MARTIUS ON THE BOTANY OF BRAZIL. 31 



system, which constitutes the interior of the province of 

 Minas to the west, and extends through the Serra dos Ver- 

 tentes (as M. Eschwege calls it), to the upper valley of the 

 river of Madeira, the Rio Itinez, or Guapoce, and towards 

 the north in the province of Bahia, terminates with several 

 narrow branches in the Comarca of Jacobina. This long 

 district, situated between the 46th and 65th of west longitude 

 from Paris, and between the 23d and the 11th degree of 

 south latitude, also includes a part of the provinces of Rio, 

 S. Paulo, Minas Geraes, Goyaz, Mato Grosso, and Bahia. 

 Low valleys, steep declivities of mountains, gentle declina- 

 tions, and elevated plains, here alternate with each other, and 

 the highest mountains attain to above 5000 feet. The pre- 

 vailing mountains here are quartz slate (Itacolumit, quartz- 

 reicher Glimmer-oder Falkschiefer) ; or they frequently con- 

 tain " Fldtze" of ironstone. Gold occurs almost every- 

 where, and diamonds are found. 



The greater part of this district is covered by grass-plains, 

 on which are seen, scattered, a great variety of beautiful 

 flowering herbaceous plants and low shrubs or copses. Here 

 are also woods possessing two different characters ; the lofty 

 evergreen woods, which are pretty similar to those along the 

 coast, and isolated lower, very dense, and not altogether 

 deciduous ones. The first, especially, affect the banks of the 

 rivers, and ascend from the lowest districts of the country, at 

 most, half way up the mountains. They are destroyed in 

 the mountain districts in the same way as in the United 

 States, and burnt; and, this being the most fertile part of the 

 country, is under cultivation. In the language of the country 

 this is called Mato virgen, virgin forests (tupi : Caa-ete). 

 The other kind of woods besides, being of much lower growth, 

 is particularly characterized by the low wet grounds in such 

 a manner as to resemble islands, mostly of a roundish form. 

 Many of them have swampy bottoms, others contain springs, 

 the sources of brooks and rivers. They are called in the 

 language of the country Capoens, island-woods. They never 

 ascend to the ridge of the higher mountains, which is only 



