J?. Schomburgk^ Dr. Phil. 83 
in regard to the surprisingly fantastic form of the flowers, 
especially of the Orcliideae, Marcgraviaceae ; and Bromeliaceae the 
splendor of color in the inflorescence, their degree of luxu- 
riance (that is their comparative fulness and size in relation 
to each other), and the leaves, essentially depend upon the 
place where they grow, as to latitude, elevation, and soil, and 
also the age of the plant. In reference to age, it is also 
very remarkable that the common habit of the plant is often 
entirely changed by it — a fact which may be also proved by 
the special state of the period of its development, and of its 
life ; the individual parts of those which are not flowering and 
fruit-bearing being different. This anomaly caused by age 
and period does not only refer to the dimensions of leaves and 
flowers, but also to texture. 
Having given a general description of the flora of British 
Gruiana, I proceed now to the special peculiarities of the same 
as existing in the several districts or regions, which by their 
peculiar vegetable life — by the predominance of one or more 
families, are distinguished ; although the boundary is in no 
way so sudden or restricted as to prevent certain plants from 
spreading over many regions, especially trees, which at the 
same time are equally found in the forests along the coast or 
the oases in the savanna. Among the perennial plants there 
are also a great number which are indigenous to the savanna 
as well as to the region of the sandstone and to the coast. 
The essential deviation, however, retains even in this 
case a marked character. Notwithstanding the less strictly 
apparent difference in the formation of its surface and its 
climate, the flora of British Guiana introduces itself to the 
botanist, in its geographical extension, according to the 
localities, in such different characters that it may be classified 
according to its precise peculiar forms of plants in four 
regions. These are — 1. Region of the Coast ; 2. Region of 
the Primitive Forest ; 3. Region of the Sandstone Formation; 
and 4. Region of the Savanna. 
Region of the Coast. 
This territory includes the part near the Atlantic Ocean, 
from the entrance of the River Barima into the Orinoko, as 
far as the entrance of the River Corentyn into the Atlantic 
Ocean ; that is, from 6T" to 60° longitude west of Greenwich. 
This territory includes, at the same time, the entrance of 
the whole of the large rivers of British Guiana, viz. : — The 
