Botanical Notices from Spain. 345 
together with Sarcocapnos enneaphyllos, DC., but rather scattered. 
Upon loose rocky soil on the acclivities of the mountain grew lux- 
uriantly Thymus membranaceus, Boiss., and Lavandula Spica, L.; and 
on the extensive surface of the summit Cerasus prostrata, DC. Be- 
tween the two mountain-chains of Velez-Blanco and Oria is a broad, 
barren and arid table-land, which descends toward the west into 
the gypsum basin of Baza, toward the east into the wide and fruitful 
valley of the Rio de Velez, and contains some miserable hamlets, 
affording scarcely the barest nourishment. Few plants are found in 
this country; but here grow luxuriantly Centaurea granatensis, Boiss., 
Euphorbia serrata, L., a Barkhausia, Convolvulus lineatus, L., Thymus 
longiflorus, Boiss., and especially the rare Sideritis fetens, Clem. in 
Lag. gen. and sp., somewhat frequent. 
After crossing the Sierra de las Estancias, which presents a nielaly 
rocky and barren crest, a branch of the chain of Oria, and which 
runs east and west, forming the right wall of the valley of the river 
of Velez-Rubio, the ground sinks gradually more and more down to- 
ward the coast, which however is still above eight leagues distant. 
The whole of this south-eastern part of the province of Almeria, 
watered throughout by the Rio de Almanzora, is distinguished by its 
extreme barrenness, and the valleys alone yield the botanist any 
hopes of booty. Through the Rambla de las Carrascas, a valley now 
quite destitute of water, whose sides are covered in parts with vines, 
olives and fig-trees, I reached, near the little town of Huercal-Overa, 
the valley of the Almanzora, which is in summer only an insignifi- 
cant rivulet. Huercal-Overa lies close to the northern foot of the 
bleak Sierra de Almagro, whose most western and lowest portion is 
intersected by the river. The mountain-chain consists of limestone, 
and appears to be very barren. Close behind the above-named little 
town, you enter the narrow, very rocky and picturesque valley, which 
is in parts well-cultivated. On sunny rocks I remarked here the rare 
Lavandula denitata, L., but already off flower, as well as a shrubby 
Galium, and on sand-hills the pretty Brassica pendula, Boiss. (Sisym- 
brium pend., Desf.), in company with Moricandia arvensis, DC. Be- 
fore reaching the little town of Cuevas-Overa, the river leaves the 
mountain-chain and hastens in numerous windings through a wide, 
flat and extremely beautiful valley toward the sea, which is distant 
scarcely four miles from Cuevas. The environs of Cuevas-Overa 
consist for the most part of gypsum, and have therefore, excepting 
some salt-plants, only a very poor vegetation. On the gypsum-hills, 
west of the town, there grows luxuriantly Santolina viscida, Lag., 
frequent; Atractylis humilis, L., occurs rare ; whilst Paliurus mentees 
lis, L., which I have followed up to the limits of Murcia and high up 
in the valley of the Almanzora,.is very common in the whole coun- 
try round. Six miles east of Cuevas, on the frontiers of Andalusia 
and Murcia, rises the Sierra Almagrera, which has latterly become 
so famous for its rich silver-mines—a mountain-range, scarcely 3000 
feet in height, consisting of graywacke and clay-slate, the most east- 
ern point of Andalusia. The vegetation of this chain, which I visited 
on the 21st of July, reduces itself to a small number of salt-plants, 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xvii. 2B 
