DR. O. STAPF ON THE FLORA OF MOUNT KINABALU. 89 
in Diplycosia chrysothrir and D. rufa. These coarse, often bristly and short hairs are 
here, as in other cases, much more prominent on the young branches, where they usually 
persist, after the leaves have become glabrous, on one or on both sides, 
Another very characteristic feature is the almost perfect absence of deeply divided 
or compound leaves. Excepting Rubus—Dysorylon cauliflorum, Evodia tenuistyla, 
Guioa pleuropteris, Pithecolobium bigeminum, and Arthrophyllum diversifolium are 
the only species having compound leaves. This tendency to simple leaves becomes 
particularly prominent in the single-leaved Rhus borneensis, which is very nearly allied to 
Rhus succedanea, a species having 2-8 pairs of leaflets. 
2. Flowers.—The comparative scarcity of showy flowers even in the most luxuriant 
parts of the Tropics has repeatedly been alluded to by travellers. It finds an emphatic 
expression in the Kinabalu collections, although we must not forget that the tree- 
vegetation, the tall climbers, and the epiphytes of the two lower zones are very incom- 
pletely represented in the collection, mainly on account of the difficulty of gathering 
specimens from them, whilst they are all within easy reach above, where the vegetation 
assumes a stunted character. On the other hand, we may expect that plants having 
relatively conspicuous flowers are more likely to be collected than those which are less 
attractive. This has been the case in the hill zone in quite a prominent degree. With 
reference to those species which have either very large and gaily-coloured flowers (e. g. 
Melastoma, Rhododendron), or where smaller flowers are gathered in large and conspicuous 
inflorescences (e.g. Jvora, Mussenda), or where they are scattered in abundance over 
the surface (e. g. Leptospermum recurvum), if we indicate them as Class T., those having 
very small and inconspicuous flowers (e. g. Microtropis, Vitis, Euphorbiacee, Urticacee) 
as Class TIT., and the remainder as Class II., and if we exclude grasses and sedges, we 
arrive at the following result :— 
; Class I. Class IT. Class III. 
A issisoi 22 per cent. 58 per cent. 20 per cent. 
Lower Mountain zone. 8 62 30 
Upper Mountain zone. 12 54 34 
Summit zone............ 12 52 36 
The figures derived for the hill zone are of little importance, as this zone is very 
poorly represented in the collection, and the endeavour of collectors to gather just 
a few of the most conspicuous plants, as Bauhinia or Mussenda, is quite manifest. As 
to the lower mountain zone the reader will remember that the Rhododendrons which 
are foremost among Class I., become prominent only near the upper limit, and the same 
applies to three or four other plants ranging in Class I., thus leaving very few really 
showy plants in the lower and middle part of the second zone. If we further take into 
consideration that none of the more conspicuously flowering plants of this zone grow - 
gregariously, and that the herbs having gaily-coloured flowers (e. y. Melastomaceze, 
Impatiens) are scattered amongst ferns and moss and beneath shrubs, we must admit 
that the observations made by travellers as to the want of showiness in tropical vegetation 
are wholly borne out by the data derived from the collections from Kinabalu so far as the 
