294 KELATION BETWEEN CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 



Link., and on the branches of the small trees two or three 

 species of Viscum and Loranthus. 



The city of Alagoas, the capital of the province, is situ- 

 ated on the banks of a large lake which runs inland from the 

 sea, and about 40 miles distant from Maceio. There I spent 

 two days, having gone up by the lake in a small canoe. Along 

 the shores of the lake, and on some little islands that are in 

 it, the Rhizophora Mangle reaches to a much greater height 

 than I have elsewhere seen it in Brazil, the stem being often more 

 than a foot in diameter, and reaching to the height of 40 feet. 

 In parts of the lake where the water was brackish, a Potamo- 

 getoti, noways different from the British P. pectinatus, Linn., 

 grew profusely ; and at a place where we landed to procure 

 some fresh water, I picked up a fine Wedelia, and a shrubby 

 Eugenia. The country around the city of Alagoas has much 

 the same appearance as that around Maceio, consisting of low 

 wooded hills, with intervening valleys. Immediately below the 

 city there is a large marshy place, through which a small stream 

 issues. In this I found some curious aquatic plants, such as a 

 Potamogeton, a large Mayaca with white flowers, Cabomba 

 aquatica, Marsilea quadrifolia ? and in some small fresh-water 

 ponds a pale blue flowered Pontedera, and a white flowered 

 NymphfEa, different from that found at Olinda. In moist 

 sandy spots near ponds, Angelonia Gardneri, Hook., grew in the 

 greatest profusion. Sugar, cotton, and mandioca, are the chief 

 productions of the country in this district. 



As the Rio de San Francisco was only about 90 miles to the 

 south of Maceio, I resolved to visit it, and reach, if possible, 

 the great falls of Paulo Affonso, which are about 200 miles from 

 the sea. Embarking in a jangada, one of the raft-boats that are 

 so common on the coast of North Brazil, I reached in two days 

 a little village called Pelia, situated about five leagues to the 

 north of the mouth of the Sail Francisco, the heavy surf which 

 breaks on the bar not allowing small craft to approach nearer, 

 and from thence made my way in a bullock-cart to another small 

 village, situated on the north bank of the river, and about two 

 leagues from its outlet. The country through which we passed 

 was flat, in some places open and grassy, in others covered with 

 shrubs, consisting of great quantities of Mouriria guianensis, 

 Aubl., several species of Laurus, 3Ielastomads, Myrtle-blooms, 

 Cinchonads, &c. The few herbaceous plants found in flower in the 

 open sandy places consisted of a fine Hyptis, with long procum- 

 bent stems, and large axillary solitary heads of violaceous flowers 

 borne on long pedicels, Physostemon rotundifolium, Mart., a 

 curious slender Amaranthaceous plant, a new Lupin-like Zornia, 

 with large yellow flowers and quadrifoliate leaves, and a species 



