180 VEGETATION OF THE 



dance and variety of plants found in this locality is 

 truly surprising ; however, there is scarcely any one 

 species larger than the Ulex bceticus, which covers 

 many acres of this extensive plain. Among several 

 hundred species growing here, I gathered the Ranun- 

 culus gramineus, Hypericum tomentosum, Lupinus 

 lute us, Lupinus hirsutus, and Scorpiurus vermiculata ; 

 more rarely the Anchusa calcarea, Boiss., and the 

 singular and elegant green narcissus (N. viridiflorus, 

 Schousb.) Later in summer the whole of this plain 

 is densely covered with Carlina corymbosa, Cynara 

 horrida, several species of Centaurea, and a very 

 large variety of Senecio Jacohea. 



On the right of the Spanish race-course is the hill 

 called Queen of Spain's Chair, so named from one of 

 the queens of Spain having once sat on its sum- 

 mit. This hill, which is one of the terminating points 

 of a series of hills rising from 1,500 to 3,000 feet 

 high, chiefly composed of limestone and sandstone, 

 affords an almost inexhaustible source of pleasure to 

 the lover of wild flowers. Perhaps there is scarcely 

 any other spot near Gibraltar more abundant in vege- 

 tation. The base of the hill, and a little way above, 

 it is covered with masses of Lavandula staechas and 

 several species of Genista, Cistus, and Erica, of the 

 latter, the Erica australis being most abundant; as 

 also the Genista Gibraltarica. In the midst of these 

 are found Briza maxima and Astrocarpus sesamoides, 

 De C. Higher up the hill the orchideous plants are 

 seen in great profusion, the most common being the 

 Ophrys lutea, O. apifera, and, rarely, Satyrium den- 



