June 1891.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 133 



beech-like in its habit. Accompanying these two trees, 

 although in less numbers, are the beautiful Cina-cina 

 (Parkinsonia aculeata, Linn.), with its exquisite, long, deli- 

 cate, and drooping foliage ; and a small laurel-like tree. 

 Accompanying or occupying the place of this band of wood 

 is frequently a broad zone of thick brushwood, consisting for 

 the most part of spiny Espinillo {Acacia cavenia), with its 

 sweet-smelling, golden flower-balls, and covered usually with 

 innumerable convolvuli, asclepiads, and passion flowers. 

 Passing beyond this zone of wood and brush which margins 

 the river, one finds oneself in the presence of the most char- 

 acteristic type of vegetation and scenery in this region, i.e., 

 the " Palmar," or palm forest. 



In all directions, as far as the eye can reach, stretches out 

 an immense plain. Covered with thick and dense growth of 

 tall grasses, it is dotted all over, and at varying intervals, 

 with fan-leaved palms averaging about 30 feet in height. 

 These palms are all of one species — that called Carandai in 

 Guarani (Copernicia cerifera) ; and the immense forests which 

 they form, stretching over thousands of square miles in the 

 low-lying districts, make them one of the most striking 

 features in the vegetation of the Chaco. It forms a type of 

 scenery which, on first acquaintance, produces a great im- 

 pression, due partly to its peculiar weirdness and utter un- 

 likeness to anything one has seen before ; but it soon palls 

 upon one, and after travelling through it for days, still 

 more living amongst it for months, it becomes very mono- 

 tonous. Amongst the tall grass, between the palm trees, is 

 to be found a characteristic herbaceous vegetation, with 

 numerous species of malvacete and compositae, and several 

 brightly-coloured verbenacete, while in some places large 

 patches of ground are covered with a beautiful little mimosa, 

 whose habit reminds one of our clovers at home. 



Although the greater part of the region I now speak of is 

 occupied by Palmar, yet dicotyledonous forest is not al- 

 together absent. It exists, however, only in small isolated 

 patches — surrounded on all sides by " Palmar " — " isletas," 

 as they are appropriately called by the Spanish. In their 

 character as well as their extent they entirely differ from 

 the forests nearer the Paraguay. They are composed for the 

 most part of small and scrubby trees, 15 or 20 feet in height, 



