186 DE. F. WELWITSCH ON WEST AFBIOAN BOTANY. 



nec bene elaboratis) 6-andri, 1-styli, antherse videntur 3 loculares 

 et rimulis apertaj ; stigma peltaturu, dentato-lacerum, vel rhomboi- 

 deum ut in quibusdam Proteaceis ; caryopsis compressa in alam 

 membranaceara producta ; — semina matura non vidi, .... tegu- 

 mento fibrillis copiosis (uti in Gasuarineis) percurso certe gaudent ! 

 — -Sthiopes accolentes singulare boc florae Africans productum 

 N^tumbo vocant, quare genus, absque dubio indescriptum, forsan 

 Tumboa dicendum erit ; sed ob his omnibus, absque ulteriore et 

 accuratiore examine nil certe affirmari potest, nec Africa cequi- 

 noctialis Musis arnica ! ! In the meantime I may intimate that 

 this dwarf tree probably represents the type of a quite peculiar 

 family of the South African tropics, of which a closer examination 

 of the tract to the eastward, and the coast extending southwards, 

 may lead to the discovery of more species. 



Unfortunately the space in this little letter of mine is so re- 

 stricted that I must entirely pass over the flora of the country 

 between Mossamedes and Huilla (which, though not very varied, 

 is nevertheless highly interesting), in order that I may allude to 

 the high plateau of Huilla, which, at a distance of about 100 

 geographical miles from the west coast, rises toward the east, 

 and continuing more than thirty miles in that direction, gradually 

 slopes to (xuilengues, Caconda, and Quipungo. 



I reached the high plateau of Huilla at the end of October 1859 ; 

 thus in the middle of spring in the southern hemisphere. The 

 entire appearance of the landscape, the aspect of forest and plain — 

 indeed, the whole character of the vegetation was at once and en- 

 tirely changed as though by magic. I fancied myself in a strange 

 world. Everything about me would recall the delightful outlying 

 lower mountains of Switzerland, did not numerous Melastomacea, 

 Apocynacece, Combretacew, &c, remind me of the tropics. The 

 highest summit of this plateau rises to 6000 feet above the sea. 

 The measurement of a mountain crest, obviously lower than a 

 neighbouring summit, gave me, by a standard thermometer, 201$ 

 Fahr. as the boiling point. 



The numerous species of Loranthus are accompanied by one 

 Viscum. 



Iridece (and Iris itself) are numerous. 



Of Proteacece, 10 species (5 belonging to a new genus) were 

 observed. 



Gyperacece develope in unwonted splendour. 



A Ranunculus and 4 Clematideee are everywhere common. 



A Cabombacea, with a JVymphceacea, float upon the Lagoas. 



