290 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
few long sarmentose leafy branches. The leaves of each pair 
are very unequal, and the smaller one sometimes obsolete ; the 
larger one is long, lance-shaped, and, while the rest of the leaf 
is green, the apex and sometimes part of the margin are 
stained of a deep red, so as to resemble a lance dipped in blood, 
whence the native name "punta de lanza." The axillary flowers 
are comparatively inconspicuous, and they are partially concealed 
by large red or blood-stained bracts ; they seem to vary consider- 
ably in structure in the different species, but I have scarcely 
examined them, and cannot, therefore, refer these plants with 
certainty to their proper genus. Another group, whereof two 
species were seen and gathered, has the long tubular corolla sub- 
tended by pinnati-partiti sepals, which are so densely beset with 
stout jointed hairs as to resemble the calyx of a moss rose, a 
peculiarity which I do not find noted in any described species of 
this order. One of the two is a small under-shrub, with the 
calyx and the corolla yellow; the other a slender herbaceous 
twiner with a scarlet calyx and a dull violet corolla. An 
Achimenes, with pretty scarlet flowers, abounds along the 
declivities. 
Bignoniacece, 2. — The one a Bignonia, with round stems ; the 
other an Amphilophium, with 6-angled stems ; both twiners. An- 
other Bignonia was seen, not in flower. I saw no tree of this 
order, though Tecomse exist both in the plain and in the cool 
hill forests. I have never seen any climbing Bignoniacese at a 
greater elevation than about 3500 feet, but they form a large 
proportion of the scandent vegetation of the hot plains. 
AcaiithacecE^ 9. — This order is tolerably abundant, and two 
under- shrubs growing about the lower boundary of the Bark 
region bear spikes of large handsome scarlet flowers, in appear- 
ance like those of a Justicia, but different in character. A Men- 
dozia, with woody twining stems and umbels of small white 
verbena-like flowers, grows everywhere. 
Scrophidariacece^ 4. — All humble herbs, two of them species of 
Herpestes, and all rather scarce. 
Of Ferns and their allies I gathered the following : — 
Species. 
Equisetum . . ■ . . .1 
Lycopodium ... . . ,2 
Selaginella ..... 6 
Polybdtrya . . . . .1 
Rhipidopteris ..... i 
Elaphoglossum . . . . .5 
Lomaria . . . . . . 2 
Blechnum ..... i 
Xiphopteris ..... i 
Gymnopteris ..... i 
