FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 273 
which affects so much the aspect of the vegetation. The Rofia 
palm (Raphia Ruffia) is also abundant in many of the valleys. 
Proceeding westward we reach the third and last stage in the 
Eastern Region. It consists chiefly, as I have said, of long, 
more or less continuous, mountain-ranges, which are, for the 
most part, covered with dense impenetrable forest. Although 
we still meet with many vegetable forms found on the two lower 
platforms, there is a considerable change in the character of the 
vegetation, innumerable trees, shrubs, and herbs here gradually 
making an appearance which are not found on the lower slopes. 
The forest, as before remarked, probably occupies two fifths of 
the entire Eastern Region and is remarkable for its great 
variety of plant forms, there being no single species, genus, or 
Order of plants predominant over the rest, or which influences to 
any great degree the general physiognomy of the vegetation. 
A few of the vegetable denizens of this upper zone may be 
here referred to. The Guttifere are represented by about half 
a dozen species of Symphonia and Garcinia, some of which yield 
a kind of gamboge used by the natives for various purposes. 
Of Sterculiacee there are several species of Dombeya; and of 
Tiliacex several species of Grewia. Belonging to Geraniace® 
there occur some six or eight species of Impatiens, one of which, 
I. Lyallii, possesses sufficiently attractive flowers to render it 
“very suitable to introduce for horticultural purposes.” Myr- 
taces has 9 species of Eugenia. The Melastomacee are chiefly 
confined to this upper belt and consist of the genera Dionychia, 
Tristemma, Dichetanthera, Phornothamnus, Veprecella, Gravesia, 
and Medinilla. A few of the members of this Order are 
handsome shrubs or trees, among which may be specially men- 
tioned Dichetanthera arborea and D. oblongifolia. The Order 
Araliacex is also almost entirely confined to this forest area, and 
consists, for the most part, of species of Panax and Cussonia. 
As for Rubiacex the genera most largely represented are Danais 
(15 spp.) and Schismatoclada (4 spp.), a genus closely allied to 
Cinchona. The Myrsinee also find their headquarters in this 
higher belt, being represented by a goodly number of Ardisia 
and Oncostemum. Here, too, is the special home of the plants 
belonging to Loganiacex, comprising several species of Gaertnera, 
JNuaia, and Anthocleista. One species of Anthocleista, A. rhizo- 
phoroides, is remarkable for its very large cabbage-like leaves. 
Its Malagasy name is “Landemy,” and it supplies a native 
