RUBIACEJE OF CENTRAL AMERICA. 49 
the wood being much valued for timber, especially for axle-trees. The 
so called Jagva or Juatil (Genipa Caruto) occurs likewise in great abun- 
dance in the during the dry season almost leafless forests ; it is a low tree 
with a dense crown of ample glossy foliage, and with fruit resembling 
an apple. In their vertical extension, they gradually decrease, as might 
be anticipated, from the sea to 8000 feet, where they entirely cease; 
with this proviso, that while the greatest number of species belong 
to the low regions, the most luxuriant in growth as well as in the 
beauty of flowers, occupy the wet mountain region, at an elevation of 
3500 to 7500 feet. It is here that the handsome Rondeletia and Pali- 
couree, ihe magnificent Macrocnemum, called here Jasmin del monte, 
and the half-parasitical Rudiacee, have their proper home. These 
latter afford am example how plants belonging to families, otherwise 
widely different from each other, assume, according to certain circum- 
stances, a great habitual similitude among each other. It is in this 
always moist atmosphere, which is so favourable for half-parasites, the 
trees being everywhere covered by Ferns, Orchidee, Aroidee, and Ges- 
nerie, that the Rubiacee themselves assume this character; Ravuia as 
well as Millia, to which it is nearly allied, mimicking in a most deceptive 
manner some Columnee, while Ophryococcus may almost be mistaken for 
. a Gesneria. ; M 
Our knowledge of the flora of Central America is too incomplete to 
enable us to determine the absolute number of species of its Rubiaceae. 
The preceding enumeration, as we have remarked already, contains in - 
all probability scarcely one-half of them. R. Schomburgk’s enumeration 
of the Flora of Guiana contains a much larger proportion than mine, 
namely 176 species; but this must be supposed to arise, in a great 
measure, from the steady increase of the family towards the equator, 
his whole number of phanerogamie plants scarcely surpassing my list 
of the flora of Central America, made from materials collected by 
myself. Here, as in all tropical America, the group of Coffeacez pre- 
. dominates in its Huspermacocee and Coffee ; that of Cinchonacee in 
its Eucinchonee, and: a large part of Rondeletiee and Eugardeniee. It 
is mostly the same, or closely allied genera, which occur everywhere ; 
while most species are peculiar to Central America ; and thus the pre- 
valent rule for the Rubiaceous family, that the species are confined in 
their locality, receives further confirmation. — 
The proportion of genera to species is very great, being cg Tite 
VOL. V. 
