Ix ITINERARY. 



spread of the new Rubiaceous species, ChalepophyllMm speciosum, with 

 their long tubes. The little blue milkworts — a new species of Monnina 

 — came as a welcome change ; though there are several yellows to be 

 seen, one of the commonest being a new lAsianthus, with large almost 

 funnel-shaped flowers. 



The most common and widely distributed plant of all on the top, 

 Bonnetia roraimce, which at times is found as a comparatively tall tree, 

 bears a small flower hidden by its brush of leaves. The plants were 

 always welcome, however, as affording a little relief to the scene of 

 Ijlackened rook, though what one mostly saw were bare brown stems 

 and branches reaching up to a small tuft of small rusty-green leaves 

 at the top, which at a little distance look more brown than green. 

 Their very look suggests that they must be very slow-growing. They 

 occur everywhere in the lower positions, and are shown in many of 

 the illustrations in Yol. I. In the one opposite the map, many clumps 

 are seen growing in the exposed open valley, where from their stunted 

 nature the leafy tops are brought close together, giving a thicker and 

 more conspicuous appearance than usual in relation to the bare stems 

 and branches. The wood is hard but very brittle, and somewhat 

 resinous, so that when green it burns readily. It was our common 

 firewood in this condition, though supplemented by dead pieces when 

 the fire was being lighted. 



Unfortunately, though there were many plants of the fragile and 

 low-lying Grepinella to be seen, even right by the camp, none were in 

 flower; nor could I detect anywhere specimens of the new and very 

 interesting gentis of ferns, Enterosora, which had been found by 

 im Thurn. Orchids were numerous, but not conspicuous ^nd showy 

 in any special degree. The little clumps of the small mistletoe, Phora- 

 dendron, were also plentiful ; while ferns were especially abundant, both 

 in clumps and species, in the more sheltered positions, where they were 

 thick in the crannies and around the sides of the rocks and other moist 

 recesses — as were also numbers of other mixed growths of all sorts, 

 often gathered into a close sward or carpet, as so well seen in the 

 illustrations in Vol. I., opposite pp. xxix, xxx, and xxxiv. As there 

 was great difiiculty in drying the larger and more succulent plants, 

 some of the common well-known species, like Brocchinia, were not- 

 collected. 



Though of the flowering plants the orchids are represented by the 

 largest number of species, the Oompositse are not far behind, and they 

 are much more conspicuous in their bushy, shrubby, and arborescent 

 growths, as seen, for example, in the genera QuelcMa, Eupatorivm, 

 and Stiflia. The Ericaceae and the Melastomes follow next in numbers 

 of species, but they are found in very abundant growths, and, as already 

 indicated, are very conspicuous by the bright colours of their flowers. 

 Many orders are represented only by one or two species, and they are 

 often some of the most interesting. 



It was noticeable that many plants were not in flower or seed ; and 

 as most of the species are endemic, it is certain that considerable 

 additions of very interesting material will be made in collections 

 during other months than those at the end of the year. Besides many 

 delicate forms may have died away entirely during the drier weather. 



