212 AlRICA, A.rSTRALTA, AND SoUTH EUROPE REPRESENTED. 
471. The vegetation hedging the sti-eams and waters that were 
babbling, dancing and slipping away to the plains, consisted almost 
generally of the plant forms already mentioned, with which, still among 
the Melastomaceac, Rhynchanterac, and Microliciae, a beautiful Melas- 
tomacea had associated itself. The lovely prettily-shaped tree often 
20 to 30 ft. high which mostly toolc up its quarters in regular clusters 
on the edge of the brushwood. f(U-med without doul)t the most delightful 
decoration of this fairy garden. Its large white 2 in. diameter flowers 
possess the pecnliarity that on their opening they are tinged with the 
most delicate rosy red, whicli. with the advancing day gradually 
becomes paler and paler, until l)y evening it is changed into the purest 
white: a peculini'ity possessed Ity the Tirfon'a Rrri'ia in inverse propor- 
tion. The magnificent ground orchid. Clciftfcft rosea Lindl, with its big 
red flowers, in between the Ufn'nilann . TTrliamplwrn . Ci/pripediim, 
Slffr/ilrpifi nnd the beautiful fern Lomaria F^rhomhiirfil'Ji increased the 
charm of this enchantino; pnrndise many times more. But where to find 
words, if T wished to describe here the impresiüion produced by tHe 
innnniernblc flowering plants which succeeded one another in nninter- 
runted series to the base of the mountain. I?oraima represen'ts every- 
thing that 'Africa, "/Vustmlin. and tlie South of Europe are aide to offer. 
!A^mongst this huge numl)er of elecfant and varied plants that covered th? 
slope of "Roraima, the creniis Brftin'a. owing to the beautifnl colour of 
its flowers, malvcs itself particularlv noticeable. It is indisputably one 
of the loveliest representatives of the sandstone region. Tt appeared 
first of all at an absolute heiuht of H.OOO ft. and extends np to C.OOO ft. 
where the pretty shrub however no longer shows the luxuriance and 
size that it exhibits at the lower level. On the Humirida Ranges Tvliere 
this interesting g'enus first came under mv notice, it seemed to Tiave 
reached its greatest perfection : there the bushes reached a heiglff of 
to 10 feet, while here on the slopes of Eoraima one of only 4 to 6 ft. 
Its favourite localities appear to be sunny sandy mountain slopes. Thia 
beautiful genus is now being imported through Dr. Karsten from 
Colombia, and will later on certainly become one of the greatest orna- 
ments of our hot-houses.* I wanted to make my way into the brushwood 
but the attempt failed, no human body being able to penetrate such a 
confused network of ferns and Scitaniineoe, interlaced with trees the 
[boughs of which at this height branched from the trunks immediately 
above the ground: the trunks were closely pressed up against one 
another. 
* Briefly speaking, the following are the main floral representatives of Roraima: — 
Rondeletia capitata Beiith., Chiococca nitida Benth., Perama humiles Benth., Echites anguxtifulia 
Benth., -E. suhcarnosa Benth., WaJtheria viseosisnima St. Hil.. Yernotiia dichocarpha Less., 
V. ehret^olia Benth., T". tricholepis DeC, Eupatorium scabrum Linn, fil,, Lipochaet a scaherrima 
Benth., Spilanthes Poeppigii DeO.. Galea divaricata Benth,, Achyrodine flaccida Benth., 
Qnaphali%im americanum Mill., Leria nutans DeC, 3yptis memlranacea Bentli., H. simplex 
St Hil,, Marsypianthes hyptoides Mart,, Onnosia coccinea .Jack., JJimorphandra macrostachya 
Benth,, Hirtella scahra Benth,, Chaetogastra gracilis DeC, C. hypericoides DeC, C. divaricata 
DeC, C. glomerata Mart,, Macairea rigida Benth., M. piarvifolia Benth,, Microlicia. myrtoidea 
Chamss., M. taxifolia Benth,, Rhynclianfhera monodynama DeC, Diplochita Fothergilla DeC, 
D. parviflora Benth,. Tococa cristata Benth., T. Eoraimae Benth,, Renrieftea succosa DeC, 
Clidemia eapitata Benth., C, spncata DeC, C. pustulata DeC, C. rariflora Benth,, C. radulaefolia 
Benth., C. desmantha Benth,, Miconia alata DeC,, M, nitens Benth,, M. revoluta Bauth,, Myrcia 
