184 TlMEHRI. 
pretty and bright-coloured orchids — a remarkable num- 
ber of them new species of Epidendrum (E. montigeniim, 
Ridley, N. sp. [No. 322] and another [No. 304]). And 
there grew a Scirpus of a new genus, named by Mr 
Ridley Everardia (E. montana, Ridley [No. 335]). 
So the vegetation of the ledge continued to, the top, 
and indeed actually over, on to the top. 
The general effect of the vegetation of Roraima, fitly 
rivalling in this respect the marvellously strange geo- 
logical aspect of the place, is so strange as to be very 
difficult of sufficiently emphatic description. It occupies 
more or less wide tracts, generally almost level, between 
the bare flat rocks and the groups of piled rocks which 
occupy the greater part of the plateau. In such places it 
forms a dense carpet of vegetation, which is generally but 
a few inches in height, except where from its general level 
rise a few scattered individuals of the one shrub of any con- 
spicuous height {Bonnetia roraimai, Oliver N. si?. [330],) 
— and that was never more than from 30 to 40 inches in 
height — or by the many and very remarkable flower- 
stems of Abolboda sceptrum, Oliver, [312], which, to my 
great delight, at that height bore its beautiful blooms, 
the appearance of which I have already described. 
Through this carpet of vegetation ran many small 
streams ; and even elsewhere much water everywhere 
saturated the turf. A very few plants also grew in the 
crevices of the piled rocks, which otherwise were bare of 
vegetation. 
The chief constituents of this turf-like vegetation were 
vast quantities of a new species of Pxpalanthus (P. 
Roraima?, Oliver, N. sp. [No. 294]), and great masses of 
sphagnum-like mosses. In the latter grew, — in such 
