82 DR. O. STAPF ON THE FLORA OF MOUNT KINABALU. 
2. The Lower Mountain Zone (3000 to 6000 feet). 
This zone is equivalent to Junghuhn's * Zweite Gewáchszone ” (second botanical zone) 
or “Gemássigte Region" (temperate region), which he, however, limits to from 2000 to 
4500 feet. | 
According to St. John, a “ fine jungle” occupies the slopes from 3000 to 6000 feet on 
the “ main spur ” (the southern main range), whilst it is partly replaced by an exceedingly 
stunted vegetation as far down as 4500 feet on the Maripari spur, probably, as he 
suggests, on account of the nature of the soil, * being formed of decomposed serpentine, 
containing much peroxide of iron”; but above that there is again fairly-sized forest 
even in exposed situations. A similar forest occupies, it would seem from Whitehead’s 
book, also the north-western spur on the Pantaran. We may infer that this forest 
is occasionally interrupted by other formations or more or less modified: for instance, 
along the torrents and streamlets, on exposed ridges, or in connection with the varying 
character of the soiland the exposures and inclination of the slopes. That this is the 
case may also be understood from occasional remarks in the reports of travellers. 
These reports are, however, too incomplete to allow me to give more than a very 
general description of the principal formation, which no doubt predominates almost 
exclusively, and a few notes on another formation of very limited extent, but very 
pronounced character. These formations are :— 
a. Primary Evergreen Forest [“Old Jungle," “Schattenreiche Hochwaldung” 
(umbrageous high-forest) of Junghuhn].—1 refer to this formation about 145 phanero- 
gams, 17 vascular cryptogams, 17 mosses and liverworts. Most of them were collected 
on the path from the Kadamaian above Kiau to the ridge of the main range, either 
along the river or on the slope of the main range facing west or north-west. The 
rest were gathered in the valleys of the Penokok, Haiahaia, Dahombang, and Kinitaki, 
and chiefly from the sides of the torrents, or on the Maripari spur, which was 
ascended from the south-west. There is no doubt that the border vegetation is 
comparatively better represented than that of the interior of the forest, which is 
generally very difficult to penetrate. This primary forest is described as abounding 
in fine tall trees, creepers and epiphytes, commonly also in undershrubs, and the 
ground as carpeted with ferns and mosses, which increase in quantity and luxuriance 
with the elevation, enveloping trunks and boughs. Herbs intermingle with shrubs, and 
are associated with ferns and mosses. Fifteen species are designated trees by collectors, 
but 11 of them expressly “small trees.” Of the remaining four, Mitrephora Maingayi, 
Sterculia translucens, and Dysoxylon cauliflorum may be mentioned. A few slender, 
- graceful palms (Areca?) are also met with throughout this zone, but there are no 
da specimens in the Herbarium. The shrubs are represented by 63 species, but 30 of them are 
indicated only from the upper limit of the zone (5500-6000 feet), and some of these reach 
a much higher level, being? probably true ridge-plants which occasionally descend lower. 
. Twelve shrubs are Rubiacee, 8 Hricacee (including Facciniee), 7 Myrsinacee, 6 Melasto- 
 macee, 4 Euphorbiacee, 3 Myrtacee, 3 Anonacee, and 3 Styracee. It must, however, be 
| | noted that the majority of Hricacee, Melastomacee, and Styracee, and the 3 Myrtacee 
