56 BOTANY 



is charming, and one who has not seen tropical vege- 

 tation, would scarcely believe that at such a season 

 nature could look so beautiful. On a fine sunny 

 day these attractions tempt every lover of nature to 

 quit his home for a ramble over this picturesque 

 ground, or to saunter in the gayer paths of the Ala- 

 meda gardens, where, with "fairer flowers" of all 

 shades and figures, he may breathe the air scented by 

 a thousand blossoms; these are the beauties of the 

 "sunny south" found even on this small rock. 

 Earlier in the spring, before other brilliant flowers 

 can draw one's attention, the promenade in these 

 gardens is rendered captivating enough by the thou- 

 sand gorgeous chandelier-like groups of the Barba- 

 does aloe, mixing its red pine-shaped blossoms with 

 pelargoniums of every tint, while the graceful " silver 

 broom"* waves its delicate foliage and white flowers 

 over the sides of the narrow and tortuous paths, 

 leading to charming alcoves and silent retreats. 



A narrow pathway leads from the Alameda to the 

 high road, on the sides of which the botanist may 

 gather a number of most interesting plants, such as 

 Vinca media, Convolvulus althaeoides, Verbascum 

 sinuatum, Clematis cirrhosa, Asphodelus ramosus, 

 Acanthus mollis, Psoralea bituminosa, &c. On walls 

 by the road-side he will find Lactuca tenerrima and 

 Barkhausia taraxacifolia. A road to the left leads 

 up to St. Michael's cave ; before proceeding further 

 he will find here elegant specimens of Genista lini- 



* Spartium monospermum. 



