THE TROPICAL ZONE. 223 



which they rear their unbranched stems; by the immense 

 size of the leaves of some of the exogenous trees, and their 

 brilliant, conspicuous blossoms ; so different from the com- 

 paratively small leaves and unobtrusive catkins by which 

 this class of trees is generally distinguished at home. We 

 are surrounded by lofty Cassias (trees of the Leguminous 

 family, but not bearing papilionaceous flowers) ; with broad- 

 leaved, white-stemmed Cecropias (belonging to the Bread- 

 fruit tribe, Artocarpacets) ; with thick-crowned Myrtles, and 

 Bignonias with large clusters of long scarlet blossoms open- 

 ing at the end like the mouth of a trumpet ; richly-flowering 

 Coronillas, and beautiful Passion-flowers with their spread- 

 ing tendrils, interspersed with the large, swelling, cask-like 

 trunks of the Bombax, or Silk-cotton tree. 



As we wander along in the cool shade of the dense forest 

 which skirts the sides of the Corcovado Mountain, and 

 follow the windings of a small stream which descends from 

 its heights, we find many delicate species of Fern, and make 

 acquaintance for the first time with several curious plants, 

 called Dorstenias (allied to the Nettle family, Urticacea) ; 

 with large deeply divided leaves, and little fruits imbedded 

 in a flat fleshy mass, notched at the edge, and which con- 

 sists of the expanded top of the flower-stalk. We cannot 



