196 KELATION BETWEEN CLIMATE AND VEGETATION. 



pendicular precipice. On the early part of the ascent some of 

 the forest trees are large, and reach to a great height. The 

 underwood consists of small Palms, Melastoms, Myrtles, Tree- 

 Ferns, Crotons, RubiacecB, &c. The herbaceous part of the 

 vegetation is made up of Feriis, Dorstetiias, Heliconias, and 

 in the more open places, of a few large Grasses. Towards the 

 summit the trees became finer, and of a more stunted growth ; 

 and shrubs, especially of the genus Croton, are abundant, inter- 

 mingled in profusion with a small kind of Bamboo, and large 

 herbaceous Grasses. Two shrubs principally occupy the top — 

 a species of Pleroma, and Franciscea ramosissima. In the clefts 

 of the rocks grew a few small orchidaceous plants, and Gesnera 

 tuherosa, which was very common. It was here also that I first 

 met with the beautiful Dipladenia crassinoda. The bare top of 

 the mountain itself, which consists of granite of a very coarse 

 structure, is in many places covered with small Lichens, while in 

 shaded spots I observed some patches of Pol i/trichumjuniperinum. 

 The top of another mountain of nearly the same altitude, called 

 the Pedra Bonita, about 15 miles distant from Rio, I found to 

 bear a somewhat different vegetation. On the edge of a preci- 

 pice, on the eastern side of this mountain, I first met with the 

 beautiful Cattleya labiata, which with some difliculty, and no 

 small risk of falling over, I managed to reach, and obtained 

 both flovvering specimens and good plants. A great part of the 

 top was covered witli Vellozia Candida, on the branches of which 

 grew two species of Epidendru7n. Along with the Vellozia 

 grew large patches of Zygopetaliwi Mackaii, and two beau- 

 tiful subscandent species of Dipladenia, one (Z). violacea) with 

 large dark violet-coloured flowers, the other (Z). crassinoda) 

 with large white flowers. They have both tuberous roots, and 

 the flowers of both exhale an odour similar to tliat of the common 

 Primrose. Both species have since been introduced to England. 

 In a marshy spot grew a fine Utricularia ( U. longifolia, Gardn.), 

 with racemes of large purple blossoms, and spathulate leaves 

 about a foot long. The bare dry parts of the rocky summit are 

 covered with one of the most beautiful of all Lichens ( Cladonia 

 ■perfilata. Hook.). It is always a difficult thing to ascertain 

 what the large trees in tropical forests are, as it is with difficulty 

 that their flowers are obtained. Those on the mountains near 

 Rio are made up principally of different species of Ficus, Bombax, 

 Myrtles, Melastoms, Cassia, Lecythis, Bignonia, Swartzia, My- 

 ristica, &c. 



The Gavea is another mountain nearly of the same height as 

 the Corcovado, but much barer of vegetation. It stands between 

 the sea and the Pedra Bonita, and indeed its base is nearly 

 washed by the waves. In bushy places by the side of the sea, at 



