10 
TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. 
{June, 
miles out of the town into the forest, which everywhere 
surrounds it, a very different scene is beheld. Trees of 
an enormous height rise on every side. The foliage 
varies from the most light and airy to the darkest and 
most massive. Climbing and parasitic plants, with large 
shining leaves, run up the trunks, and often mount even 
to the highest branches, while others, with fantastic stems, 
hang like ropes and cables from their summits. Many 
curious seeds and fruits are here seen scattered on the 
ground ; and there is enough to engage the wonder and 
admiration of every lover of nature. But even here 
there is something wanting that we expected to find. 
The splendid Orchideous plants, so much sought after in 
Em*ope, we had thought must abound in every luxuriant 
tropical forest ; yet here are none but a few small species 
with dull brown or yellow flowers. Most of the parasitic 
plants which clothe the stems of every old or fallen tree 
with verdure, are of quite a different character, being ferns, 
Tillandsias, and species of PotJios and Caladium, plants 
resembling the Ethiopian lily so commonly cultivated in 
houses. Among the shrubs near the city that immediately 
attracted our attention were several Bolanmns, which are 
allied to our potato. One of these grows from eight to 
twelve feet high, with large woolly leaves, spines on both 
leaves and stem, and handsome purple flowers larger 
than those of the potato. Some other species have white 
flowers, and one much resembles our bitter-sweet {Solamm 
Dulcamara), Many handsome convolvuluses climb over 
the hedges, as well as several most beautiful Bignonias or 
trumpet-flowers, with yellow, orange, or purple blossoms. 
But most striking of all are the passion-flowers, which 
