276 MR. SPENCER LE M. MOORE—PHANEROGAMIC BOTANY 
and Tora, Linn.) are in full flower in January. Dianthera paludosa, Sm., Cuscuta obtusi- 
flora, H. B. K., Ipomea fistulosa, Mart., sometimes forming dense thickets, Leonotis 
nepetefolia, R. Br., frequently occur, and Momordica Charantia, Linn., spreads a literal 
carpet over large spaces of ground. Climbing the shrubs are the Amazonian Centrosema 
vexillatum, Benth., also Phaseolus lasiocarpus, Mart., Bignoniads, Ipomceas, and Passion- 
flowers ; and the Goyaba tree, here often attacked by the Loranthad Psittacanthus cordatus, 
Blume, and covered with its red blossoms at this time of year, is a feature in the landscape. 
On the slopes facing the river and on the top of the bluff many plants will be found : such 
as Coccolobas ; Jatropha vitifolia, Mill., in wearying iteration ; an orange-flowered Cereus ; 
Pereskia Bleo, DC., with its pale purple flowers; Thyallis Laburnum, a Malpighiaceous 
shrub new to science, reminding one, when blossoming, of our familiar Laburnum tree ; 
a fine Leguminous tree, Pterocarpus Rohriü Vahl, with species of Sesbania, Bauhinia, 
Psidium, Ranwolfia, Thevetia, Julocroton, and many others; while of climbers we have 
Bignoniads, Teremnus volubilis, Sw. (like Centrosema vexillatum, Benth., an Amazonian 
species) a flowerless Dioscorea with bright purple leaves, Rhabdadenia Pohlii, Muell. 
Arg., Thinouia sepium, S. Moore, &c. The pretty little Talinum crassifolium, Willd., 
grows in masses upon the open ground, accompanied by a Cyphiacanthus, flowering 
specimens of which I, by some oversight, failed to secure. The streets of the town are 
 enlivened by the brilliant blossoms of Cesalpinia puleherrima, Sw., planted here of 
course; and at the custom-house are some fine fig-trees (Ficus Elliotiana, 8. Moore). 
Crateva Tapia, Linn., too, with its spreading leafy branches, affords most grateful shade. 
The river has its usual fringe of **camalote" mingled with grasses, Jussiveas, &c., and large 
islands composed of these plants float out from the neighbouring “riacho” or backwater 
called the Bahia de Caceres and become stranded along the shore, where the camalote 
is greedily eaten by cattle and pigs. 
Our stay at Corumbá lasted six weeks; it was varied by a short trip to Carandajinho, 
a small wood-cutting and cattle-raising station a few leagues up river. Here I found, 
upon marshy ground liable to inundation, large pink trusses of Rhabdadenia Pohli, 
Muell. Arg.; Cassia aculeata, Benth., /ZEschynomene sensitiva, Sw., Byttneria campestris, 
S. Moore, and a Corynostylis,an Amazonian genus of which I saw no signs further 
up the river, were also gathered. In the ponds here were found the handsome aquatics, 
Thalia geniculata, Linn., and Echinodorus paniculatus, Micheli. Festooning the trees on 
the river-bank was Macfadyenia laurifolia, Miers; but I was able to do but little work 
here, and that only in the immediate neighbourhood of the boat, to which latter I was 
confined by indisposition during most of the time our visit lasted. 
We left Corumbá in the Explorer on Feb. 1st, having a few days previously been 
joined by Lieut. Storm, who in the meanwhile had gone to Buenos Ayres with the view 
_ of placing himself in telegraphic communication with Europe, and had returned with 
intelligence of so unsatisfactory a character that no option was left him but to abandon 
the expedition. On our way down we called at Coimbra, picturesquely placed on the 
|. western bank of the river. Here we paid a visit to some limestone caves, which 
_ Weddell* tells us he also explored. To reach the caves you have to make your way 
nv * Ann. d. Sc, Nat. 3™ série, xiii. p. 61 (in note). 
