OF MT. KINABALU AND BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. 15 
Old fruit trees ran along by the river, whose muddy banks are fringed 
in parts by Miscanthus sinensis, the trees shading Murut graves, marked 
by rudely adapted stems and roots of trees, or pieces of wood, or sometimes 
only by bowls and scraps of coloured cloth. These graves are always 
sheltered by the magic plant Justicia Gendarussa. Around them an open 
sort of undergrowth prevails, composed of the shrubby Otophora fruticosa, 
with its huge auriculate stipules and yellow flowers, Chloranthus officinalis, 
Donaw canneformis in clumps, the rhizomatous grasses Oryza Ridley, 
Panicum sarmentosum and Setaria palmifolia, all over 1 m. high, to which 
are added creeping patches of Commelina obliqua and Cyanotis capitata with 
its blue flowers, and the weeds Hypoestes floribunda, Scoparia dulcis and 
Elephantopus scaber. 
Masses of Alocasia macrorhiza mark the Murut “kebuns” or gardens, 
which, with a good soil, are soon overrun by a rampant herbaceous upgrowth 
of Urena lobata, Sida rhombifolia, Hibiscus Abelmoschus, Blumea balsamifera, 
Hedyotis vestita, Solanum torvum and S. verbascifolium—smothered in Gymno- 
petalum cochinchinense—Lepistemon flavescens, Thladiantha cordifolia, Passi- 
flora fætida, Ipomea cymosa, and the more delicate Thunbergia Jragrans, 
while Merremia nymphifolia occupies huge areas, successfully inhibiting 
further competition for the time being—all to be succeeded by a young 
jungle, where Melochia arborea, Kleinhovia hospita, Brucea sumatrana, 
Blumea borneensis, Macaranga Tanarius var. tomentosa, Mallotus molluccanus, 
Acalypha stipulacea, Sapium sebiferum, Trema amboinensis and Commersonia 
echinata enter into wild competition for the survival of the fittest. 
Around the Chinese gardens, along the bridle-path or on any clearing by 
an alien habitation that \ was habitually grazed over, a wonderfully luxuriant 
growth of grasses prevails, to whose vitality the well-kept tennis courts 
and the sward surrounding the court-house bore eloquent testimony. The 
following species were here collected in flower and fruit :—Paspalum con- 
Jugatum, P. Kora, Isachne rigida, Panicum sarmentosum, P. patens, Digitaria 
longiflora, D. pruriens, Isehemum rugosum and .Indropogon brevifolium, all 
widely distributed. 
In ditches by the bridle-path Hypericum mutilum, Jussieua suffruticosa and 
J. linifolia, Blumea chinensis, Emilia sonchifolia, Knowia corymbosa, Myriogyne 
minuta, Eclipta erecta, Bidens pilosa, Synedrella nodiflora, Vernonia cinerea, 
Ageratum conyzoides, Oldenlandia difusa, Asclepias curassavica, Hyptis 
brevipes, Polygonum flaccidum and Pouzolzia indica are associated with many 
sedges, mostly in flower; and of these Cyperus Haspan, C. distans and C. 
Zollingeri, Mariscus microcephalus, Kyllinga brevifolia, Fimbristylis diphylla, 
F. meliacea and F. Lacei, Scleria hebecarpa, Rhynchospora Wallichii and 
R. aurea were collected, which, with the exception of Fimbristylis Lacei, so 
far only known from Burma, are all common tropical weeds. 
