THE CAPIM GORDURA. 



271 



tion. By renewing this purifying process a second and a third time, 

 the soil finally becomes covered with a species of fern closely 

 resembling our large Pteris, Pteris caudata ; and if the spot be 

 once more abandoned, it is speedily taken possession of by a viscous, 

 grayish, and foetid species of Graminea?, well known locally by the 



1 Victoria regia. 



AQUATIC PLANTS OF Gtr: 

 2. Raphia toedigera. 



3. Scyndapsus fragrans. 



name of Capim gordura, to botanists by that of Tnstegis glutinosa. 

 So boundless a voracity has this plant, that it wholly expels from 

 certain regions another and less tenacious variety of the Graminese, 

 the Sacchanim, or Sapa. The Capim gordura constitutes in itself 

 almost the entire flora of the artificial campos. It is but an indif- 

 ferent fodder, and cattle derive from it little vigour. 



In general, the natural campos bear a certain resemblance to our 

 meadows ; grass, however, is less abundant ; they consist, especially 



