THE TROPICAL ZONE. 255 



But vegetation again assumes a more pleasing aspect when 

 we reach the banks of a little rivulet, where our attention 

 is engaged by a shrub (or small tree) belonging to a very 

 curious race of plants, called a Vochysia, with long showy 

 clusters of very irregular, bright yellow flowers, and Mag- 

 nolia-like leaves. A kind of Bramble (Eubus) also grows 

 in the same situation, the fruit of which, when ripe, is green, 

 and has somewhat the flavour of a Strawberry. Another 

 plant which attracts our admiration while traversing a bushy 

 campo is one of the Composite family, Chresta sph&rocepJiala 

 of De Candolle. This handsome plant, which " beautifully 

 adorns" such situations, reaches the height of about five 

 feet ; it is much branched at the top, each branchlet termi- 

 nating in a large globular compact head of purple flowers ; 

 the leaves, stem, and branches being all covered with a white 

 woolly substance. 



One very singular feature in the vegetation of this part 

 of Brazil, and different to any we have hitherto mentioned, 

 we meet with in travelling along the top of a mountain- 

 range, where the country, which for the most part is open 

 and undulating and barren, is studded here and there with 

 "island- woods," composed chiefly of such trees as different 

 species of Myrcia, Eugenia, which is near akin to the Clove, 



