LA MORTOLA. n 



but the branching of the thin stems of E. spinosa is totally 

 different. Altogether both these Euphorbias take a considerable 

 share in clothing the dry hillsides and rocks of this part of the 

 Italian coast. Near the Palazzo Orengo and on the Punta della 

 Mortola the E. biglandulosa, Desfontaines, from South Italy and 

 Sicily, grows in great profusion ; the seed of it was brought by 

 Daniel Hanbiiry from Calabria in May 1872. This plant, like so 

 many others in his brother's garden, is a continual reminder of that 

 excellent man, whose early death is still so deeply lamented. But 

 in order to complete the picture of those strange groups, formed 

 with such unwearied care and labour, it is necessary to recollect 

 the olive-trees, the various Acacias, Eucalyptus, the Casuarinas, 

 picturesquely associated here with the numerous Cactus, Agaves, 

 and Aloes. Otherwise, with regard to these latter kinds, the 

 spectator would be transported in imagination to New Mexico, or to 

 the parched Cape. A few steps farther we are led into a still grotto 

 of considerable size, whose dripping water favours the growth of 

 Cryptogams like Selaginellae, Jungermanniaceae, mosses, and ferns ; 

 the greatest adornment of these unpretentious grottoes is perhaps 

 the lovely maidenhair Adiantum Capillus Veneris. 



The foregoing paragraphs will show that the leading feature 

 in the gardens of the Palazzo Orengo is not the cultivation of 

 economic plants, although some of the lemon-trees and olives of 

 an earlier period are still extant ; vineyard and vegetable garden 

 have also a place apart for themselves. Nevertheless among the 

 great variety of plants just mentioned a good sprinkling of 

 remarkable economic plants may be found. Argania Sideroxylon, 

 Romer et Schultes, the oil-tree of Morocco, has made but little 

 progress here during eight years, although it attains to a great age 

 in its native country. Its importance as an oil-yielding tree is not 

 great ; a very small amount of oil is obtainable from the small kernel, 

 and it is practically of no value to more civilised nations ; even its 

 excellent wood is eclipsed by that of more rapidly-growing trees. 

 (Figure of Argania, by Sir W. Hooker, in the " Journal of Botany 

 and Kew Gardens Miscellany," vi., 1854, p. 97. For further 

 particulars of this remarkable tree see Just's " Botanical Annual 

 Report," Jahresbericht in German, 1879, p. 331, and 1880, p. 751.) 

 The Brazil wood tree, Ccesalpinia echinata, Lamarck, is also 

 represented here, but the few specimens have made inconsider- 

 able progress during about eight years. Catha ed^ll^s, Forskal, 



