Mexicans call ours Te- 
popote, but the botanical name— Ephedra , is 
quite as handy as either. Animals are fond of 
browsing upon the plant, but probably more 
for a change than for any considerable nourish¬ 
ment it may afford. Its value as a tanning ma¬ 
terial needs to be carefully examined; that it 
will tan skins very completely there is no doubt; 
Mr. Heath sends us a piece of buckskin tanned 
with the plant, which is of a light pleasing col¬ 
or. Should it be found of sufficient value, as 
compared with other tanning materials, an ex¬ 
tract could be prepared, as the stems of the 
plants are too bulky for distant transportation. 
The Chinese or Beefsteak Saxifrage. 
The Chinese Saxifrage is an illustration of 
the manner in which the popularity of a plant 
is affected by fashion; this was introduced 
from China over 100 years ago, and has been 
found here and there among old-fashioned 
house-plants, but regarded as too common to 
form a part of the florist’s stock. A few years 
ago hanging baskets came into use for the cul¬ 
tivation of flowers, their popularity yearly 
increasing, and this neglected Saxifrage being 
found to be a most useful basket-plant, it is 
now raised iu quantities by the florists, and 
is to be had almost everywhere among the 
dealers. The plant is so different in general 
appearance from other Saxifrages, that one 
who did not 
study it bo- 
t a n i c a 11 y , 
would not 
think it be¬ 
longed with 
them. It is a . 
perennial 
with leaves, 
which are all 
clustered at 
the root on 
long hairy 
stalks, two or 
three inches 
broad, round 
heart- shaped, 
or kidney¬ 
shaped, and 
scolloped on 
the margin; 
they are thick- 
ish, purple 
on the under 
side, with the 
somewhat 
hairy upper 
surface mark¬ 
ed with broad 
irregular 
whitish 
stripes along 
the veins, 
from the base 
to the edge, 
w T hich, con¬ 
trasting with 
the light 
green, give it 
a handsomely 
variegated ap- Chinese saxifrage—plant with 
pearance. runners. 
Well established plants flower freely, throw¬ 
ing up a flower stalk a foot or more high, 
with the flowers arranged in a loose pyra¬ 
midal cluster; the flowers themselves are 
small and not very showy, but when closely 
examined, are found to be exceedingly neat and 
