150 



KELATION BETWEEN CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 



gently outwards, giving the tree a most magnificent appearance. 

 The third species is the Acrocomia sclerocarpa, Mart., very- 

 striking from its fusiform prickly stem. It is rather strange that 

 this palm, which is also common in the south of Brazil, has there 

 its stem of equal thickness throughout, while everywhere that I 

 have seen it in the north it is very much bellied out in the 

 middle. This variety is common about Pernambuco. It is 

 known at Crato by the name of Macahuha. The fourth kind 

 grows in the Catinga forests, and is of no great size nor beauty. 

 It is called Catole. CactecB are very scarce : I only met with 

 four species, all of them similar to kinds I had already found on 

 the banks of the Rio de San Francisco. Orchidece are still more 

 rare. Only two Epiphytes were found — the Oncidium already 

 mentioned, and a Catasetum-like plant found on the stems of 

 the Catole; and two terrestrial species — a Spira?ithes and a 

 Hahenaria. Around Crato, and in the Catinga forests gene- 

 rally, the Epiphytal OvchidecE of south Brazil are represented 

 by Loratithacece, which, in the shape of different species of Vis- 

 cumdinA Loranthus, but ofViscum in particular, exist on almost 

 every tree, and, being evergreen, give a remarkable appearance 

 to the deciduous forests. Ferns also are rare ; but the ravines 

 in the Serra de Araripe afforded me a few curious ones. Among 

 these was a solitary tree-fern — a Cyathea — the only one I met 

 with so far north. 



The longest excursion I made during my residence at Crato 

 was to a small town called Barra do Jardim, about sixteen 

 leagues to the south. The road skirts the base of the Serra de 

 Araripe for about half its length, and then crosses it. The 

 breadth of the Taboleira is upwards of thirty miles, and level as 

 a bowling-green ; and since water is nowhere to be found on it, 

 travellers have generally to carry as much as will serve during 

 the greater part of the day. I found it covered with a vegeta- 

 tion similar to that I have already described as existing on it 

 near Villa do Crato. On my journey I found nothing new, ex- 

 cept a species of Rollinia, not imlike the It. longifolia, St. 

 Hil., but a very distinct and undescribed species. On ray 

 arrival at Barra do Jardim, I found the country still more 

 scorched than about Crato, and my collection consequently re- 

 ceived but small additions, though a iew of these were very inte- 

 resting. One of these was a fine arboreous species of Olax ( O. 

 Gardneriana, Benth.), not unlike an orange tree in habit, and 

 bearing abundance of sweet-smelling flowers. A large Hirtella 

 and a fine Laurus were also found in flower. During my stay 

 at Jardim I made two short excursions : one about five leagues 

 to the east, and another three in a westerly direction ; neither, 

 however, productive in a botanical point of view. On my return 



