274 REV. R. BARON ON THE 
remedy for malarial fever, though whether or not it is an effectual 
one I cannot say. Acanthacew are well represented by species 
of Justicia and Hypoestes, and some of the prettiest flowers to be 
found in the forests belong to plants of this family. —Strobilanthes 
madagascariensis, though not remarkable for its beauty, is very 
common in the deepest parts of the forests. The natives know 
it as “ Belohalika." Of Piperacex there are several species of 
Piper and Peperomia; Piper borbonense and P. pachyphyllum 
affording the natives a kind of Cubebs pepper. The Loranthacee 
inhabit these upper forests almost exclusively. There are about 
a dozen species each of Loranthus and Viscum. Of Euphorbiaces 
there are a goodly number of Euphorbia and Macaranga. Of 
Urticacez there are a dozen or more species of Ficus and several 
of Pilea. Of Scitamines there are among others the well-known 
Maranta arundinacea. Itis found in the forests, but I am not 
aware that the natives know it as one of the plants that yield 
arrowroot. It is not an indigenous plant, but is a native of 
America. The Palms contain some half-dozen species of Dypsis 
and one or two of Phloga. Ferns are abundant in the forest, 
and the tree-ferns, of which about 20 are known, chiefly belonging 
to the genus Cyathea, give a special charm to the vegetation. 
A large number of trees in the forests afford valuable timber, 
among which may be mentioned the following :—Various species 
of Weinmannia, known to the natives as “Lalona,” especially 
W. Bojeriana, W. minutiflora, and W. eriocarpa ; several species 
of .Eleocarpus, as E. rhodanthus, E. quercifolius, and E. dasy- 
andrus, all of which, with others belonging to the same genus, 
are known as “ Vanana ” or “ Voanana” ; one, if not more trees, 
belonging to the genus Eleodendron, which the Malagasy call 
* Hazondrano." “ Valanirana ” (Nuzxia capitata) and “ Lambi- 
nana " (N. spherocephala and N. terminalioides) also afford timber 
much used in house-building. There are also several species of 
Macaranga, called by the natives * Mokarano," as M. obovata, 
M. alnifolia, M. myriolepida, and M. ferruginea, the last of which 
supplies abundant resin, the nature of which is unknown. Then 
there is a species of pine, Podocarpus madagascariensis, called by 
the natives “ Hetatra," the only species of the Pine Order 
(Conifere) known in the island. It affords a valuable timber 
much used in house-building. It is not, as stated in the Kew 
“Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information’ for May, 1888, “ doubt- 
fully native,” but truly so. The genus Zambourissa contains two 
