FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 283 
of it all the year round. A year of scarcity has perhaps never 
been known on the east coast, but it is no uncommon thing on 
the west coast." 
The flora of the Western Region is not yet so well known as 
that of the other two Regions, and the majority of the 1008 
plants I have enumerated as belonging to the Region have been 
gathered in the north-west, from Lat. 16° 30' to Cape Amber 
(including the islands near the mainland, especially Nosibé), 
and in the country about Ankavandra in Lat. 19°. A few have 
also been collected in the south-west. "The general aspect of 
the country as regards verdure is much less luxuriant than the 
eastern side of the island. Vegetation is least dense in that 
portion of it which adjoins the Central Region, the shrubs and 
trees being largely confined to the banks of the rivers and 
streams. The * Rotra," a large tree, which is a species of 
Eugenia, the “Sodindranto” or “ Sohihy " (Cephalanthus spa- 
thelliferus), and a kind of * Lalona” (Weinmannia lucens) are 
the commonest of the trees which oceupy the river-courses in 
this portion of the Region. The two former, however, seem to 
be abundant on the river-banks in all parts of Western Mada- 
gascar, but in the parts nearer the sea they are accompanied by 
numerous other shrubs and trees, which form a flora peculiar, or 
almost peculiar, to the river-sides. 
The numerous warm valleys of the western part of Mada- 
gascar are chiefly occupied by the following trees and shrubs :— 
A species of Ficus (F. cocculifolia), Orchipeda Thouarsii, the 
Eugenia common on the river-banks, Hibiscus phanerandrus, 
Alyxia lucida, the Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), and some 
other trees and shrubs. Some of the valleys are almost ex- 
clusively occupied by the Rofia Palm (Raphia Ruffia), one of the 
most abundant trees in the island, though always found in valleys. 
In the elevated Central Region it exists sparingly, the climate 
being somewhat too cold for it. The Mango tree, escaped from 
cultivation, also frequently occurs in abundance in the warm 
valleys, and attains the dimensions of a very large iree. In 
marshy hollows and on river-sides the “ Viha” (Zyphonodorum 
Lindleyanum) is very common. The Ficus above mentioned, 
whose native name is * Adabo” or * Adabovavy " *, has a fruit 
* Literally, “ the female Adabo.” Whenever there are two species of trees, 
shrubs, or herbs of similar outward appearance (which may or may not be 
botanically allied), the natives affix the word “ vavy ”— female, to the one with 
