208 
We Ascend to a Paradise of Plants. 
that was covered with dainty moss, Octohlepharum alhidam, and lichens, 
Usnea australis Fl., Cladonia rangiferina C. coccincu, and C. mniea. On 
the height of expectation as to what the next moment was going to reveal, 
we clambered over the sharp, pointed and angular blocks ot rock, and 
went on, until a cry of astonishment due to some new discovery brought 
those who A\ ere scurrying along to a temporary standstill. I must 
admit that I was absolutely flabbergasted for the first few hours in this 
botanical paradise: it took some minutes before I could collect my 
thoughts or think about things. Sometimes the path lay along the 
tops of steep ravines Avherein foam-sprayed streams were pouring down 
into the bottom of the valley between regular forests of ferns which had 
crowded out every other plant. Again, though the trees might not reach 
the height of their brothers in the valley, their tops nevertheless made 
a show of bloom that was almost unknown to the latter. Amidst the 
ostentatious bright yellow of the Cromphia and 'Voc]n/-'<i(i , and the 
dazzling white of the Qiialra, one conld hardly find! the simple whitish- 
yellow flowers of the Ladenhergia , of which the greatest portion' of the 
trees consisted. The trail soon led to a forest, the edges of which 
consisted solely of flowering shrubs in all imaginable tints of colour, to 
which Voclii/sia fciraphylla. Gomphia dura Klotzsch, the brilliant blooms 
of Bcfaria, Gcnilthrria , Archyfaea , TiljoncMna, Eirfelhi and RhyncJian- 
thrrn mainly contributed. Isolated trees of the neat-looking Wen'nmonnm 
ovalis Pav., with its delicate light-green leaves and decking of white 
l)lossoms. rendered themselves conspicuous both near and far. What 
with all this lovely and charming alternation we had almost reached 
the zone of the brushwood surrounding the mountain' up to its perpen- 
dicular walls when we came upon a small swampy flat, where Flora had 
gathered her most delicate, her loveliest offspring, upon which her 
enchanting beauty had reached its zenith. The whole level was covered 
with the dark blue of the Ufrirularia TTvmholdtn Schoml .. the most 
beautiful species of the genus with its B to 4 ft. high reddish, delicate 
flower-stalks from which ?> to 4 large deep blue flowers often hung. 
While one glimpsed in astonishment over this fairy carpet one's gaze 
was unexpectedly fixed on the equally interesting Helia m pJiora niiianfi 
with its peculiar light-green ril)bed tubular leaves in between which rose 
the equally delicate flower-stalks with their white, often also red-tinged 
flowers. But high above these frail plants rose the flowers of the 
glorious Cifpripediion Lindlri/aninn Schomb., the beautiful f^mfcs, and 
the yellow blossoms of certain Rapateae amongst which mentiou may be 
made of the beautiful 8aro-Fn'drricia Begali^ Schomb., and the equally 
new genus Stcgilepis Klotzsch, l^fegilepis guianensis. I thought I saw 
a Cycad standing in the midst of this medley of strange growths: a 
jump or two over the swampy ground brought me to my imaginary dis- 
covery, in which I recognised but a fern with^ large un-standiu!^ fronds 
which varied only slightly from the leaves of Cycns. It belonged to the 
genus Lomaria, was new, and ended by being Lomaria Schomhiii'gMi 
Klotzsch. My eyes were dazzled with the splendour of the fresh greens, 
with the intensity of colour of the flowers and legumes predominating 
on this flat, while my senses were dulled by the lovely perfumes with 
