Botanical Notices from Spain, 188 



places, vines. The streamlets coming from the Sierra and many other 

 springs water this soil, in itself fertile (and, as may be conjectured 

 from its general red colour, containing much oxide of iron), calling 

 forth a tolerably rich vegetation, which however contains no rari- 

 ties. The sandy places on the roads and under plantations are 

 overspread with the splendid Convolvulus althceoides, L., which of 

 itself is quite characteristic of this region ; the vine-hills with An- 

 chusa italica, L., Cynoglossum cheirifolium, L., Psoralea bituminosa, 

 L., Gladiolus segetum, Gawl., Mercurialis tomentosa,h., Helianthema, 

 Silenes, Salvics and Cichoracece. I observed here also a flesh-co- 

 loured Orohanche, which however appears more abundant in the 

 higher regions. Among the corn, Arthrolohiiim ebracieatum, DC, 

 occurs plentifully in company with Scorpiurus vermiculata, L., Ht/^ 

 pecoum procumbens, L., Papaver Rhoeas, L., sjid &. Bupleurum. On 

 shady, moist walls, Telephium Imperati, L,, is not uncommon, with 

 other Crassulacece, and Adiantum Capillus -Veneris, L., thrives every- 

 where in the crevices. Under luxuriant hedges of Rubus fruticosus, 

 Rosa canina, Lonicera Caprifolium, Punica Granatum, L., Pistacia 

 Lentisciis, L., Myrtus communis , &c., are found Vinca media, L., 

 Hyoscyamus albus, L., Smilax aspera, L., and other plants, matted 

 together with Rubiacece and Fumaria capreolata, and overgrown with 

 Arundo Donax and Agave americana, which in many places had al- 

 ready shot up a flower- stem from 6 to 8 feet high. I also found 

 pretty abundantly in such shady hedges an Antirrhinum, which ap- 

 pears to be diff^erent from ^. majus and molle, since it has very slender, 

 linear, channeled leaves, and a very long, almost twining stem ; it 

 must therefore be the variety angustifolium of molle, discovered by 

 Boissier in Granada. The banks of the streamlets are densely co- 

 vered with thick bushes of Myrtus communis, Nerium Oleander, Ficus 

 Carica, L., &c. ; while the hillocks are clothed with Chamcerops hu' 

 milis, L., Erica arborea, In., Daphne Gnidium, L., Retama sphcerocarpa, 

 Boiss., various dwarf oaks, Ulex australis, L., and Rosmarinus offici- 

 nalis, L. 



2. Upper warm region, from 500 to 2000 feet high, to the limit of 

 Chamcerops humilis. — Of cultivated plants, olives, wheat, and espe- 

 cially the vine, are universally grown. To this region belong the 

 calcareous uplands of the Sierra as well as the lower part of the 

 mountains. The soil is far less fertile, mostly very dry (as there are 

 few or no springs in this region), and clothed with low bushes, chiefly 

 composed of Rosmarinus officinalis and Chamarops humilis, and under 

 these Rhamnus lycioides, L., Juniperus Oxycedrus, L., Retama sphce- 

 rocarpa, Boiss., Pistacia Terebinthus, L., Erica arborea, L., Linum 

 fruticosum, L., Cisti and Helianthema. Of herbaceous plants occur 

 everywhere here, Stipajuncea, Ait., Macrochloa tenacissima, Kunth 

 (not yet in flower), the above-mentioned Orobanche plentifully, Bi- 

 scutella saxatilis, Boiss., y. angusti/olia {B. lavigata, L., var.), a La- 

 vandula, Linum, Leguminosfc and Crucifera. On some places (castle 

 near Chiva, Barranco de Ballestero) I found Digitalis obscura, L., 

 and on very sunny slopes under bushes Dictamnus Fraxinella, Pers., 

 Ruta montana, L., and a Passerina, but all three very sparingly ; while 



