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GUATEMALA. 
eight feet in diameter, and spruces of little less size. Oaks 
also of several species are abundant; but the palm family 
almost disappears in the dryer soil, only the cabbage- 
palm climbing out of the rich lowlands, — and that is not 
abundant enough to give character to the vegetation. 
While in the lowlands the ground is devoid of sod, here 
the grass carpets the soil, extending to the very tree-trunks, 
and is kept in fine order by the numerous sheep. Agaves 
are found on the hillsides, creepers like the clematis take 
the place of the vejucos, and stevias, bouvardias, and 
dahlias that of gingers and marantas. 
The fourth region is quite as distinct as either of the 
others. It comprises the dry lava plains where the 
changes of diurnal temperature are considerable, and 
where the soil, though rich, is scant and insufficiently 
watered. Here are found the calabash-tree (Crescentia 
cujete ), espina blanca, or gum arabic, and the cockspur 
(Acacia spadicifera ) ; while a coarse grass covers the 
ground between the lava blocks. 
In Guatemala there are two families of plants, — Palm 
and Orchid, — presenting numerous species and of at¬ 
tractive and beautiful appearance, at the same time by no 
means devoid of commercial importance. 
Chief among palms stands the cohune (Attalea cohune ), 
known also as manaca and corozo. When young, the 
palm has no stem, its enormous leaves rising from the 
ground more than thirty feet. The rhachis, or midrib, of 
the pinnate fronds is of a rich red color, and larger round 
than a man’s wrist, the distinct, conduplicate divisions 
being long and broad. Mr. Morris estimates a leaf he 
saw in British Honduras at sixty feet in length and eight 
feet in breadth. I have never seen one more than forty 
