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Jepson Field Book Transcriptions · Jepson Herbarium

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37_78
Mason Valley, N. of Laguna Mts.

-We climb by a narrow and dangerous new-made road where the soil and rocks have not yet settled up a grade and over the rocky traverse referred to above and enter Mason Valley. The soil here is sandy but deep and good and largely free from the gravel that one finds in Vallecito. The difference is apparent in the "grassy" vegetation which consists of Erodium cicutarium, Lupinus (no. 8718), Oenothera (no. 8717), Gilia lemmonii (no. 8719), Cryptanthe (no. 8715). The "brush" is Larrea tridentate, Franseria dumosa, Acampotopappus sphaerocephalus.

-Agave deserti (no. 8711). I measure one plant which is 15 ft. 6 in. h.

-At the lower end of Mason Valley is a "flat" with a fine stand of Atriplex canescens (same sp. as 8648). Ephedra (no. 8668). Hymenoclea salsola is abundant. White Sate (Salvia apiana) is common. Chilopsis salina in the washes. Cont. p. 104.
37_79
c. 1800 ft. 17 Apr. 1920.

-Towards the upper end of Mason Valley near the entrance to Box Canyon is a settler and his wife, Mr. & Mrs. James McMillen [sic], who were most pleasant to us.

Bee Feed.

The bees, says McMillan, feed on a little blue flower (Lupinus no. 8718), on Filaree (Erodium cicutarium), on Mescal (Agave deserti) which lasts about 4 weeks, on Greasewood (Larrea tridentata) and on a yellow flower which comes later and makes very good honey. The Greasewood is now flowering and precedes the Mescal. (This should be called California Mescal to distinguish it from the Mexican one.) The Mescal makes a honey which has what we call the Mescal flavor. It is much better than the Greasewood honey which is rather high-flavored.

(No. 8638 I understand is bee feed.)
(No. 8642 is bee feed.)
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