lid 
steep mountain pastures of little interest botanically, but the 
views of the deep blue Caribbean Sea were greatly enjoyed from 
the higher altitudes; we rode into Trinidad just as the cathedral 
clock struck eight and that we went to bed promptly goes without 
saying. 
From Hoyo de Manicaragua to Trinidad, 850 separate col- 
lections of plants were made, and these specimens will partly 
represent the flora of this mountain range. Itis possible that the 
Peak of Potrerillo, rising about 150 or 175 meters higher than we 
attained, supports some additional species; this is best reached 
from Trinidad and may well be made an object of another expe- 
dition at another time of year. 
Trinidad is situated at the southern base of a series of limestone 
hills, a few kilometers from its port, Casilda. Parts of four days 
were occupied by a study of the flora of this region, the hills, the 
coastal plain and the valley of the Rio Toyaba being visited, and 
specimens of over one hundred species, mostly shrubs and low 
trees, were here obtained. Fine marine views are had from the 
watchtower hill ‘‘La Vigia” just back of the town and the narrow 
valley of the Toyaba, navigable for small craft for several kilo- 
meters is very attractive, the low hills being wooded quite to the 
water and their flora varied; the striking floral feature at the time 
of our visit was the purple Ginoria, its nearly leafless branches 
covered with a profusion of showy flowers resembling those of the 
crape-myrtle, each tree conspicuous in the landscape for a long 
distance. Our boatman called it ‘flor de samana santa’’ be- 
cause it always blooms in Holy Week. Several kinds of mistle- 
toes inhabit the trees, and the rather rare Ravenia, a shrub of 
the Rue Family was found on the rocky river bank. 
The plains about Trinidad are infested by a spiny African 
shrub, Dichrostachys nutans, called “aroma” by the Cubans, of 
the Mimosa Family, growing three to five meters high and densely 
covering many square miles of land, formerly under cultivation, 
to the practical exclusion of all other vegetation; it is most dif- 
ficult to eradicate and a weed of enormous vigor. It has also 
become established in other parts of Cuba; the plant is distrib- 
uted by cattle, and is a serious menace to agriculture; no eco- 
nomical method of extermination is as yet apparent. 
