188 Botanical Notices from Spain. 



extending from the Almoraima towards the north, the Ranunculus 

 hederaceus, L., which is rare in Spain. In a fine copse lying east of 

 the town I gathered Serapius Lingua, L., in great abundance ; much 

 rarer occurs among it the splendid Serapius cordigera, L., some spe- 

 cimens of which I also observed on the sandstone hills lying on the 

 other side of the Guadarranque. I also met with Drosophyllum lu- 

 sitanicum, Lk., a second time in company with the same Helianthe- 

 mum with which I had before observed it in the mountains of Alge- 

 ciras. The oak-woods of S. Roque were chiefly composed of Qu. 

 Suber; only along the river stretches a broad strip of Qu. lusitanica 

 /3. bcBtica, mixed with Fraxinus excelsior. On the banks of the river 

 grow Nerium Oleander, Tamarix africana, Euphorbia palustris, &c. in 

 abundance, and the numerous ponds along the banks are filled with 

 Nasturtium officinale. Iris Pseudacorus and a Callitriche. Further 

 occur in these woods Ruscus aculeatus, L., Anemone palmato, L., 

 Ranunculus trilobus, Desf., Ficaria ranunculoides, &c. I have in vain 

 sought for Salvia bcetica, Boiss., which is said to occur in these 

 woods ; probably it does not flower till summer. On clayey fallow 

 land in the environs of S. Roque the Convolvulus tricolor, L., and 

 C. undulatus, Cav., were already in blossom; among the young corn 

 the flowers of Gladiolus segetum, Gawl., and Papaver Rhoeas, L., were 

 pre-eminently splendid, and the thick hedges of Pistacia Lentiscus 

 and Coriaria myrtifolia, both now in flower, were thickly interlaced 

 with flowering Smilax mauritanica and Bryonia dioica. In the hilly 

 land between S. Roque and the peninsula of Gibraltar, where occur 

 Anthyllis Vulneraria, L., var. rubrifiora, Lupinus angustifolius, L., 

 several Hedysara, Trixago apula, Col., Anchusa italica, L., Euphorbia 

 retusa, Cav., Cerinthe major, L., &c. in abundance, more rarely Pi- 

 cridium vulgare, Desf., there are numerous ponds and bogs in which 

 I met with an (Enanthe, together with Alisma ranunculoides, L., Ca- 

 rices and Heleocharis palustris. 



As I have already several times remarked, the entire hilly and 

 mountainous district in the province of Cadiz, with the exception of 

 the high limestone mountain of Guazalema extending along its north- 

 eastern limits, consists of sandstone. This formation suddenly ceases 

 after passing the Rio Guadiaro, a large river which springs in the 

 neighbourhood of the town of Ronda, forms the boundary between the 

 provinces of Cadiz and Malaga, and empties itself into the sea at the 

 eastern base of the Almoraima. On its left bank rise lofty limestone 

 mountains, which belong to the wide-spreading Serrania de Ronda. 

 This extensively branched and complicated mountainous district lies 

 between the two rivers Guadiaro and Guadalhorce, which last sepa- 

 rates it from the limestone mountains of Antequera and the hilly 

 land of Malaga. The principal chain of the Serrania de Ronda is 

 formed of the high mountains of Yunquera, composed of the older 

 limestone and marble, whose highest summit, called Las Plazoletas, 

 rises to a height of 8000 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. 

 From this principal chain extends a series of craggy, abrupt lime- 

 stone mountains northwards from 5000 to 6000 feet high, called 



