Notes on Plants at Roraima. 163 
rock which constitutes the greater part of its surface, 
clothed with a dwarf herb-like vegetation of most remark- 
able appearance, consisting largely of various species of 
Paepalanthus, a Drosera, a few terrestrial orchids — 
these not very conspicuous in flower — , a remarkable low 
growing aloe-like Abolboda of which I shall have more 
to say hereafter, various ground-clinging shrubs, of 
Alpine, vaccinium-like, character, and of a very few 
single shrubs, all of one species \Bonnetia Roraimas 
Sp. N* OLIVER No. 330], of larger growth, though even 
this is but some three feet high. 
Nor in this brief sketch of the physical features of 
Roraima in their bearing on the vegetation is it possible 
to avoid mention of the great moisture of the atmosphere 
which surrounds the mountain. The shallow basin of the 
upper plateau ever holds much water, and probably at 
times is almost full ; the sides of the cliff are ever mois- 
tened by the innumerable rills and streams poured down 
from the plateau above to the sloping base ; and this 
basal portion itself is, on the more level, undulating 
parts of its exposed surface, a mere spongy swamp, 
while in its forested parts it is traversed by almost 
innumerable rills hastening down to join the large rivers 
of the plain below. 
As when dealing with the vegetation along our line of 
march to Roraima I pointed out that I could only pretend 
to speak of the plants actually along that line, so in now 
dealing with the vegetation of Roraima itself I can only 
speak of that of the south-eastern side of this mountain, 
which alone I was able to examine closely. We spent 
nearly a month on this side, where it is comparatively 
treeless, savannah-like and swampy; and we climbed to 
X s 
