THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[THIRD SERIES.] 

 No. 33. SEPTEMBER 1860. 



XXIII. — Some Account of the " Chaparro " of Fuerteventura, a 

 new Species of Convolvulus. By the Rev. R. T. Lowe, M.A. 



During a few days' visit to Fuerteventura, with Mr. Wollaston, in 

 our friend Mr. Gray's yacht the f Miranda/ in January 1858, I 

 received accounts of the existence in the island of a small shrubby 

 spinous plant, called " Chaparro," the wood or root of which, 

 like that of the "Lena noel*" (Convolvulus scoparius, L. fil.) 

 of Grand Canary, was reported to possess a fragrance rendering 

 it an object of supposed commercial interest. The plant was 

 said to grow chiefly, or perhaps solely, towards the south of the 

 island, on the desolate and desert promontory of Jandia ; and it 

 was stated to have been occasionally collected and exported into 

 France and Spain on account of its alleged perfume. 



At the moment, I had unfortunately no opportunity of verify- 

 ing this information on the spot by a visit to Jandia. But spe- 

 cimens of Asparagus pastorianus, Webb, collected in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Agoa Bueyes and of Rio Palmas, were hastily 

 affirmed by some of my informants to be the plant in question, 

 though possessing evidently none of the properties, beyond the 

 spinous shrubby habit, which had been ascribed to it. 



Revisiting Fuerteventura in March 1859, with my friend 

 Mr. Wollaston, I reapplied myself, during a few days' stay at 

 Betancuria, to a more satisfactory solution of this problem. At 

 that place I learned not only that the " Chaparro " was certainly 

 not the above-named Asparagus, but that it was to be found within 

 the distance of six or eight hours' ride in a southerly direction, 

 at a place called the Plaga Biocho, along the west coast of the 

 island, towards the neck or origin of the great promontory of 

 Jandia. 



* A corruption, doubtless, of Lignum aloes, the " lign aloes " of Scrip- 

 ture (Num. xxiv. 6, &c), which is, however, the produce of quite a different 

 plant, viz. Aloexylon Agallochum, Lour. 



Ann. % Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. vi. 11 



