46 JOURNAL OF THE 
Mangrove swamps, the Oil palm often grew, covered with 
parasitical Ferns, (I found only two species of Ferns besides 
those, which are terrestrial), and on somewhat higher ground, 
Drepanocarpus lunatus, Ormocarpus verrucosus, afew shrubby 
Rubiacee, and a few Mimosee. Of the trees, intermixed with 
the Mangroves, little can be said: they were not many, and 
all covered, to the very top, with parasites. Some belonged to 
the genus Bombaz. This land, if it can be so called, was but a 
few feet above high-water mark, and consisted of sea-sand and 
vegetable remains. The beach was quite flat, hardly higher — 
than the sea, covered in many places with water, and formed 
of sand, mixed with mica, probably carried down by the 
Niger, and giving its shores a shining and peculiar appearance. | 
In some places, the strand is clothed with jungle close to the — 
sea, consisting of Chrysobalanus Icaco and Ecastophyllum — 
Brownei ; the fruits of the former, of a beautiful red, were very — 
conspicuous. Intermingled with these grew Melastomacee, 
Diodia maritima, Th., some other small Rubiacee, and Sco- 
paria dulcis ; while the border, towards the higher woods, 
was frequently ornamented with the beautiful yellow flowers of 
Hibiscus tiliaceus. Amongst these shrubs, spots might be seen, 
here and there, covered with tall rough Grass and Cyperace@, 
to the height of a man, and higher, bound together by Con- 
volvuli, Cassytha, and other Lianes, rendering them perfectly 
impenetrable. I found several places closely matted with 
Stylosanthes Guineensis, forming carpets; upon which one 
might cross pools without observing them. The most 
barren and sandy places were much overgrown with a Te- 
leianthera, R. Br., (Illecebrum obliquum, Schum. ?) an Euphor- 
bia (trinervia, Schum.?) but especially with a yellow-flowered 
creeping Dolichos and Convolvulus Pes Capre, (rotundifol. 
Schum.), which latter is diffused over the whole coast from 
Monrovia. An Umbellifera (Hydrocotyle interrupta, P- 
platyph. DC.), grew every where on the beach amongst - 
the Mangroves, and seems to overspread the whole coast. . 
A species of Malaghetty Pepper, differing from that in - 
Grand Bassa by the long beak of the fruit, was frequent. - 
