322 VEGETATION OF DJEBEL HADID. ch. xii. 



abound in the inland districts and on the lower slopes of 

 the Atlas. Cishis salvicefolius and C. polymorphus, both 

 variable species, are common to this and the Atlas, 

 although, strange to say, the latter widely-spread Medi- 

 terranean species has not been found in North Marocco. 

 Helianthemunn virgatum, hitherto seen everywhere on 

 dry stony ground, was here wanting, as were H. niioticuin 

 and the less common H. glaucum and H. rubellum. In 

 their places the top of the hill was in some places quite 

 covered by large bushes of H. halimifolium and H. 

 lavandulcefolium, both laden with masses of bright yel- 

 low flowers. On the slopes we also found H. canariense, 

 one of the very few species, not strictly confined to the 

 coast, that are exclusively limited to the Canary Islands 

 and South Marocco. Another rare species of the same 

 genus, now first seen by us, was H. Lippii. This seems to 

 have been originally a desert plant, the sole representative 

 of the genus in the arid regions of Beloochistan, South 

 Persia, and the Arabian desert, whence it has spread west- 

 ward through Egypt to the skirts of the Sahara. Beyond 

 its natural home, it has been foimd here and there, but 

 rarely in Syria, Asia Minor, Sicily, and South-western 

 Marocco, and may not improbably be detected in South- 

 eastern Spain. 



Growing among the bushes on the upper part of the 

 hill we found, in some abundance, the wild spiny form of 

 the cultivated artichoke ; whether truly indigenous, or 

 carried hither by former inhabitants, it was impossible to 

 decide. 



On returning to our camp, some time before sunset, we 

 found that Mr. Carstensen had received letters from 

 Europe that bore intelligence of the terrible scenes 

 enacted in Paris during the last days of the Commune 

 and the final suppression of the insurrection. As was but 

 natural, this completely engrossed our thoughts and our 

 conversation during the evening. It was depressing to 

 think that in the midst of the so-called advanced civilisa- 



