Botanical Notices from Spain. 249 
ring my stay, although, as was to be expected at this season of the 
year, with little success. On moist grassy spots blossomed the Ra- 
nunculus bullatus, L., plentifully ; in hedges and under impenetrable 
bushes of dwarf palms and thorny species of asparagus grew Aristo- 
lochia betica and Melissa Calamintha, and upon the arable fields in 
great profusion Mandragora officinarum in company with Ecbalium 
Elaterium. On the sea-shore I met with Glaucium corniculatum in 
abundance, which had already begun to blossom, or flowered a second 
time. On the fallow fields the Verbena supina began to shoot up its 
stalk, and on the adjoining hills the root-leaves of the rare Diplotazis 
Prolongi, Boiss., appeared here and there. Upon an excursion into 
the neighbouring Sierra de Mijas I found Viola arborescens, L., al- 
ready in full blossom, and the Thymus capitatus, Lk. and Hoffm., had 
also begun to flower. In fissures of the limestone rocks occurred 
frequent the Lapiedra Martinezii, Lag., but not a single specimen in 
flower, as well as Cheilanthes odora and Lycopodium denticulatum. 
Under groups of palms on the loamy plain known by the name of the 
Dehesilla, between the river Guadalhorce and the sea, I noticed here 
and there Narcissus serotinus, and some scattered plants of Scilla 
autumnalis, LL. In hedges of Spanish reed in the vicinity of the shore 
I found tall luxuriant shrubs of Tagetes graveolens, L’ Hérit., certainly 
run wild, and especially on the sea-shore often gigantic tree-like 
specimens of Ricinus communis, L. This is nearly all that can be 
said of the November flora of Malaga. The coast, which is mostly 
flat and sandy, presents also but few sea plants, like almost all 
the flat sandy coasts of the Mediterranean, where, from the absence 
of a tide, only rarely a few Alge are cast up. 
On the Ist of December I quitted Malaga, and, favoured by the 
most glorious spring weather, I travelled on horseback towards 
Seville ; for the roads between these two cities are only to be found 
upon the map, but do not exist in reality—not a bit more than roads 
from Granada and Jaen to Seville! The corn-fields were already 
clothed in the most beautiful green, as with us in April, and the 
blossoms of the almond-trees were already far advanced. Every- 
where there were still in flower the Mandragora officinarum, as well 
as Alyssum maritimum and Aristolochia betica, whilst the Ranunculus 
bullatus and Balsamita multifida, Clem., here plentiful, were appa- 
rently over. Here and there Lavandula multifida was seen in flower, 
and a small Calendula. In the immediate vicinity of Malaga com- 
mence arid hills and extensive tracts of uncultivated land, mostly 
covered with dwarf palms and species of asparagus. Several species 
of Ulex had already unfolded their beautiful yellow flowers. Beyond 
the small town of Cardama the land is better cultivated, and the 
banks of the neighbouring Guadalhorce are in many parts clothed 
with hedges of orange-trees, which were now loaded with golden 
fruit, and, together with the perfectly leafless fig- and apple-trees, 
which are found in great quantities in the intervening space, pre- 
sented the appearance of summer and winter at the same time. On 
the branches of the olive-trees, whose shining black fruit the people 
were busied everywhere in gathering, I remarked frequently the Vis- 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xvi. 
