FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 271 
prominence or peculiarity, impress their mark upon the landscape. 
There is, first of all, that remarkably elegant bamboo, the Nastus 
capitatus, which, in many places, completely covers the hillsides 
and gives quite a character to the scenery. It waves its bent 
head gently and gracefully with every breath of air, and, with its 
bright green constantly nodding plumes, affords one of the most 
striking and. beautiful vegetable phenomena in the whole island. 
This, or a similar species, also occurs, though by no means so 
abundantly, in the north-west part of Madagascar. Other hill- 
sides in this second zone are almost exclusively occupied by 
Psiadiado doneefolia, known to the natives as “ Dingandingana," 
a composite shrub. In the months of September, October, and 
November this shrub is covered with orange-yellow flowers, pro- 
ducing, from their abundance, a bright cheerful effect in the 
landscape. It is also found in the Central and Western Regions, 
but is much less frequent than in the Eastern. Rubus rosafolius 
is a shrub also found plentifully in this part of the island. It is 
common about villages and in some of the valleys, and extends 
westwards as far as the Central Region, where, however, it occurs 
sparingly. It seems to be in flower and fruit throughout the 
year ; its large red fruit, though somewhat deficient in flavour, 
being by no means unacceptable. The plant is found also at 
the Cape, and is common in Tropical Asia. In the more open 
places the shrub Zeea speciosa is to be met with. Among epi- 
phytie plants apparently confined to this intermediate zone 
may be mentioned two species of the American genus Rhip- 
salis :—R. horrida, endemic in Madagascar, and the widely spread 
R. Cassytha, occurring in the Mascarene Isles generally, in 
Tropical Africa, Ceylon, and Tropical America. The curious 
Pothos Chapelieri, a plant only found in Madagascar, may 
also commonly be seen here, with its paddle-sbaped leaves, 
climbing to great heights up the tree-trunks. It is, I believe, 
limited in its range to the woods on the lower slopes of the 
eastern side of the island. Another member of Aroides is the 
Typhonodorum Lindleyanum, a gigantic Arum endemic in Mada- 
gascar, and growing on river-sides and in marshes to the height 
sometimes of 12 or 15 feet, and possessing a large white spathe of 
more than a foot in length. It is also common in the western 
parts of the island. The natives occasionally use the fruit as an 
article of food. Among the plants which are abundant in indi- 
viduals in this intermediate zone may be mentioned Urena lobata, 
