2 MB. BUNBUBY ON THE BOTANY 0E MADEIBA. 



Madeira, prefixed to his ' Primitia3,' are indeed useful, as are also 

 his remarks on some particular species in the 1st volume of Sir 

 "W. Hooker's ' Journal of Botany ;' and there are some excellent 

 observations on Madeira botany by Dr. J. D. Hooker, in the 6tb 

 volume of the ' London Journal of Botany ;' but all these still 

 leave much room for further illustration of the subject. I have 

 endeavoured to add something to the information hitherto pub- 

 lished, in relation both to the distribution of species in the island, 

 and to the connexion of its Flora with those of other countries, 

 though my materials are insufficient for thoroughly working out 

 either of these subjects. 



My notes on Teneriffe must be considered as merely supple- 

 mentary to the excellent accounts of that island by Yon Buch, 

 "Webb, and Berthelot. 



The first thing that strikes a botanist on landing at the capital 

 of Madeira, is the thoroughly tropical aspect of the cultivated 

 vegetation. The Banana, the Sugar-cane, the Coffee, the G-uava, 

 and the Custard-apple, are seen in all the gardens ; the Datura 

 arborea, JPoinciana pulcherrima, Linum trigynum, Bignonia venusta, 

 several Ipomseas and Passion-flowers, two or three species of 

 Hedychium, the Duranta Ellisia, Erythrina Corallodendron, and 

 Ccesalpinia Sappan, flourishing luxuriantly in the open air, delight 

 the eye of a botanical visitor from more northern climates. On 

 the lower slopes of that sunny amphitheatre of mountains which 

 rises from the Bay of Funchal, most of the productions of the 

 tropics are cultivated with success. The Papaw is frequent in the 

 gardens, and ripens its fruit abundantly. Pandanus odoratissimus 

 grows to a great size, and occasionally ripens fruit. The Bananas 

 of Funchal, though not large, are of excellent flavour ; the Anona 

 reticulata arrives at great perfection; the Ghiava is half naturalized ; 

 and the Rose-apple is a common garden tree, attaining to great 

 size and beauty. 



In the fields, and in the little plots and terraces of soil which are 

 cultivated with infinite industry amidst the basaltic rocks, we see 

 the plants of the tropics mixed with those of the temperate zone. 

 The Banana, the Sugar-cane, the Coffee, the Orange, and the Gruava 

 are frequently seen, in sunny nooks of the ravines, in company 

 with the Peach, the Vine, the Fig, and the tall Italian Reed*. The 

 Sugar-cane is grown to a considerable extent on the warm sunny 

 slopes of the coast to the westward of Funchal, between that town 

 * Arundo Donax, L. 



