26 MB. BUNBITRY ON THE BOTANY OF TENEBIEEE. 



The deep valleys which open on the coast north-eastward of 

 Santa Cruz are full of interest to the botanist as well as the geo- 

 logist. The picturesque Yal Bufadera, rich in beautiful orange 

 gardens, is one of the best examples. In the lower part of it, the 

 shingle of the dry torrent bed, which occupies the flat bottom, is 

 overspread with a thick growth of Blocama pendula, Artemisia ar- 

 gentea, Euphorbia piscatoria, Lavandula abrotanoides, mixed with 

 some herbaceous Composites and Leguminous plants. The steep 

 rocky hills on either side are dotted over with bushes of the Eu- 

 phorbia Canariensis and piscatoria, the Kleinia and Blocama ; and 

 the Opuntia, an introduced plant, spreads in many places up the 

 hill sides, and mingles with the native growth. Higher up, where 

 the valley narrows, and a clear and rapid stream flows along the 

 bottom, the native vegetation is very rich and interesting. The 

 rocks, carpeted with Selaginella denticulata, are ornamented with 

 a variety of fine plants, among which Echium giganteum and stric- 

 tum, Cineraria Tussilaginis, Andryala pinnatijlda, and various 

 shrubby Cichoracece, Lavandula pinnata, Messerschmidtia fruticosa, 

 Bubia fruticosa, Hypericum Canariense, Jasminum humile, Globu- 

 laria longifolia, Banunculus cortuscefolius var. (B. Teneriffce, Pers.), 

 and various Sempervivums, are conspicuous. Beriploca laevigata 

 forms beautiful wreaths amidst the thickets. Several Terns also 

 grow on the rocks in this valley ; in particular, Notholcena Ma- 

 rantce, Ceterach aureum (which appears to me a variety of C. offi- 

 cinarum), Gymnogramme leptophylla, Adiantum Capillus, Davallia 

 Canariensis, and JPolypodium vulgare. Baron Humboldt was cer- 

 tainly misinformed when he restricted the list of Ferns found in 

 the region of the Vine in Teneriffe, to two Acrostichums (Notho- 

 loencd) and an Ophioglossum. The six that I have enumerated all 

 grow within the region of Euphorbias*, and much below its upper 

 limit. 



Besides the endemic Canarian or Macaronesian species above 

 noticed, a great many South-European plants grow along the 

 bottoms of these valleys, especially near their mouths, such as 

 Asphodelus ramosus, JEcMum violaceum, Trifolium glomeratum, to- 

 mentosum and stellatum, Silene Gallica, Dianthus prolifer, Linum 

 angustifolium, Plantago Psyllium and P. Lagopus, Briza maxima 

 and minor. Achyranthes argentea, a frequent plant in the valleys 

 of this part of Teneriffe, is perhaps of African origin. 



The beautiful neighbourhood of Orotava, on the north-west 

 coast, has quite a different botanical character from that of Santa 

 * The " Subtropical or African Region " of Von Bucli. 



