264 REV. R. BARON ON THE 
flowers in the woods and in the fields, but they have to be looked 
for; they are so few and far between that they very rarely 
produce any marked effect in the landscape. Of the plants with 
beautiful flowers, the first place must be given to the Orchids. 
Angraecum sesquipedale, A. Ellisii, A. superbum, and some other 
species of Angrecum have long occupied a high position in orchid 
eulture. In the interior of the island there are two or three 
striking ground orchids. One of these, Cynorchis flexuosa, has a 
flower with a pretty yellow labellum ; another, Disa incarnata, 
which grows in marshes in Eastern Imerina, has a very handsome 
compact spike of brilliant scarlet flowers; and a third, Disa 
Buchenaviana, found on the hillsides of Eastern Imerina near 
the forest, has a spike of most beautiful blue flowers. In the 
Ankay plain I have occasionally seen the pretty yellow-flowered 
Thunbergia alata. In the open country in the central parts of 
the island Vinca rosea, with its pretty rose-coloured corolla, is 
common, as is also Commelina madagascarica, with its delicate 
petals of a very rich blue colour. Euphorbia splendens, an in- 
habitant of a few of the higher rocky hills, and extensively used 
for hedges in Imerina, has a flower with scarlet or yellow bracts. 
Clematis Bojeri (with its varieties C. oligophylla and C. trifida), 
the only erect Clematis in Madagascar, and Tachiadenus longi- 
flora, belonging to the Gentian Order, and having a large white 
corolla with a tube about four inches long, occur frequently on 
the hillsides of the interior of the country. Tachiadenus platy- 
pterus, found in East Betsileo, is similar to the last mentioned, 
but has a blue corolla. A small tree, which occurs sparingly on 
the western slopes of Ankaratra, Dombeya longicuspis, has a 
pretty red flower. Aristea Kitchingii, a marsh plant, and 
A. angustifolia possess very pretty blue flowers. Harpagophy- 
tum Grandidieri, a shrub belonging to the Order Pedaline®, and 
found to the north-west of Mandritsara, has bunches of gorgeous 
red flowers proceeding from a tuft of leaves at the ends of the 
branches. Among other plants found in Central Madagascar 
which are noteworthy for their floral beauty may be mentioned 
Sparmannia discolor, four species of Salvia, found in the higher 
parts of Vakin’ Ankaratra; Tristellateia madagascariensis, à 
climbing plant with spikes of rich yellow flowers; Vitis micro- 
diptera, Agauria salicifolia, three species of Pachypodium, and 
two or three species of Sopubia. Stenocline inuloides is a small 
shrub with pretty flowers, and is strongly scented, though no 
