73 
R. Schomburgk^ Dr. Phil. 
luxuriance unknown in Europe. Wherever in the crevices 
and recesses of the stone blocks the smallest portion of humus 
had collected, they reached the height of six and eight feet, 
with flowers of the size of our lillies, forming obstructions 
through which we could only make a road with our cutlasses. 
The reason why Sobralias so very seldom flower in the orchid- 
houses at home is, that we give them too warm a temperature ; 
69° Fahr. was at this altitude, where I found them so 
luxuriant, the highest, and 52° the lowest point of the 
thermometer. The meteorological tables kept during our 
stay at Eoraima, show in what temperature not only the 
above-named orchids, but in general also the peculiar species 
of plants named, vegetate most luxuriantly. 
The vegetation on the banks of the rivulets and brooks,, 
which hurried towards the plains, consisted almost exclusively 
of those species of plants already mentioned, to which may be 
added Rhynchartera, Microlicia, and a new and magnificent 
species of Meladomacea. This beautiful tree, often twenty and 
thirty feet high, of an elegant habituSy frequently found in 
groups on the edge of a low forest, formed undoubtedly the 
most lovely ornament of the magic garden ; the large white 
flowers, two inches in diameter, have the peculiarity that 
their blossoms when unfolding are tinged with the most 
delicate pink color, as the day advances, getting paler and 
paler, until at evening they have changed to the purest white — 
a peculiarity which the Victoria Regia also possesses, only 
with the difference that it changes from white to pink. 
The splendid terrestial orchids Cleistes rosea, LindL, with 
its fine red flowers, between Utricularia^ Heliamphora, Cypri- 
pedium, Stegilepis, and the beautiful fern Lomaria Sehom- 
burgkii. But where shall I find words to describe the impres- 
sion made by the innumerable flowering plants which followed 
one on the other to the base of the rock in unbroken 
abundance. Amongst the number of these pretty and 
manifold plants, which cover the slopes of the Boraima, is the 
genus Befaria, which was notable by the color and magnifi- 
cence of its flowers. I collected three species, viz., Befaria 
grandiflora, guianemis, and a new species, B, Schomburgkii. 
These specimens, without any doubt, are the most beautiful 
representatives of these sandstone regions ; they only appear 
at the altitude of 3,000, reaching to 6,000, where the beautiful 
shrubs are found in perfection. I am glad to see that this 
wonderful genus has been introduced by Professor Kars ten. 
