238 VEGETATION OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 
almost an European character, giving the whole more the appearance —— 
of an English park than that of a tractof land in tropical America. 
The turf contains, besides numerous species of Grasses, many elegant 
Papilionacee, Polygalee, and Gentianeæ: the tender sensitive-plant 
(Mimosa pudica, Linn.) prevails in many localities, shutting up its 
irritable leaves even upon the approach of a heavy footstep. The 
clumps of trees and shrubs, over which the Garumos (Cecropia peltata, 
Linn.) and Pava-trees (Panaz, sp. nov.) wave their large foliage, are 
composed of AMyríacee, Melastomacee, Chrysobalaneæ, Papilionaceæ, 
Composite, Anacardiacee, Malpighiaceæ, Hederacee, Anonaceæ, Dil- 
leniaceæ, and Acanthacee, and often overspread by masses of Convolvu- 
lacee, Aristolochiee, Apocynee, and other creeping or winding plants. 
Orchidee axe very plentiful in the vicinity of the rivers and rivulets, 
where the trees are literally loaded with them. The Vainilla (Vanilla, 
sp.) is seen climbing in great abundance up the stems of young trees, 
and increasing in many instances so much in weight that it causes the 
downfall of its supporter. The Chumicales, or groves of Sand-paper 
trees (Curatella Americana, Linn.), form occasionally curious features 
in the landscape. They extend over whole districts, and their pre- 
sence always indicates a soil strongly impregnated with iron. The 
trees are about forty feet high, with crooked branches, an approxima- 
tion to the winding habit of their tribe, and the paper-like leaves 
occasion a rattling noise if stirred by the wind, which strongly recalls 
the European autumn, when northerly breezes strip the trees of their 
foliage. 
Dense forests of immense extent cover at least two-thirds of the 
whole territory. From the height of their trees, and the numerous 
creepers overhanging them, the rays of the sun are almost interrupted ; 
and, in all forests of this description, little underwood exists. The 
principal forms belong to Sterculiacee, Tiliacee, Mimoseæ, Papilionacee, 
Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiee, Acanthacee, Piperacee, Rubiaceae, Myrtacee, 
and Melastomacee ; these, and the prevalence of Tree-ferns, Scitaminee, 
‘and Palms, stamp on them the real tropical character. The giants of 
the woods are the Espavé (Anacardium Rhinocarpus, DC.), Corot 
(Entherolobium Simbouva, Mart.), and the Cuipo (a Sterculiacea), which 
attain a height averaging from 90 to 130 feet, and a circumference of 
from twenty-four to thirty-six feet. Occasionally a whole forest consists 
only of a single species of tree. Near Juan Lanas is a locality entirely 
