60 ON THE VEGETATION OF BRAZIL. 
reach them. A few days afterwards we found it on a neighbouring 
mountain, and ascertained it to be Cattleya labiata. ‘Those on the 
Gavea will long continue to vegetate, far from the reach of the greedy 
collector.” 
Immediately opposite the Gavea is a mountain called the Pedra 
Bonita. On one excursion to this mountain— 
‘<A creat part of the top we found to be covered with the beautifu 
lily-like Vellozia candida, on the branches of which grew a pretty 
Epidendrum, with rose-coloured flowers. Along with the Vellozia 
grew two beautiful subscandent species of Echites, one with large dark 
violet-coloured flowers, the other with white ones of a similar size. 
They both exhale an odour not unlike that of the common primrose, 
but more powerful. On the edge of a precipice on the eastern side, 
we found, covered with its large rose-coloured flowers, the splendid 
Cattleya labiata which a few days before we had seen on the Gavea.” 
‘“‘ Other excursions to the islands in the bay, and to Jurujuba, on 
the opposite side of it, were also productive of many interesting species 
of plants. It was at the latter place, on dry bushy hills, that I first 
saw the really beautiful Buginvillea spectabilis growing wild. It 
climbs up into the tops of the bushes and trees near which it grows, 
and the brilliant colour of the flowers, which it produces in the greatest 
profusion, renders it conspicuous in the woods at a great distance. 
This, as well as the equally beautiful Bignonia venusta, are much 
cultivated as ornamental climbers in the suburbs.” 
From the Organ Mountains many beautiful plants have already 
reached our gardens. His ascent he describes :— 
“The whole length of the road is through one dense forest, the 
magnificence of which cannot be imagined by those who have never 
seen it, nor penetrated into its recesses. Those remnants of the virgin 
forest which still stand in the vicinity of the capital, although they 
appear grand to the eye of a newly-arrived European, become insig- 
nificant when compared with the mass of giant vegetation which clothes 
the sides of the Organ Mountains. So far as I have been able to 
determine, the large forest trees consist of various species of Palms, 
Laurus, Ficus, Cassia, Bignonia, Solanum, Myrtacee, and Melasto- 
macee. In temperate climates natural forests are mostly composed of 
trees which grow gregariously. In those of tropical countries it is 
seldom that two trees of a kind are to be seen growing together, the 
variety of different species is so great. Many of the trees are of 
immense size, and have their trunks and branches covered with myriads 
of those plants which are usually called parasites, but are not so in 
reality, consisting of Orchideze, Bromeliacee, Ferns, Peperomiz, &c., 
which derive their nourishment from the moisture of their bark, and 
the earthy matter which has been formed from the decay of mosses, 
&e. Many of the trees have their trunks encircled by twiners, the 
stems of which are often thicker than those they surround. This is 
particularly the case with a kind of wild fig, called by the Brazilians, 
Cipo Matador. It runs up the tree to which it has attached itself, and 
at the cistance of about every ten feet throws out from each side a 
thick clasper, which curves round, and closely entwines the other stem. 
