159 
The Flora of Banda Oriental. 
By W. E. SAFFoRD, U. S. N. 
(Continued from page 149.) 
I sawa number of Leguminose about to bloom, and collected 
several species of Lupine, a dainty little Vetch, and a number of 
composite related to the genus Sevzecio. These, together with 
the Anemone and the early bulbous umbellifer mentioned before, 
reminded me strongly of the flora of the “ prairies’’ of the United 
States; and I may remark here that there are also certain zoolog- 
ical resemblances between our prairies and the Pampas; such as 
the occurrence in the two regions of burrowing rodents and bur- 
rowing owls of the same genera, and prairie wolves or coyotes. 
Continuing our way across the fields, we collected a small 
Convolvulus with finely divided leaves (C. crenatifolius, L., 
Herit.), Graphalium Indicum, L., an elegant little composite ' 
with small white flowers in clusters (Pamphalea Commersonii, 
Car.), and a tiny acaulescent composite with woolly leaves 
(Chevreulia stolonifera, Cass.) On amound made by leaf-cut- 
ting ants I collected a species of Vernonia (V. Platensis, Less.) 
which was not yet in bloom. I saw at least seven species of in- 
digenous Vernonias in the Gibert collection, but none were yet 
in bloom. 
_ Reaching the brook of Las Piedras, we found growing in the 
water a large Pontederia (P. xymphefolia, Kunth.) called by the 
natives “‘ camalote” ; a large sedge (Carex riparia, Curt.), and 
the common 7ypha angustifolia, L. Around its banks I col- 
lected Mentha aquatica, L., Hydrocotyle natans, Cyr., and Samo- 
lus Valerandi, L., which is so extensively spread throughout the 
world; and, near by, the only shrub of the region, Cestrum 
Pargui, which I afterwards found growing on the hillsides of 
Valparaiso. 
I saw great numbers of a small melon-shaped cactus (Echino- 
cactus, sp. ?), and of a stiff pointed leaved Eryngium, neither of 
which were in bloom. In places there were patches of beautiful 
dwarf blue Iridaceous plants, probably species of Polia or Cy- 
prella. 1 collected also a peculiar orchid which the natives call 
the “‘toad-flower,”’ from its color, which is green spotted with 
brown; and on my way back to the station gathered a Lifpia, 
