86 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



only opened when the sun was hot and full upon them and 

 having rather woody stems and stiffish leaves, both leaves 

 and flowers wilted almost as soon as plucked and never re- 

 vived in water. Consequently the only way to photograph 

 this plant was at mid-day in situ and a hot and trying task 

 it was! 



The flower beds in the Plaza at Cartago contained not 

 only a great variety of so-called garden flowers and plants 

 but also many of the common native plants allowed to reach 

 large size as individuals — a practice we highly approved. 

 It was in the Plaza we first saw the huge Gunnera insignis, 

 which is not a native of the Cartago neighborhood but grows 

 in the sheltered ravines and pockets on the volcanoes, the 

 "Guacamayo" (Bocconia frutescens) the "Ortiga" {Wi- 

 gandia ure?is), the handsome red Salvia involucrata. We 

 made lists on several occasions of the plants blooming in 

 the Plaza. On May i6 A. noted the following: Agapanthus, 

 Ageratum, Amaryllis, asters, balsams, calla lilies, campanulas 

 (blue and white), cannas, Cassia, chrysanthemums, cosmos, 

 Dahlia, daisies, evening primrose, geraniums, gladioli, Hi- 

 biscus, Lantana, larkspur, lilies (red and yellow), lobelias, 

 Nigella, Oleandra, poppies, roses, Scabiosa, squills, sweet 

 Williams, Stephanotis, Tradescantia, tropseolums, Zephyranthes 

 and among foliage plants were bamboo, bananas, crotons, 

 Coleus, numerous ferns, and palms. 



On Christmas Day we found the Plaza a riot of flowers 

 and noted the following: Abutilon, Agapanthus, Agave (2 

 sp.), Amaryllis, asters, balsams, begonias, borage (blue), 

 Bougainvillea, large bromeliad, Browallia, cannas, chrysan- 

 themums, Cleome, Cobcsa scandens, Coleus, yellow composite 

 resembling Lactuca, cosmos, daisies. Dahlia, Datura arborea, 

 geraniums. Gladiolus, Heliconia, heliotrope, Hibiscus, honey- 

 suckle, jasmine, Lantana, larkspur, lilies (orange yellow, 

 red-green, tiger) lupine, maize, manzana rosa, marigolds. 



