FLOEA OF COLOMBIA. 165 



tropical forms here intermingle with those of the Andes and Central America, 

 migrating northwards from the valleys of the Cordilleras, or southwards from the 

 region of isthmuses. Moreover, the middle slopes and elevated plateaux abound 

 in species resembling those of temperate Europe and even of the polar lands. 



Palms occur everywhere, but nearly always solitary or in isolated clumps. 

 Even where most numerous, as on the slopes of the Suma Paz cordillera, they 

 never develop continuous forests, but grow intermingled with other trees, in such 

 variety that the botanist André found as many as 25 different species in three 

 days. Next to the coconuts of the San Bias archipelago, those that form the 

 largest groups are the curuas of the Upar Valley, and the wax-palms {ceroxylon 

 andieoln) of the Centi'al Cordillera ; in the Quindio district they range up to over 

 10,000 feet, nearly 6,500 higher than most other members of the palm family, and 

 within 2,600 feet of the snow-line. Some wax-palms shoot up straight and 

 graceful as a reed to a height of 200 feet. A single stem will yield as much as 

 from 16 to 24 pounds of a white or yellowish wax, valued at from 15 to 25 shil- 

 lings on the Ibangué market, where it is bought for making wax matches. The 

 ferrngineum, a smaller but more common variety, grows at lower altitudes, chiefly 

 west of the Choco cordillera and thence southwards to Ecuador. The mauricia 

 palm, the characteristic tree of the Venezuelan llanos, penetrates into Colombia 

 no farther than the plains of San Martin and Casanare. 



Of the palms on the slope of the Eastern Cordillera facing the llanos one of 

 the most remarkable is the corneto (deckeria), slim and slender as the wax-palm — 

 not, however, shooting directly from the ground, but from a pyramid of aerial 

 roots about 6 or 8 feet high. The fruit, resembling plums in size and appearance, 

 grows in clusters weighing from 120 to 200 pounds. The tagua (phi/felep/ias 

 macrocaiya), another variety of palm, growing abundantly on the banks of the 

 Magdalena, Atrato, and Patia, has the appearance of a young coconut-tree ; its 

 large fruit, or " negro head," of melon shape, contains numerous grains too hard 

 for the teeth of the peccary or monkey. This is the " vegetable ivory " of 

 commerce. Another useful variety is the carludorica pahnafa, the ril s of whose 

 fan-shaped leaves are used for making the so-called " Panama hats." 



Scarcely less numerous than the palms are the macanas, or tree-ferns, 32 

 varieties of which were recorded by Lindig in the section of the Andes lying 

 north of the equator. They range from 650 up to 10,000 feet, that is, far beyond 

 the limits assigned to them by Humboldt. Near Fusagasiiga the stems are used 

 for making the so-called einpalisados ("palisaded roads"), where but for these 

 " sleepers " the wayfarer would run the risk of disappearing in the quagmires. 

 The bamboo [hambiisa guadua) has even a still higher range, occurring in 

 clumps nearly as high as 15,000 feet, in association with the velvety espelefia. 



The cactus of the torrid lowlands and the espeletia of the snowy plateaux 

 intermingle about midway on the mountain slopes, for Ancizar met " Barbary 

 figs" of vigorous growth as high up as 8,640 feet. The hcfarla, or American 

 " Alpine rose," resembling the European rhododendron, grows to a height of 5 

 or 6 feet, with a range from 9,000 to nearly 11,000 feet. 



