Variations Among the Lichens. 
171 
differed esseiitiall.y from tlie characteristic vegetation witli wliicli I had 
already become so intimate. I knew not where first to turn my eyes, 
whether to the waxy blooms, sparkling with their crystalline dripping 
dew-drops, of the ThihaiidUt, JicjarUi and Arclijitaea, or to the large 
camelia-like Avhite tiowei's of a Bomietia., or whether I should let them 
rest upon the bushes, interspersed with thousands of blossoms, of Melas- 
toma, Aholhoda, VocJii/sia, Ternf<irömia, Andromeda, (Jliisia, Kiclmri/era, 
or upon the strangely organised flowers of the Sohralin, Ouchidia^ Cattle- 
ya, Odontoglossuni and Epidendrum, which covered, the damp sandstone 
blocks — and Avhat an infinitely large number had already bloomed, or were 
still awaiting develo])ment! It would almost seem as if Flora had wished 
to ofifer this surfeit of bounteous bloom as compensation for the extra- 
ordinarily o]ipr('ssive deficiency of all aninuil life, for everything was 
silent, envelo})ed in profound rest, even the quizzing humming-birds and 
Nectarlnefi having disappeared: the wonderful impression was accord- 
ingly all the more forceful and surprising! But my joy rose even to a 
higher pitch as I stood in fi'ont of the fii'st representatives of the Cincho- 
neue, of which I found not only the Ladenherfjia densiflora Klotzsch, 
Coamihiiena triflora Klotzsch, and Ladenherf/ia (Biienn) Roraiwa 
Klotzsch, but discovered a new S]iecies, Ladenherr/in (f-ascariUa) *SV//o?«- 
Inirf/l-ii Klotzsch. Every step brought something new. Between lovely 
bush the way led down the slope to a little stream, until, at the bottom 
of the valley we crossed the river Zuappi which flows to the North East 
from here into the Cotinga. With the new plant region we had at the 
same time entered a new water-shed, that of the Orinoco, divided off 
from the Amazon basin by the steep wall : because to the west of us all 
the streams* flowed, like the Yawaira, northwards to the Orinoco. The 
Zuappi babbled and hummed through the mighty sandstone Itlocks and 
massive boulders of its bed while on both sides the sandstone strata had 
formed themselves into layers which in one place were covered with a 
coating of earth half or quite a foot thick, and in another again remained 
Itleak and exposed, to be overspread with the peculiar white lichens, 
Cladonia raiuiiferina Rich. Willd., C. roecinea Hampe, C cocomia Hampe, 
and Cf. earnea Hampe, with their red fruit cups (Scufellae) . The lichens 
formed a striking contrast with the luscious green of the earth-covered 
teri'aces upon which there flourished Echifes ancfusflfolia Benth., Macai- 
rea malthiervm Benth., and M. parvlfoha Benth., as well as luxuriant 
shrubs- of Bomietla i^essilis Benth., Yaecinium pKheraliim Klotzsch., 
Bejaria qrandiflora Humb. Bonp., and nice trees of the' glorious Archy- 
taea maltiflora Benth. 
410. Where the scorching rays of the sun had not evaporated the 
dew, the lichens showed themselves quite spongy and| swollen, while in 
other situations removed from them they were quite stiff and crumbled 
to pieces under our feet. We partook of our meagre breakfast close by an 
abandoned house, refreshed ourselves in the cool waters of the Zuappi. 
and after packing up my botanical treasures proceeded on our way 
through the magic garden when a forest, with its edges bordered with 
gigantic -0 to .10 ft. high Cactus columns soon received us. Innumerable 
palms raised their proud crowns of fronds above the mighty foliage trees^ 
