Il6 Botanical Notices from Spain. 



wholly covered with copses of various species of oak (especially Qu. 

 Ilex, L. and Qu. Toza, Bosc), Berheris vulgaris, var. australis, Cra- 

 tcegus granatensis, Boiss., Cotoneaster granatensis, Boiss., &c. Rye 

 and barley are cultivated high up in the alpine region, whilst in the 

 valley and on the southern slope much wheat, ipiaize, Phaseolus com- 

 munis and Cicer arietinum, are grown. 



In the very first excursion which I made into a side valley of the 

 Dehesa, I found the two celebrated trees discovered by Boissier, 

 Lonicera arborea and Adenocarpus decorticans, both in fruit. L. ar- 

 borea has a very shrubby growth ; but 1 have observed single trees, 

 from twenty to thirty feet high, which were then mostly crowned 

 by a rounded top of thick foliage. This rare tree, which according to 

 Webb is also found in Asia Minor, has a fissured grayish-brown and 

 almost leathery bark, and leaves of a dark green on the upper side 

 and somewhat shining, and underneath of a sea-green colour. I have 

 not observed any flowers ; the berries are oval, and when ripe black. 

 This Lonicera is somewhat frequent, both in the valleys of the De- 

 hesa and in the ravines of the south side of the valley, and ascends 

 to 7000 feet, — nearly to the limit of the region of trees. The Adeno- 

 carpus decorticans is much more frequent, especially in single spots, 

 but it does not grow at a height exceeding 5500 feet. The lowest 

 point at which I have seen it is in the valley of the Jenil, below 

 Guejar, at a height of about 2500 feet. In that valley, where I first 

 found it, I met with only small trees, all growing on the north side, 

 on an arid limestone soil ; but it is much more frequent in the copse 

 of Pinus sylvestris, which bears the name * La Cartejuela,' and covers 

 the saddle between the Cerro Tesoro and Trevenque, as well as on 

 the northern slope of the valley, through which the river Maydena 

 flows, where it forms the arboraceous vegetation together with the 

 Quercus Toza. This tree, which from its narrow and small leaves 

 appears at a distance to be a Conifer, and has quite the habitus of 

 shrubs oi the Juniperus communis, attains a height of twelve to twenty 

 feet, and a thickness of half a foot. The yellowish- white wood is 

 very tough, and its yellowish-brown bark separates even from the 

 youngest branches, and hangs down from the whole stem in long 

 riband-like bands, whilst the ground all around is covered with pieces 

 of bark shed from the tree. Beside these two trees, which are pecu- 

 liar to the Sierra, the following also are found : — Sorbus Aria, L., 

 which ascends from the rocks at the Monachil to the limit of the 

 region of trees, accompanied by the Cotoneaster granatensis, Boissier, 

 which still decorates the highest northern limestone rocks of the 

 Dornajo and Trevenque, and is especially frequent in the wide valley 

 between the Cerro Tesoro and Trevenque; Acer opulifoUum, Y ill, 

 (A. granatense, Boissier, El. 39.), on the rocks near the Monachil, 

 frequently in fruit ; Pinus sylvestris, L., which forms the above-men- 

 tioned Cartejuela ; Salix Caprea, L., only a few specimens in the 

 upper part of the valley ; S. alba, around the Cortijo, more frequent 

 in the valley of the Jenil; S. purpurea, ditto; and Taxus baccata, L., 

 on the upper Monachil, rare. The southern declivity lying opposite 

 to the Dehesa, as far as the limestone formation and the mountain 



