Russian Natural History Ejjpedition in Brazil, 395 



3f^rti, Ecastaph^^lla, Cacti, Tillandsi^, and the shore palm, 

 Diplothemium littorale, &c. 



In the following year, M. Riedel undertook a journey into 

 the province of Minas Geraes. He visited there first the 

 immense and imposing forests of the Puris ; and afterwards 

 he ascended the mountains, from 4000 to 5000 ft. in height, 

 of S. Joao d'el Rey, S. Joze, Marianna, Villarica, Serra da 

 Cara^a, S. da Piedade, Serra da Lappa, and the other moun-^ 

 tains of the famous diamond districts. To the distant tra- 

 veller, accustomed to see only amazing native forests, these 

 high regions appear desert-like and poor, and the plains arid 

 and sterile ; but a nearer approach will soon convince him 

 of the contrary, by presenting a great and rich diversity 

 amongst the dwarfish vegetation. Every where even the 

 dry rocks are crowded with beautiful Vell6si<^, BarbacenzVc', 

 Pitcalrn?>, Gesner?^, i^ilices, &c. The arid and sandy 

 hills and plains are clothed with rich-flowering i^hexiae, 

 Kielmeyer<^, Vocht/sice, Luxemburgiae, Lavradi<^, Lusadi^, 

 Cassiae, Evolvuli, Crotones, &c. A great many of the Gra- 

 mineae cover the soil, and protect it from the excessive rays 

 of the sun. In the valleys and low places, where the soil 

 in general is found to be more moist, and consequently 

 cooler, are many Eriocaula, Lisianthi, Burm^nn/<^, Xyrides, 

 Sauvages/<^, and Mim^sae. The trees appertaining more 

 to the native forests, such as Malpighi^, ^caciae, Geoffr6y<^, 

 AnbfKje, Erythroxyla, occur in these places, but in a creep- 

 ing and completely dwarf state ; and such as belong to the 

 lofty kinds of trees, as Xylopiae, iStrj^chni, Bign6nz<^, ikfyrti, 

 iauri, QudlecBy iiubiaceae, Legumincisae, Contortae, Sa- 

 pindaceae, Synantherae, &c., are stunted, and have quite a 

 shrubby appearance. The palms he most frequently here 

 met with were: — Cbcos flexuosa, Acrocomia sclerocarpa, 

 Astrocaryum jTyri^ Astrocaryum campestre, and Bactris 

 mardja, M. Riedel observed that the considerable luxuri-* 

 ance of the vegetation, in such an arid soil, may be chiefly 

 attributable to the heavy dews, and the moderate temperature 

 during the night, upon these elevated regions. 



In the year 1825, M. Riedel, having returned from Minas 

 Geraes, started from Rio de Janeiro to the province of St. 

 Paul ; he preferred to take the less frequented roads of the 

 native forests. Following, therefore, the river side of Para-t 

 hyba (Paraiba), he came to Rezenda, Lorena, and Taubote 

 (Taipa-ete) ; and arrived, after leaving the river beyond Tau- 

 bote and crossing Mugy das Cruzes, at the town of St. Paul. 

 After this very interesting journey, he rejoined M. Langsdorf 

 at the latter place, and directed his researches to the environs 



