76 M&. H. > T . MOSELEY ON PLANTS COLLECTED 



trees are constantly washed by the waves, but nevertheless have 

 large woody fungi growing upon them, sometimes so low down as 

 also to be frequently immersed. The overhanging branches are 

 loaded with epiphytes, all growing thus suspended over the sea, 

 so that I had to wade up to my middle in order to gather many 

 of them. Amonst these epiphytes are several species of orchids, 

 five or six of which were found in flower or fruit, and a plant 

 with woody stem and flowers sessile upon it with succulent 

 bright pink calyces*. Growing with these is a Hymenophyllum 

 in profusion, forming continuous sheets of green, a Ntphobolus, 

 and a Zygodium, which twines round the branches in all di- 

 rections ; whilst a Psilotum and the long light-green pendent 

 fronds of Ophioglossum pendulum hang down from the branches in 

 bunches. Further, a nearly white moss [? Zeucophanes, sp.] forms 

 large, rounded, compact cushions conspicuous amongst the darker 

 green of the other plants, and reminding me in its habit of antarctic 

 rather than tropical vegetation. Asplenium nidus throws up its 

 crowns of fronds in all directions from the branches in great abund- 

 ance ; and the curious inflated boles of & Hydnophytumf, many of 

 them as much as 1 5 foot in diameter, are perched all about in the 

 forks. I saw no specimens of Myrmecodia armata, which occurs 

 so commonly with Hydrophytum in Aru and the Moluccas. The 

 kind of littoral vegetation just described was seen best developed 

 at Wyville Point. 



At another part of the coast, in the vicinity of the small river, 

 where the shore, being less sheltered and exposed to a heavy surf, 

 is not encroached upon to its verge by large trees, several com- 

 mon littoral tropical plants occurred which were not found else- 

 where : — a small trailing bean with yellow flower [Vigna lutea] ; a 

 yellow-flowered composite usually herbaceous, but here in places 

 forming a woody shrub ; the large Crinum so abundant on the 

 shores at Aru in the Philippines ; and Ipomcea pes-caprce, which, 

 curiously enough, was nowhere very abundant. Three species of 

 Pandanus grew here also, together with a Casuarina (C. equiseti- 

 folia) and a white-flowered apocynaceous tree with chocolate- 

 coloured ovoid fruits and an abundant milky juice (Cerbera ?). 



■ * 



In Nares Anchorage, not very far from our anchorage and close 

 to the main island, a small thickly wooded island (Pigeon Island) 

 is inhabited by immense numbers of a fruit-pigeon (Carpophaga 



* [Perhaps a Medinilla, but specimens not identifiable. — D. O.] 

 t [Sp. now? Foliis crasse coriams subcomosis. — D. O.] 



