12 ANNUAL KEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



back to the United States. The living collection is now on exhibition 

 at the New York Botanical Garden. 



Bahia, Brazil, was the first place visited, which city served as a base for 

 collecting trips into the interior of the State of Bahia. One of these was to the 

 town of Joazeiro, located about 300 miles north-northwest of Bahia, and lying 

 in a typical cactus desert, although this region is traversed by the large Rio 

 Sao Francisco. Notwithstanding the fact that this stream is full the entire 

 year, little or no attempt is being made to use the water for irrigation purposes. 

 The country is of that type known as " catinga," and resembles in a remarkable 

 way the deserts of the West Indies ; indeed, the genera of plants are in many 

 cases the same, though the species are distinct. Here was seen the " carnuba," 

 or wax palm, from which is obtained the wax utilized in making records for 

 phonographs. Near Joazeiro is the Horto Florestal, or " forest garden," a 

 Government experiment station in charge of Dr. Leo Zehntner, who rendered 

 great assistance in the study and collection of the cactuses of the region. 



After making short stops at various stations in returning to Bahia, a trip 

 was made to Machado Portella, a small town about 175 miles west and a little 

 south of Bahia, the terminus of a little narrow-gauge railway. This is also 

 a semiarid region and proved exceedingly interesting botanically. The next 

 side trip was to Toca da Onca, still farther south, on the edge of a thick 

 tropical forest and in a region much more huiiiid than the northern part of the 

 State. 



About six weeks were then spent in beautiful Rio de Janeiro and vicinity. 

 Here, even in the city itself, a botanist finds a great deal to interest him, for 

 the trees are covered with epiphytic cactuses, mostly of the genus Rhipsalis, 

 and within the city itself rises the picturesque Corcovado, a thickly wooded 

 mountain on whose slojjes are found many rare ferns and tree-inhabiting 

 cactuses. The Jardin Botanico in this city is one of the finest in the world. 

 Over 200 species of palms from all parts of the tropics are here grown in the 

 open, besides many other rare tropical plants. In another section of the city, 

 in a fine large park called the Quinta Boa Vista, is the Museo Nacional, where 

 a number of rare cactuses were found in the herbarium. 



From Rio de Janeiro an ascent of Itatiaya, the highest mountain in Brazil, 

 was made, and on the very top, 10,000 feet above the sea, was found a small 

 cactus with beautiful rose-colored flowers. Excursions wei'e also made to 

 Cabo Frio, to Ilha Grande, and to the islands in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. A 

 few days were spent in the Organ Mountains, near Petropolis, the summer home 

 of the wealthiest classes of Rio de Janeiro. This range of mountains merits a 

 more thorough biological exploration than has been hitherto undertaken. 



Proceeding southward, a day was spent at Santos, Brazil, the world's greatest 

 coffee center. Buenos Aires was visited nest, although but little time was spent 

 in the city. Several visits were made to the fine suburb of La Plata, where 

 resides Dr. Carlos Spegazzini, the leading authority on Argentine cactuses. 



From Buenos Aires a trip was taken across Argentina to Mendoza, a city 

 situated near the foot of the Andes, in a region favorable to the growth of suc- 

 culent plants. From there a short excursion was made to Portrerillos, Argen- 

 tina, on the railway which leads to Valparaiso, Chile. Many very interesting 

 plants were found in both these places. 



In the city of Cordova, Argentina, northwest of Buenos Aires, the cactus col- 

 lection of Dr. Frederick Kurtz was found to contain some rare types, which were 

 very kindly submitted for examination and study. In this vicinity, as well as 

 in the neighboring town of Cosquin, many cactuses were collected on the semi- 

 arid peneplain. 



