228 Linnean Society. [May 3, 



and Galeotti, from the bare table-land of Mexico, and their great 

 scarcity on the open campos of the interior of Brasil. 



Graminea. — Mr. Bunbury finds the Poacea (according to the divi- 

 sion established by Mr. Brown) to be rather more numerous in the 

 Argentine region than the Panicece ; but he does not regard the col- 

 lection as affording a fair representative of the vegetation as regards 

 this family. Besides some European grasses vv^hich have become 

 naturalized, there are some apparently indigenous species which 

 have a very wide range. Such are Cynodon Dactylon, apparently a 

 native of all the warmer parts of the world in both hemispheres ; 

 Setaria glauca, equally cosmopolite ; Setaria Italica, of which he has 

 specimens also from Louisiana, and which is stated to be a native of 

 Europe, India and New Holland ; Eleusine Indica, having a vast 

 range in the tropical and subtropical zones ; Polypogon Monspeliensis, 

 which he has himself seen at the Cape of Good Hope and at Buenos 

 Ayres, as well as in the South of Europe ; Stenotaphrum glahrum, 

 common to the Cape, Louisiana, tropical Brasil, and the northern 

 shore of the Plata ; and to these may be added the beautiful Eusta- 

 chys petrcea, if the Cape plant be really the same with the South 

 American. 



Eriocaulonets. — The only species in the collection of this family 

 (so extremely numerous in tropical South America) is Eriocaulon 

 (Pccpalanthus) caulescens, found at Porto Alegre, and also met with 

 in Minas Geraes and in Guiana. 



AlismacecB. — A fine species of Sagittaria (probably S. Montevi- 

 densis, Kunth) is plentiful at Buenos Ayres. It comes very near 

 jS. sagittifolia, though much larger in the leaves and flowers ; but 

 the downy filaments and yellow anthers appear to furnish the most 

 certain distinctive characters. 



Compositce. — Schouw has characterized the countries near the Plata 

 as the " Kingdom of Arborescent Compositce," a title scarcely appli- 

 cable, these plants, like most others of the region in question, having 

 for the most part an herbaceous character. As in South America 

 generally, they appear to be the most numerous family ; almost all 

 belong to the Corymbiferce, and Cichoracece and Cynarece hardly occur 

 except in a naturalized state. Labiatiflorce, so characteristic of the 

 western side of South America and of the Andes, are few and incon- 

 spicuous ; even the genus Mutisia does not extend into La Plata. 

 The shores of the river are characterized by many herbaceous He- 

 lianthece ; and the genera Vernonia, Baccharis, and Eupatorium (so 

 characteristic of tropical Brasil) extend into this region, but no 

 longer in such amazing numbers. HelichrysetB, so prodigiously 



