BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 55 
did we not notice it, particularly as being the writing of 
one who has rendered eminent services to the cause of 
science. Of the nature and extent of these Travels a sketch 
will be found in Vol. I, of the London Journal of Botany, 
p.158. The book, indeed, is full of information of every 
deseription ; for we know it was the author's maxim, which 
nothing but necessity could hinder from being carried out, 
“ nulla dies sine linea ;" and he tells us that the notes from 
which the narrative has been drawn up, were, for the most 
part, on account of the multiplicity of his occupations, written 
during those hours, which, under other circumstances, should 
have been devoted to sleep. The admirer of fine scenery, the 
lover of adventures, the politician, the friend to slavery and 
the abolitionist, but above all the philosopher, and the natu- 
ralist, whether geologist, zoologist or botanist, will equally - 
gain information and pleasure, but especially the latter, from 
the perusal of this work. The aspect of the vegetation, 
occasioned. by the presence of plants of certain forms, is 
particularly described, and we regret that we have no space 
for extracts relating to the palms, the tree-ferns, the climbers 
and the gigantic trees of the virgin forests. Among the tribes 
of lesser plants, perhaps the Vellozias, with their singular 
dichotomous woody stems and liliaceous flowers, the Lych- 
nophoras and the Eriocaulons or Pipeworts, are the most 
remarkable. The student of British Botany is familiar with 
our Eriocaulon septangulare, the only species of Europe, and 
there confined to a few islands of the Hebrides and the west 
. of Ireland; (the same plant is found in N. America); but, 
this and other species, cultivated with difficulty in our 
gardens, will give but an imperfect idea of the Brazilian Erio- - 
caulons. “When Linnzus," says Mr. Gardner, * published — 
the last edition of his Species Plantarum in 1764, he des- 
cribed only five species; while from Brazil alone, my Her- — 
barium contains upwards of one hundred. Those small 
plants, quite destitute of stem, with small grass-like lez 
pex] from the hy and with as sin le mm | 
