66 Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 



many other streams, and Andre Goeldi brought back quantities of living ma- 

 terial from the Rio Purus and elsewhere. The writer had the keen pleasure 

 of serving as Curator of this Garden and its great Herbarium for nearly a 

 year, and will briefly indicate here some of the points of interest connected 

 with it. 



On entering the Botanic Garden at Para, one is impressed by the density 

 of the plantings which lack of space has compelled, but which has, however, 

 produced a most characteristic Amazonian effect. One first recognizes num- 

 bers of the standard tropical ornamentals, Murraya, Hibiscus, Tabernaemon- 

 tana, Datura, various Ixoras, and some more conspicuous things, such as 

 Randia Stanleyana with its long trumpet shaped whitish flowers, Roupcllia 

 grata, and Brunfelsia grandiflora. Scattered among these are great numbers 

 of fine native Amazonian ornamentals, many of which have not yet been intro- 

 duced to horticulture, but which would add great riches to our warm-house 

 collections. A notable example of this is a fine series of Marantaccac, includ- 

 ing several Thalias, numbers of Ischnosiphons, and many new Calatheas re- 

 cently described by Dr. Huber, for example, C. contamineiisis, C. laetevirens, 

 C. aberrans, C. Sophiae, C. Ucayalina, and C. microcephala — every one a gem. 

 Equally noticeable is the great wealth of aroids — Monsteras, Anthurxwms, 



Figure 24. A forest scene in the gardens. Note the huge Calathea at right. 



