Botanical Notices from Spain, 345 



together with Sarcocapnos enneaphyllos, DC, but rather scattered. 

 Upon loose rocky soil on the acclivities of the mountain grew lux- 

 uriantly Thymus membranaceus, Boiss., and Lavandula Spica, L.; and 

 on the extensive surface of the summit Cerasus prostrata, DC. Be- 

 tween the two mountain-chains of Velez-Blanco and Oria is a broad, 

 barren and arid table-land, which descends toward the west into 

 the gypsum basin of Baza, toward the east into the wide and fruitful 

 valley of the Rio de Velez, and contains some miserable hamlets, 

 affording scarcely the barest nourishment. Few plants are found in 

 this country; but here grow luxuriantly Centaurea granatens is, Bo'iss., 

 Euphorbia serrata, L., a Barkhausia, Convolvulus lineatus, L., Thymus 

 longijlorus, Boiss., and especially the rare Sideritisfcetens, Clem, in 

 Lag. gen. and sp., somewhat frequent. 



After crossing the Sierra de las Estancias, which presents a merely 

 rocky and barren crest, a branch of the chain of Oria, and which 

 runs east and west, forming the right wall of the valley of the river 

 of Velez-Rubio, the ground sinks gradually more and more down to- 

 ward the coast, which however is still above eight leagues distant. 

 The whole of this south-eastern part of the province of Almeria, 

 watered throughout by the Rio de Almanzora, is distinguished by its 

 extreme barrenness, and the valleys alone yield the botanist any 

 hopes of booty. Through the Rambla de las Carrascas, a valley now 

 quite destitute of water, whose sides are covered in parts with vines, 

 olives and fig-trees, I reached, near the little town of Huercal-Overa, 

 the valley of the Almanzora, which is in summer only an insignifi- 

 cant rivulet. Huercal-Overa lies close to the northern foot of the 

 bleak Sierra de Almagro, whose most western and lowest portion is 

 intersected by the river. The mountain- chain consists of limestone, 

 and appears to be very barren. Close behind the above-named little 

 town, you enter the narrow, very rocky and picturesque valley, which 

 is in parts well-cultivated. On sunny rocks I remarked here the rare 

 Lavandula dentata, L., but already oflF flower, as well as a shrubby 

 Galium, and on sand-hills the pretty Brassica pendula, Boiss. (Sisym- 

 brium pend., Desf.), in company with Moricandia arvensis, DC. Be- 

 fore reaching the little town of Cuevas- Overa, the river leaves the 

 mountain-chain and hastens in numerous windings through a wide, 

 flat and extremely beautiful valley toward the sea, which is distant 

 scarcely four miles from Cuevas. The environs of Cuevas-Overa 

 consist for the most part of gypsum, and have therefore, excepting 

 some salt-plants, only a very poor vegetation. On the gypsum-hills, 

 west of the town, there grows luxuriantly Santolina viscida, Lag., 

 frequent; Atractylis humilis, L., occurs rare; whilst Pfl/mrMS austra- 

 lis, L., which I have followed up to the limits of Murcia and high up 

 in the valley of the Almanzora, is very common in the whole coun- 

 try round. Six miles east of Cuevas, on the frontiers of Andalusia 

 and Murcia, rises the Sierra Almagrera, which has latterly become 

 so famous for its rich silver-mines — a mountain-range, scarcely 3000 

 feet in height, consisting of graywacke and clay-slate, the most east- 

 ern point of Andalusia. The vegetation of this chain, which I visited 

 on the 21st of July, reduces itself to a small number of salt-plants, 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xvii. 2 B 



