BOTANICAL INFORMATION. Ill 



shaded by clumps of Acacia Capensis, called "Doornboonr" 

 by the Dutch inhabitants. We took our encampment at 

 " Sandfontyn" a farm seven miles from the place of our 

 departure, and situated at the base of the south-eastern 

 extremity of a very extensive mountain range, called here 

 the Winterhorn mountain ; but it receives several other 

 names, although it is the continuation of one mountain 

 chain. Some points of this range which are visible from 

 here, are considerably high. The Zwart Kops River, with its 

 tributary, rises in the southern declivities. The course of 

 this mountain range may be traced as far as the north- 

 western boundary, close to the border of the Bushman 

 country, where it divides itself in little hills, bordering that 

 level tract. With regard to vegetation, this mountain chain 

 forms a very conspicuous line between two of our principal 

 regions. 



The territory south and west, to the shores of the At- 

 lantic and the Indian Oceans, is the central locality of the 

 two extensive and beautiful orders, the Proteacea and the 

 Ericaceae. The country beyond the mountains, towards the 

 east and north, as far as the banks of the Orange River, 

 presents nearly always the same character ; for, imme- 

 diately at the northern side the " Karroo" or South 

 African desert, commences with its peculiar productions, 

 ihe Ficoidecc, Euphorbiacece, Asclepiadece, Byttneriaceade, 

 Geraniacea, and Composite are the most conspicuous orders; 

 many species of Mesembryanthemum, Euphorbia, Stapelta, 

 with very peculiar flowers, as the curious Scytanthus Gor- 

 doni, figured in Hooker's Icones Plantarum, tab. 623, which 

 is a native of that desert, growing near the Gamtka River, 

 and on similar localities in the Bushman country. Of Com- 

 posite, the Euriops, Osteospermum, Tripteris, Gamolepis, 

 Gazania, Gorteria are prevalent. Hermas Dregei, (Mey.), 

 Brachystelma Comaru, (Mey.) Sarcocaulon UHeritieri, Pater- 

 sonia, Burmannia, and several species of Hermannia form 

 the principal groups of plants there. The vegetation in 

 the where we now are, shows another character ; the 



