THE FLORIDA STRANGLING FIGS. 31 



dishes with achenes 



showed 



tion. On November 21 the seeds were sown, fifteen in each 

 dish. On November 27 seven showed the beginning of 

 germination in the dish in the light while by December 3 all 



ated 



did the first 



germinate 



13th and 14th, three on the IGth, one on the 21st and one 

 more by the 26th. The remaining six seeds not having 

 germinated by January 7, the whole dish was placed in the 

 light. Ten days later one seed had germinated while four more 

 germinated by the 25th, the last seed germinating about 

 February 1. It is probable that in this experiment the 

 drawer in which the seeds were kept dark was not abso- 

 lutely dark, as the cotyledons of the plantlets produced 

 showed a very faint greenish tinge. The plants were extreme- 

 ly elongated, however, showing a great light deficiency. The 



similar 



erminate 



The light requirement for germination on the part of 

 Ficus aurea evidently stands in the closest relation to its 

 mode of life and explains why the epiphytic habit is the 

 only one assumed in the dense hammocks. As was men- 

 tioned before, the trees of F. aurea occurring in dense 

 woods pass their early life as epiphytes. It is only in natural 

 or artificial clearings, along rocky blufTs (plate 3) or canal 

 banks, etc, where the shade is not too dense, that one finds 

 young F. aurea not epiphytic. In the uncut hammocks the 

 light even at midday resembles twilight in the open. On the 

 ground under the shrubs and herbaceous undergrowth and 

 covered by the constantly falling leaves it is evident that the 

 seeds of Fieus aurea would be unable to germinate although 

 they might obtain enough light for this purpose in a clearing 

 or on a rocky bluff. So it is that in the hammocks only those 

 seeds germinate that have been deposited in the tops of trees 

 where they can obtain suflficient light. As is naturally to be 

 expected, even in clearings and open places Ficus aurea will 

 be found as an epiphyte as well as growing independently. 



In the case of F. vovulnea this lack of liffht doubtless has 



