74 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. III. 
tin case was soon filled. Orchids were my chief objects of 
search, and though I saw but a few small ones, and only one 
which at first I thought was a calanthe, but afterwards found 
to be a Bletia; yet I found myself amidst so many new and 
beautiful plants of other species, that I knew not which way 
to turn; I was almost bewildered, and my companions seemed 
to find as much enjoyment as myself. My attention was 
first attracted by two new kinds of dracaenas,—on e,Dracama 
Mauritiana, peculiar to the island, and the other, D. 
tessellata. Then there were new and elegant ferns in great 
perfection. But one of my companions soon surpassed all 
our discoveries by finding amongst the ferns, and near the 
ground, on the stem of a tree which was thicker than my 
arm, six or eight thick, leathery, fleshy flowers, and a great 
many buds about the size and shape of a fig. Some of the 
buds just opening appeared like a wine-glass with a vandyck 
rim, and others, more open, appeared like the most beautiful 
Anoectochilus, the flower five or six inches across, and pre¬ 
senting a dark-green velvety ground, with pink and lilac spots; 
and until I satisfied myself that it was the actual blossom 
of the tree itself, I thought it was really an Anoectochilus. 
We marked the place, and charged the natives to take 
especial notice, so that we might find it again on our descent. 
However, we soon saw many others, and became satisfied 
that we had only met with a curiosity without making a 
discovery. I brought specimens of this flower to M. Bojer, 
who said it was a most curious plant, the Mithridatea tam- 
burissa; and that after the open flower was fertilised it closed 
up again, the seams all united, and it swelled into a fruit 
as large as a small gourd or pumpkin, filled with bright red 
berries like a pomegranate. He said it was vulgarly called 
monkey apple. 
We kept on our way, making to ourselves new discoveries 
and perpetually startled by new wonders, until about eleven. 
