309 
*capim melado’ ou ‘capim gordura,’ parce qu’elle transsude un 
suc abondant et visqueux. Plusieurs habitans désignent avec 
raison, sous le nom de ‘ campos artificiaes,’ les paturages dont je 
viens d’ indiquer Torigine, et ils les distinguent ainsi = ceux 
du Rio-das-Mortes, qwils appellent. par opposition * campos 
naturaes.’’’ Gardner who visited Minas Geraes in 1840 also 
discussed the problem and came to the same conclusion (“ Travels, 
in the Interior of Brazil,” p. 364), I quote from him :—“ The 
hills around: the Cidade de Serro are covered with a grass which 
the Brazilians eall Capim gordura (Melinis minutiflora, Nees 
ab E.), It is covered with an oily viscous matter, and universally 
makes its appearance in those tracts which have been cleared 
of virgin forest for the purposes of cultivation; both cattle and 
horses are very fond of it, but although they soon fatten on it, 
the latter get short- winded, if they feed on it for any length of 
time. Martius* considers this plant to be truly a native of 
Minas Geraes, while St. maernif is of a different opinion ; as it is 
now everywhere so common in this province, it is a difficult 
matter to say which of those’ excellent botanists is in the right; 
_ all the agriculturists that I have spoken with on the subject 
agree with St. Hilaire, although they differ in opinion in regard 
to the place of its original growth. It is only on the mountains 
that it is found covering large tracts, and at present it is rapidly 
extending northwards. St. Hilaire during his travels did not 
observe it beyond’ 17° 40’ of south latitude; but while crossing 
the Serra Geral from Goyaz to Minas, I met with it many degrees 
to the north of that parallel. t+ I noticed it only near houses, and 
there is little doubt that in the course of a few more years it 
will overrun that chain in the same manner that it has done those 
of Minas. The seeds have evidently been brought from the latter 
country by troops, which pass that way into Goyaz; it is not 
to be met with at all in the Sertao. 
Bunberry (Botanical Fragments, p. 103) has the same tale to 
tell. “The way in which this grass covers the ground (i.e. in 
Minas Geraes) continuously for leagues together to the exclusion 
of everything else, is very extraordinary.” I may finally add a 
passage from Van ‘Deldon Laerne’s ‘‘ Brazil and Java,” p. 261 :— 
“Lands like these (that is, lands exhausted by rank grasses, as 
ae bicornis, Traclypogon plumosus: or by the bracken) 
* I hav ve not been able to trace in eens a statement to that effect, 
unless it is taken to be implied in the following passage in his “ Reise in 
Brasilien,” vol. i, p. 401 :—Unter den Pflanzen, welche auf diesem Gebirge 
wachsen, und besonders der Formation des Eisensteinflétzes anzugehdren 
Scheinen, bemerkt man auch in grosser Menge das Honiggras (Capim 
mellado), das in a Geraés ee vorkommt, und wegen. seines zarten 
aes i 
Burchell collected the grass in 1827 in various places in the State 
of Goyaz between 19° and 16° S. Lat. and in 1828 as far north as Arrayos 
about 14° 40’ §. Lat). 
