BRAZILIANREGIONS. 35 



11. Composifce. Comparatively rare, as in many other luxuriant 

 Tropical forest-regions; and the species in general not ornamental. 

 The Alhertinia formed a small tree ; and of the remaining Com- 

 positic, many were shrubs, more or less arborescent; the most fre- 

 quent, being perhaps, the species of Baccharis and Eupatorium. Of 

 climbing Compositte, the Heterocoma, a woody vine, was at once 

 recognized by its large flowers, sessile among the leaves, which occur 

 only at intervals ; two or three Milrtnias, herbaceous vines, were also 

 occasionally met with. Of the humble weedy Composita3 growing in 

 long-established clearings, some of the species seemed indigenous. 



12. MalpighiacecE. Eminently characteristic, from being in sunny 

 situations frequent and conspicuous; chiefly consisting of woody vines 

 with showy yellow flowers, Banister las, Heteropteris^ Tetrapteris ; and 

 of one herbaceous vine, the StigmapltylJon, remarkable in its Tribe 

 for having Vitis-like foliage. Of upright Malpighiaceous shrubs, one 

 species only was met with, the Byrsonima, growing along the sea-coast. 



13. Piperaceoi. Holding the thirteenth place from the numerous 

 species of Piper ; large shrubs, many of them twelve to fifteen feet 

 high, principally abounding in cool shady situations. The species 

 hardly seemed congeneric with the Pipers of the Eastern Continent ; 

 their general aspect, and in many instances their leaves being more 

 like those of Urticaceous plants. One frequent species, differing 

 widely from the others in habit, bore large Arum-like leaves, and a 

 very long ament or spike. — On the other hand, the Peperomias were 

 strikingly similar to those seen afterwards in other Tropical countries; 

 being tenderly herbaceous, small and inconspicuous; chiefly epidendric 

 on the trunks and branches of trees, but sometimes growing equally 

 on exposed rocks. 



14. Verhenacem. Holding the fourteenth place from the abundance 

 0^ Lantanas; mostly shrubs, six to twelve feet high, growing in sunny 

 situations, their flowers ornamental and differing in color, in some 

 species orange, in others purple, and in others again white. One 

 herbaceous species of Lantana was also met with. The character of 

 the foliage led me to suspect, that some of the forest-trees might prove 

 Verbenaceous, but I could obtain no direct evidence. 



15. Becfoniacea;. Herbaceous plants of singular aspect, abounding 

 in moist dripping woods ; in situations where the sunlight is let in, 

 and some of the species growing in the deepest shade. 



IG. Terehintliacem. Trees and shrubs having pinnate leaves that 



