GEOGRAPHICAL BOTANY. 



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the youngest and softest part, more or less broad intervals. 

 Under this double condition of the formation and dis- 

 tribution of the foliage, we may perceive universally in 

 the latter climate " a certain and wholly peculiar per- 

 meability" seen only in its simplest and most developed 

 state in the Palms even in woody plants, which in other 

 respects but little resemble the latter, and in which the 

 more copious development of the ramifications of the stem 

 produces this prevailing character, inasmuch as they 

 imitate and replace the natural growth of the summit of 

 Palms. " Large masses of very delicate foliage in this 

 manner obtain so light an aspect, that they appear as it 

 were to float in the air ; but, even down to the smallest 

 Fern upon the soil, everything exhibits a tendency to an 

 excentric distribution, which does not permit the separate 

 organs to press upon one another, but by the constant 

 crossing of lines in every direction, produces spaces for 

 the transmission of air and light." Here Nature addresses 

 man like the noblest works of mediaeval architecture, 

 the pointed arches of which, of Arabian origin, have, it is 

 supposed, borrowed that openness conjoined with gigantic 

 masses and infinite variety of form, from two palm-stems 

 with their penniform leaves in contact. 



As the second principal formation of Guiana, R. 

 Schornburgk describes the vegetation on the banks of the 

 streams, at the border of the forest, as made generally 

 known by V. Martius and Poppig, from the north of 

 Brazil. The underwood surpasses the retreating gigantic 

 stems ; a belt of Cecropias and bamboos forms the fore- 

 ground ; herbaceous lianes wind around the trees and 

 bushes as in a most luxuriant hedge, on the borders of 

 which beautiful flowering plants augment still more the 

 most abundant variety. 



From Essequibo the travellers went to the tributary 

 stream, Rupununi, to arrive at the savannahs on the 

 sea of Amuku, which in these regions cover the ridges of 

 the land almost down to the water-line, and are only 

 separated from the rivers by seams of woods from 100' 



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