38 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



dantly, and others affording remarkable species that seem to require 

 special notice : — Sajwtacece, shown by the frequency of their fallen 

 seeds to be lofty trees, intermingled in the primeval forest; where 

 also other lofty trees were found to belong to Araliacem ; and where 

 the large flowers of Gustavia were strewing the ground beneath 

 a tree of the largest size. — A Lecythis, a tree exceeding the medium 

 size, in various localities rendered conspicuous by its showy yellow 

 tlowers : and a Yochysia, though a small tree, recognized at a long 

 distance by its rich yellow spikes of flowers. — Anonacece, in some va- 

 riety, none of the species exceeding the dimensions of a small tree. — 

 Of HypericacecB, a Vismia, forming a small tree, was repeatedly met 

 with. — Of Polygalacece, a tree Poly gala, thirty feet high, with the 

 trunk nine inches in diameter ; another species of Polygala, forming 

 a large-leaved shrub : a Securidaca, forming a shrub ; another spe- 

 cies, a woody vine ; and a Trigonia, also a woody vine. — Of Violacew, 

 a species of Calyptrion, forming a woody vine. — Of Oxalidaceoj, several 

 species of Oxidis that formed shrubs, three to five feet high, with much 

 of the aspect of Desmodiums ; and one species, 0. fruficosa, having 

 phyllodia or foliaceous petioles in place of leaves, like the Australian 

 Acacias. — Of Polygonacem, an oblong-leaved Goccoloha, a shrub with 

 inconspicuous flowers, frequent along the sea-coast. — Of NyctaginacecE, 

 the Pisonias of several species, rather frequent, all of them shrubs 

 with smooth tender foliage. — Species of Cissus occasionally met with, 

 vines, some of them woody, others in great part herbaceous, and o.ne 

 or more species conspicuous from their sanguineous branching pedun- 

 cles ; the G. quinquefolia, often having the form of a rigid upright 

 shrub, four to five feet high. — The Tontelea scandens, seeming really a 

 parasitic woody vine, attaching itself at intervals to shrubs, widely 

 rambling over them, and in an instance I examined, entirely discon- 

 nected from the ground ; in this respect, presenting unexpected analogy 

 with Cuscuta. — A species of Norantea, a large shrub, growing in 

 swampy ground, the only representative of the Marcgraviacem met 

 ■with. — The singular Aristolochia lahiosa, an herbaceous mantling vine, 

 was growing in the same swampy locality; in company with the 

 showy-flowered Gaftleya, an epidendric Orchideous plant. — Lobelias, 

 somewhat rare, and all of them rank-growing and herbaceous ; one 

 species being not less than ten feet high, with the stem an inch 

 in diameter. — While of bulbous-rooted plants, the only representa- 

 tives vfQVQ Amaryllidacece ; the Crinums, already mentioned as abound- 



