MB. BUNBURY OK THE BOTAKT OF TENERIFFE. 25 



orhictdaris and minima^ Plantago Lagopiis, Bromits Madritemis, 

 and many more. 



The rugged cliifs eastward of the town, and the mouths of the 

 little valleys that intersect them, afford an abundance of curious 

 and interesting plants. One is struck at first sight with the 

 peculiarity of the flora ; one sees at once that it is far more 

 exotic than that of Madeira, and has much less in common with 

 Europe, whether in its general physiognomy or its specific details. 

 The uncouth Etcphorhia Canariensis^y one of the most abundant 

 plants on the sea-cliff*s and on all the rocky and rugged parts of 

 the coast, up to the tops of the hills commanding Santa Cruz, 

 immediately reminds us of the South- African flora ; it has indeed 

 a very close resemblance to the numerous succulent and prickly 

 Euphorbias which form a material part of the extraordinary vege- 

 tation of Cafiraria. 



Tlie singular and graceful Plocama pendula^ another of the most 

 abundant and characteristic plants of the coast near Santa Cruz, 

 is, on the contrary, a thoroughly peculiar Canarian type, not con- 

 nected with any other flora. The two other plants which espe- 

 cially characterize this part of the coast, and which, together with 



the two just mentionedf, give to it its distinctive botanical phy- 

 siognomy, are tlie Kleinia neriifolia and EitpTiorbia piscatoria ; 

 the latter resembling, on a greater scale, tlie Euphorbia dendroides 

 of tlie Mediterranean, while the Khinin^ which has the look of a 

 Dragon-tree in miniature, is a truly African type. When, as often 

 happens, tlie FJocama and the Kleinia grow in close contact with 

 the clumps oi EupTiorUa Canariensis, the effect is singular; the 

 light weeping form and lively green colour of the Plocama being 

 strongly contrasted with the grey hue and gouty branches of the 

 Kleinia, and with the stiff' columns of the Euphorbia. 



Other plants, which, by their abundance, particularly charac- 

 terize this part of the coast, are Artemisia argenteaX, Chrysanthe- 

 mnvi fccniculacciim, and the beautiful Lavandula abrotanoides. 

 Fagonia Cretica also grows along the edges of the cliffs, as well 

 as Aizoon Canaricnse, Plantago aviplexicaulis, Lotus sessilifolius, 

 Fortidaca oleracea, and a pretty little Cgperus, which one is sur- 

 prised to see flourishing on such arid rocks. 



* This plant is admirably well described hy Yon Buch. 



t The physiognomy of these four plants is extremely weU represented m the 

 plates to Webb and Bertliolot's great work. 



J The people eall it Ineiemo, and consider it an exeellent remedy for colds 

 and hendaehes. 



