PERUVIAN REGIONS. 



153 



with ; arising from a bulb deeply buried among fragments of rock, 

 that along their surface conduct the moisture downwards.* — On the 

 2d of July, the " Amancaes lily" had become abundant; the two spe- 

 cies of Oxalis, the yellow-flowered one and the purple-flowered one, 

 were now fully developed ; and a variety of other plants had sprung 

 up : as, a second species of Begonia; a Valeriana, with pinnatisect 

 leaves; two species of Alstroemeria ; a Geranium, having a large, 

 thick, woody root ; and a Commelina : also several plants that ap- 

 peared to be annual-rooted; as an Erigeron, the Nieremhergia, an 

 upright Gnaphalium, a Loasa ?, and an Oenotliera. Some of the above 

 plants being not yet in flower, gave evidence, that the height of the 

 season would be some weeks later. 



In journeying inland towards the Andes, the country continued 

 Desert, with the plants as thinly scattered as in the neighborhood of 

 the Pacific; but there was a very general change in species, those of 

 the coast district ceasing, and in their place, others now making their 

 appearance: as Tiquilia dicltotoma; a Loasa?, having rather large 

 cream-colored flowers; an Arabis?; a lanate Encelia; a dioecious, thick- 

 stemmed s7<r?<&, bearing a triaiate capsule of three samaras; Croton? 

 wens, also a thick-stemmed shrub ; a prostrate, many-stemmed Con- 

 volvulus, with its numerous flowers secund ; a.Monnina; and a viscous 

 procumbent Pomaria?. — Nearer to the Andes, Cacti became more 

 abundant, making their appearance in a variety of novel and strange 

 shapes. The Tillandsia-beds, the principal growth of the Peruvian 

 Desert, occurred more and more frequently until they became conflu- 

 ent; when the country presented an extraordinary spectacle; moun- 

 tain and valley, in every direction and as far as the eye could reach, 

 being of one uniform tint of grey, from the uninterrupted dense coat- 

 ing of Tillandsias. An Aloe now made its appearance ; the only 

 American representative of the tribe, and though yellow-flowered, 

 presenting unexpected analogy with the African Continent. 



Character and Composition of the Vegetable Growth. In a 

 general view, comprising both Desert upland and infiltrated lowland, 

 there appeared to be nine prevailing families of plants in Lower Peru; 

 occurring in the following order of frequency : 



* In further illustration of this increased moisture under the peculiar local circum- 

 stances; young stocks of the pomeyrunate, coninioii Jvj, and pacai-bean or Inga, were 

 observed to have sprung up from seeds accidentally scattered, and to have established 

 themselves in the principal Amancaes ravine. 



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