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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  fields 
  are 
  separated 
  by 
  dense 
  hedges 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  native 
  plants 
  also 
  

   find 
  their 
  only 
  refuge. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  plants 
  grown 
  for 
  hedges 
  is 
  

   almost 
  endless, 
  but 
  among 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  are 
  pineapples 
  and 
  an- 
  

   other 
  plant 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  family, 
  and 
  nettle 
  trees 
  of 
  various 
  kinds, 
  no- 
  

   tably 
  one 
  known 
  as 
  chichicaste 
  (Urera 
  baccifera), 
  which 
  stings 
  the 
  

   flesh 
  painfully 
  on 
  contact. 
  In 
  most 
  parts 
  of 
  Salvador 
  there 
  are 
  

   miles 
  of 
  hedges 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  tree 
  cactus 
  (Pereskia 
  autumnalis) 
  

   known 
  as 
  matial. 
  This 
  plant 
  attains 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  20 
  feet 
  or 
  more, 
  

   forms 
  a 
  dense 
  growth, 
  and 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  long 
  slender 
  spines. 
  It 
  is 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  repellent 
  plants 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  imagined, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  most 
  

   unpleasant 
  to 
  have 
  to 
  pass 
  along 
  a 
  road 
  lined 
  with 
  it, 
  especially 
  when 
  

   the 
  wind 
  is 
  blowing, 
  for 
  there 
  is 
  always 
  danger 
  from 
  the 
  minute 
  

   spines 
  that 
  are 
  borne 
  upon 
  the 
  stems 
  and 
  are 
  carried 
  about 
  by 
  the 
  

   wind. 
  Matial 
  hedges 
  are 
  undesirable 
  from 
  nearly 
  every 
  point 
  of 
  

   view. 
  They 
  occupy 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  ground 
  that 
  might 
  be 
  utilized 
  for 
  

   more 
  productive 
  purposes, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  dangerous 
  to 
  domestic 
  ani- 
  

   mals, 
  but 
  nevertheless 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  popular. 
  

  

  In 
  these 
  areas 
  at 
  middle 
  altitude 
  there 
  are 
  often 
  to 
  be 
  observed 
  

   considerable 
  stretches 
  of 
  grassland, 
  such 
  as 
  those 
  about 
  San 
  Sal- 
  

   vador, 
  upon 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  volcano 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  Cerro 
  

   de 
  San 
  Jacinto, 
  which 
  stands 
  near 
  the 
  city. 
  These 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  pas- 
  

   ture. 
  Near 
  Ahuachapan 
  is 
  a 
  curious 
  tract 
  of 
  land, 
  called 
  the 
  Llano, 
  

   almost 
  devoid 
  of 
  bushes 
  but 
  carpeted 
  with 
  a 
  close 
  greensward 
  

   scarcely 
  2 
  inches 
  high, 
  composed 
  wholly 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  kind 
  of 
  grass. 
  

   The 
  Llano 
  also 
  is 
  used 
  as 
  pasture, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  in 
  winter 
  

   of 
  a 
  well-kept 
  lawn. 
  

  

  Upon 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  higher 
  mountains 
  there 
  are 
  dense 
  growths 
  of 
  

   trees, 
  representing 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  species. 
  The 
  mountain 
  for- 
  

   ests 
  consist 
  almost 
  exclusively 
  of 
  broad-leafed 
  trees, 
  most 
  of 
  which 
  

   retain 
  their 
  foliage 
  the 
  entire 
  year, 
  although 
  actually 
  they 
  shed 
  

   the 
  old 
  leaves 
  gradually, 
  putting 
  forth 
  new 
  ones 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time. 
  

   In 
  a 
  few 
  places 
  there 
  are 
  small 
  pine 
  forests, 
  such 
  as 
  those 
  upon 
  the 
  

   hills 
  about 
  "Santa 
  Ana, 
  the 
  Volcano 
  of 
  Conchagua, 
  the 
  crater 
  of 
  the 
  

   Volcano 
  of 
  San 
  Salvador, 
  and 
  the 
  mountains 
  along 
  the 
  Honduran 
  

   frontier, 
  but 
  pines 
  are 
  so 
  scarce 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  almost 
  negligible 
  eco- 
  

   nomic 
  importance. 
  No 
  other 
  plant 
  of 
  the 
  pine 
  family 
  is 
  native 
  in 
  

   Salvador. 
  

  

  The 
  mountain 
  forests 
  consist 
  chiefly 
  of 
  trees 
  which 
  have 
  no 
  

   close 
  relatives 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  few 
  which 
  are 
  

   familar. 
  At 
  the 
  highest 
  elevations 
  several 
  kinds 
  of 
  oaks 
  are 
  fre- 
  

   quent, 
  also 
  a 
  fine 
  large 
  elm 
  (Ohaetoptelea 
  mexicana), 
  and 
  among 
  

   the 
  undergrowth 
  are 
  found 
  viburnum 
  and 
  blackberries. 
  Epiphytic 
  

   plants 
  are 
  common 
  throughout 
  Salvador, 
  but 
  are 
  particularly 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  in 
  the 
  high 
  mountains, 
  where 
  the 
  tree 
  trunks 
  are 
  covered 
  by 
  

  

  