12S THE MASTIC. 



shoots grow close together they look as though orange 

 coloured Easter eggs had been placed under a Cistus 

 bush. The Rock-roses (Jldiairlhcniiiin} which are mem- 

 bers of our own flora, are closeh' related to the Cistus 

 bushes. Their delicate, sulphur-\ellow flowers ma\ be 

 seen here and there in the Maquis. A strongly armed 

 bush \vith ^'ellow papilionaceous llowers, Calicoionie 

 spiiiosa (Fig, p. 61) rises abo\'e its neighbours. One can 

 see at a glance that this plant must be closely related to 

 the Genista acanilioclada, that scourge of Tartarus which 

 we hrst saw in La Mortola (jardeiis. It is so thickh' 

 set with sharp, thoru-like, lateral branches that one has 

 to keep clear of it in the Mac|uis. ^Another plant belong- 

 ing to the same order, Spiirfhiiii juiicenm (Fig. p. .^'-^5) the 

 Spanish Broom, is much less unapproachable. This almost 

 leafless plant has green, rush-like branches and large 

 mellow llowers. Baskets, nets and e\en shoes are wo\ en 

 from the twigs of the vSpanish Broom: the bast is used 

 as string and a kind of linen cloth is woven from it. 

 The Mastic (Pislacia I^cii/iscuf, Fig. p. .^4'.)), is ver\- 

 common in the Alaquis where it remains stunted. Hut 

 under other conditions it can develop into a tree. A hue 

 Mastic tree with dense, umbrella-shaped crown m?\.\ be 

 seen from the Golfc Jouan road in the garden of a villa 

 not far from the (xrand Hotel clii Cap. The tree is 

 characterised b\' its dark-green, pari-pinnate, tough, lea- 

 ther\' leaves, which are shin\' above, and h\ its resinous 

 smell. The plant is dioecious, bearing either staminate 

 or carpellar\- llo^^■ers, The staminate llowers are con- 

 spicuous in spite ot their small size because the\' grow 



