134 TRAXSACTIOXS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lv. 



several myrtaceous trees being especially abundant and 

 prominent, — above all, Eugenia unijiora, Linn., the Arrayan 

 or Nanga pirli, which has a fruit about half the size of a 

 cherry, of very pleasant flavour, and whose leaves are used 

 occasionally as a substitute for tea. Along with the Arrayan 

 are such trees as the Garabato — Acacia tucmnancnsis, Gr. 

 — with pale yellow flowers and especially characterised by its 

 innumerable recurved spines, which make it a most difficult 

 matter to extricate oneself if one gets entangled among its 

 branches ; the Tinticaco — Prosojns adcsmioidcs, Gr. ; and 

 the Chanar — Gourlica decorticans, Gill. These small trees 

 form the mass of the monte, but here and there large trees 

 tow^er up to a height of 30 to 50 feet above the general 

 level. Such are the Guayacan — Ccescdpinia melanocarpa 

 — a tall and stately tree, with thick trunk, covered with 

 smooth green bark and wide spreading head of delicately 

 feathery foliage ; the (i)ueljrac}io Colorado — Loxoptci^ygium 

 Lorentzii, Gr., with dense, deep-red heart wood, strong and 

 heavy, and forming one of the most valued timbers ; and the 

 Wilyik of the Tobas — a tall slender bignoniaceous tree, 

 with large yellow flowers, whose wood the Indians use to 

 rub together to produce fire. 



The interior of these montes is, as a rule, very dry; and the 

 closeness togetlier of the small trees, the intertwining lianas 

 and the superal)undance of spiny plants, makes them almost 

 absolutely impenetrable. Amongst the spiny plants, the 

 most conspicuous are two species of Bromeliaceic, known by 

 the Guarani name of Caraguata. One of these, the Carag- 

 uata ti, is of importance on otlier grounds — for without it 

 exploration in the Chaco would be well-nigh impossible. 

 Caraguatii ii is literally " water caraguata," and it gets the 

 name from the fact of its leaves having large, hollow, and 

 sheathing axils, into which triekl(> the dews and rains, and 

 are there stored up, thus aflbrding a supply of cool, fresh 

 water at all times. Belonging to the same family of Brome- 

 liaceie is another important Chaco plant — the Uvira or 

 Chaguar, from which the Indians obtain a strong fibre, whicli 

 they use for manufacturing a coarse kind of cloth, as well as 

 string, rope, bags, &c. Upon the trees in tlie montes are 

 many epiphytes, especially several species of Tillaiuhia, and 

 also a few Orchids and Ferns ; Aroids and Cacti. 



