TREES AND SHRUBS 119 



to Sao Vincente there remain some grand old 

 specimens, the immense girth of whose trunks 

 speaks for itself of their great age. The true name 

 of this so-called laurel appears to have been a 

 matter of some uncertainty, as Miss Taylor, in 

 " Madeira : Its Scenery, and How to See It," classes 

 it as Oreodaphne feet ens, describing it as "the 

 grandest of native trees "; while Mr. Bowdick, in 

 1823, says : " The til has been confounded with 

 Laurus fastens, from the strong, disagreeable odour 

 of the wood when first cut. It is very valuable for 

 its timber, being extremely hard and tough. It 

 would appear that the Portuguese call both Laurus 

 fcetens and Laurus cupuleris til, as they say there 

 are two kinds of til, and both are equally fetid." 

 In the damper regions beautiful lichens grow 

 luxuriantly on the stems of the trees, and ferns 

 have found a home in the cracks of the bark. The 

 value of its timber has no doubt been responsible 

 for the destruction of the trees. When polished, the 

 wood is of a very dark colour, almost as black as 

 ebony. 



The vinhatico, whose wood is the mahogany of 

 Madeira and closely resembles it, is another of the 

 native trees, and again I find it classed as Laurus 

 indica by Mr. Bowdick, who describes it as one of 



