141 
July 1906] Mycological Expedition to Guatemala 
trable vegetation of ferns, palms, lianes and large trees. The 
Northern Railroad running southward for a distance from the 
coast, has opened up a line through this interesting tract and 
collecting is thus abundantly facilitated. This rich tropical vege¬ 
tation however did not furnish as many parasitic fungi as some 
other districts, though a fair amount of saprophytic species were 
noticed. The situation of Livingston, 12 miles north of Puerto 
Barrios, at the mouth of Rio Dulce, is wholly unlike the latter. 
The town is built on a rocky bluff 50 to 60 feet high fringed with 
shrubs and trees — the Cocoanut-palm everywhere planted in the 
low country being a conspicuous feature of the landscape. A 
small area outside of the town has been cleared — which affords 
opportunity for “weeds” — native and introduced — and thus a 
marked variation is noticeable from the dense jungle of tree- 
ferns, palms, hosts of Melastomaceac, climbing Panicums and 
numerous other interesting forms most of which are hosts to 
parasitic fungi. 
TENADORES AND LOS AMATES. 
At the point where the railroad touches the Rio Motagua 
the little village of Tenadores is situated in the midst of extensive 
Banana fields. Small clearings around have been made. The 
river is fringed with great areas of tall canes and grasses. The 
great Monaca Palm is everywhere conspicuous as also is the 
Ceiba [pron. say-ee-bah] the latter in many cases being of enor¬ 
mous size. A somewhat better mycological field for the collector 
is offered at Los Amates, a town on the Rio Motagua about 60 
miles from the Port. The altitude is 160 feet; the river valley 
is wide and covered with a varied growth of plants. Northward 
a few miles the low mountain range of Sierra del Mico is en¬ 
countered. Somewhat varied edaphic conditions are afforded 
and the region is a very rich one for the collector. A short dis¬ 
tance above the town are some extensive pampas regions and 
further up the river are denuded forest areas formerly covered 
with Pines (Pinus caribaea) now turned into lumber and ex¬ 
ported. 
GUALAN AND ZACAPA. 
On the Rio Motagua 80 miles from the Port (Barrios) is 
situated the Indian city of Gualan at which point the central semi- 
arid or desert region begins. Cactus trees of the Cereus, Opuntia 
and Peireskia types occur, but not in great abundance. Numerous 
other xerophytic plans occur in this region, which therefore is 
extremely interesting and rich in parasitic fungi. It is just be¬ 
yond the very moist low country. The altitude is 420 feet. The 
valley proper varies from one mile to three or four times that 
width. The Sierra de las Minas range lies immediately to the 
north and hills or low mountains flank the southern side. At 
present this is the end of the first division of the Northern Rail- 
