u 



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our April, but the vegetation is much more forward than I have 

 ever seen it in that month in the States north of Maryland. The 

 dimate more nearly approaches that of North CaroHna, and is 

 even milder, as ice and frosts seldom occur in this latitude, even 

 in midwinter, and snow is unknown. The public gardens, of 

 which there are a number in the city, are already gay with 

 mass of bloom, mostly of exotic plants. Several species 

 of Acacia, brought from the northern part of the Repub- 

 lic, or from Paraguay, exhibit great clusters of yellow flow- 

 ers. Tree mallows, as tall as one's head, and many other 

 shrubs and herbaceous plants that I do not recognize are here, 

 while the coco palm waves its broad fronds in the air and lends a 

 tropical aspect to the scene. Upon the banks of the river, and 

 on the low grounds and vacant lots in the outskirts of the city, 

 still sodden with the recent rains, I collected a number of inter- 

 esting plants, most of them quite new to me. In the pools 

 or upon their borders abounded the Sagittaria Montevidensis, 

 somewhat stouter than our 5. -variabilis, Acicarpha trihdoides 

 (Ord. Calycerae), with heads of small white flowers set on a 

 thorny involucre, Spergula grandijlora, Cerastiiim Commersoniana 

 {C. hiimifusum, Camb.), Lepidium puhescens, Senecio Hualtata, a 

 stout composite common here in damp soils, and now in full 



flower, and 



ipiifoliiLS 



of the abortivus group, with shining leaves. In company with 

 these occurred several introduced species, which had a familiar 

 home look to my eyes, such as Ranunculus muricatus, Medicago 

 dentiailata, Lilaa (Z. suhdata ?), Capsella Bursa-pastoris and 

 Sonchus oleraceus. Coniuni maailatutn, growin"- rank and high 

 has taken possession of many of the sloughs and miry beds, and 

 Rumex pidcher is common along the gutters and by the house 

 walls. Brassica {Sinapis) alba is the " charlock " which invades 

 the grain fields and cultivated grounds, as do the allied species 

 at home. In one spot on the garden borders I picked up Ana- 

 gallis coerulea, growing vigorously, a foot or more in height, and 

 already in fruit, though its bright blue, yellow-eyed flowers were 

 still abundant. A handsome Fumaria unknown to me, but 

 which, as 1 am informed, is an introduced species, sprang up 

 under the fences, and clambering over a thicket of small thorny 



