mid the P^renees^ in 1825. 159 



met with Franhenia intermedia^ DG. the leaves of which were 

 covered with a Puccinia, which may be P. Franheniw^ Link *. 

 On ascending the hill, we found in the clefts of some extremely 

 rugged rocks some interesting plants, but some of them too far 

 advanced : — Buffonia perennis, Melica pyramidalis^ Piptathe- 

 rum coerulescens^ Alyssum spinosum, Dianthus pungens^ and 

 Lavatera mnritima, were among the number ; and in the dry 

 grassy turf near the summit, we discovered for the first time 

 Medicago leiocarpay nob. -f* This beautiful species is sufFruti- 

 cose, smooth and prostrate, and may have been long passed over 

 for Trifolium ccespitosum ; the legumes are perfectly smooth, 

 which, with other characters, will at once distinguish it from the 

 closely allied M. suffruticosa. From the point we found the 

 above to the Redoute Montolieu, was a pretty long and tire- 

 some walk : the ground was extremely rough with stones, and 

 we saw scarcely a single plant that could recompense us. At 

 the redoute we found the Viola arhorescens, but so far advanced 

 that the capsules had already burst open, and scattered the 

 seeds. From thence we kept along the sea-shore to the Isle St 

 Lucie, walking for three or four hours of the hottest of the day 

 on the broad sandy beach, without a single trace of vegetation, 

 scarcely even were there any algce thrown on shore ; but we saw 

 some shells of the Argonaiitce. On all this long track we did 

 not meet one human being, except what constituted a large 

 gi'oup employed in drawing their nets : they consisted of two or 

 three men, and about twenty stout sun-burnt women, but all so 

 dressed alike, en culottes, that it was by their voices alone we could 

 recognise the fair sex. Little serves to amuse us, when we have 

 nothing else, and the above circumstance contributed in no small 

 degree, until a multitude of Statices, and other maritime plants, 

 presented themselves to us in the island of St Lucie. Had a 

 botanist been the first to discover this spot, he certainly must 



* Dr Greville informs me it is Puccinia Lychnidearum, Link ; but I do 

 not know where that is described : it is certainly not P. lychnidis, DC. 



-|- Although the legumes are smooth, or free from pubescence, they are 

 nevertheless strongly reticulated ; so that I have to regret that our provi- 

 sional specific name leiocarpa has been adopted by Mr Bentham in his " Cata- 

 logue." 



