Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/88

[ 26 ] also near Santa Fe and about Chihuahua, and by Mr. Lindheimer, in Texas; the petals being united about two-thirds of their length, it cannot be retained under the genus Cucumis; Hoffmannseggia Jamesii, T. and G., was also gathered on this part of the journey; several species of Psoralea, Petalostemon, and Astragalus; also Torrey’s Gaura villosa and Krameria lanceolata; Erysimum asperum, which before was not known to grow so fat south; Polygala alba, Lygodesmia juncea. Here we also, for the first time, meet with Rhus trilobata, Nutt., which, farther west, becomes a very common plant. A new Talinum, which I have named T. calycinum, was found in sandy soil on the Cimarron. This plant has, like the nearly allied T. teretifolium of the United States, a remarkable tenacity of life, so much so that specimens collected, pressed, and “dried,” in June, 1846, when they reached me in August, 1847, 14 months later, grew vigorously after being planted.

Psoralea hypogæa, Nutt., was collected near Cold spring, and Yucca angustifolia, from here to Santa Fe.

From Cedar creek the mountainous region commences with an elevation of near 5,000 feet above the Gulf, and extends to Santa Fe to about 7,000 feet. With the mountains we get also to the region of the pines, and of the cacti. Dr. Wislizenus has here collected two species of Pinus, both of which appear to be undescribed, so that I venture to give now a short account of them. The most interesting one, on account of its useful fruit, as well as its botanical associations, is the nut pine of New Mexico, (Piñon,) Pinus edulis, nearly related to the nut pine of