Histoire Naturelles des lies Canaries. 475 
country stretches into plains, which again rise towards the centre of 
the island, and are rent into valleys and ravines. Here the vegeta- 
tion is characterized by naked trunks, and pale glaucous foliage, 
and assumes an African character ; Euphorbia Canariensis prevails, 
mixed with Kleinice and Plocamce. But in the valleys intersecting 
this maritime expanse, a much more anomalous mixture is present- 
ed, for the introduced species, the date, papaw trees, orange, peach, 
and banana, mingle with the Dracaena, Bosea, and Ardisia. The ra- 
vines in these islands also affect a peculiar character; they are com- 
monly like large fissures radiating from the centre, with precipitous 
basaltic walls on each side, often 800 feet in height, and sometimes so 
near and narrow, that the plants on either side weave a canopy 
above. At their entrance, the vegetation of the coast is prevalent, 
but it changes with rich luxuriance, and ultimately assimilates with 
the character of the woods, and exhibits scenes of grand and pictur- 
esque beauty. Thus they lead to the region of the forest, where 
the laurels prevail over all the other woody plants, and where 
the four Canarian species, L. Canariensis } Indica, barbusana&nd Per- 
scafcetens, mingle with the heaths, Visnece, Ilex, and Arbutus. Next 
rise the wasted plains where vegetation, at first luxuriant, becomes 
gradually more thin and scattered, and at last is restricted to bushes 
ofCytisus and Pleris, which spread in masses to the boundaries of the 
pine woods. The Canary pine, in general form and appearance, re- 
sembles the species of Europe, and this region calls to mind the ap- 
pearance of our alpine forests. It grows on the steep slopes, and 
more elevated descents of the mountains, but seldom surmounts the 
crests of the ridges. Underneath these gigantic trees, the soil is dry 
and light, and the number of nemoral plants is comparatively limit- 
ed. Ascending still higher, the pinnacles which surround the 
peak, when seen at a distance, appear bleak and barren^ but even 
here there are several plants which cannot be elsewhere gathered, 
such as Car Una xerantkemoides, Cheiranthus scoparius, or the Plan- 
tago Teydea ; a single shrub Rhamnus coriaceus grows only on 
the summit of Guaxana ; the Jitniperus cedrus crowns the cone of 
Cedro, while the Rose of Armida, and a variety of Pyrus aria inha- 
bit exclusively two spots considerably apart from each other, the 
mountain of Kosal, and the Tiro del Guanche of the Canadas, and 
above this elevation, when the traveller reaches the peak itself, the 
' Teyda," the vegetation of these wild regions is found to be alto- 
gelher original. Cylisus proliferut is the first shrub which is seen 
on entering the gorge of the Canadas, then Adenocarpusfrankenioides 
and Cytisusnubigenus ; lastly, Silene noctcolens, and Viola cheiranthi- 
folia, appear on the peak itself, among masses of pumice, the last of 
