FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 269 
Ipomea Pes-capre, which straggles far and wide on the sand of 
the sea-shore. There are also a few as yet undescribed palms. 
The cocoa-nut palm frequently occurs near villages, where it has 
been planted ; but it is not a native of the island. 
Not confined to the sea-coast, but found within the littoral 
belt, the most prominent vegetable forms are the following :— 
Several species of Pandanus, more especially P. concretus, an 
exceedingly common screw-pine. Another species of screw-pine, 
probably unknown to science, exists abundantly in the swamps. 
Its leaves, which are about 4 feet long by 6 or 8 inches wide, are 
employed, to the exclusion of almost everything else, for wrapping 
round packages carried from the coast into the interior of the 
country, and prove effectual in protecting from the rain. They are 
also extensively used (as are probably also those of P. coneretus) by 
the Betsimisaraka and other tribes for the walls and the thatch of 
their huts. The widely spread Hibiscus tiliaceus, which yields so 
valuable a fibre, is also common here. The natives say that its 
large flowers are yellow in the morning and red in the evening, 
which phenomenon I have never seen recorded elsewhere, though 
I think the native statement is probably correct. Poinciana 
regia also is said to occur in this part of the island. Mr. Ellis 
describes it as a tree *rising sometimes to the height of 40 or 
50 feet, and between the months of December and April presents, 
amidst its delicate pea-green pinnated leaves, one vast pyramid of 
bunches of bright dazzling scarlet flowers." The Astrapea 
Wallichii, a shrub or small tree growing along the sides of 
streams, is also striking for its beautiful bunches of flowers. 
Sir Joseph Paxton and Dr. Lindley say that it is “one of the 
finest plants ever introduced; and when loaded with its magni- 
fient flowers, we think nothing can exceed its grandeur." The 
Brehmia spinosa also inhabits this part of the island, its large, 
orange-like, hard-shelled fruit possessing a favour by no means 
disagreeable. Along the sides of the lagoons and marshes in 
scattered places may be found the curious piteher-plant, Ne- 
penthes madagascariensis. It is a shrub about 4 feet high, whose 
jug-sbaped pitchers, 4 or 5 inches in length, contain abundant 
water and numerous insects. Ouvirandra fenestralis, the beau- 
tiful lace-leaf plant, ove of the most curious and remarkable of 
vegetable phenomena, abounds in the rivers of this part of the 
country. It is, however, by no means confined to this littoral 
belt; it exists throughout the Eastern Region, and is found, 
