1368 LEAFLETS OF PHILIPPINE BOTANY [Vor. IV, Art. 71 
fruits are usually adapted for water dissemination. Over all of 
these tree species are succulent vines and between them are. 
shrubby seacoast plants. This beach vegetation abruptly mer- 
ges into a higher and more truly forested strip. Behind this 
dry forested coastal region are one or more semiswampy exten- 
sions of rather narrow widths running parallel with the coast. 
These low subaquatie areas contain a stagnant mixture of fresh 
and saline dark colored water. These places are formed through 
the agency of small slow flowing rivers emptying into a shallow 
peaceful sea. During low water the action of the sea is stronger 
and gradually piles up a sand bar across the mouth of the river, 
thereby forcing it to curve and to wash its course out along the 
sandy beach line. During a heavy flood the rush of the river 
breaks through the} sand bar and again it has a straight outlet 
into the sea. The abandoned course which by disuse becomes 
silted by the sea and the river. This shallow newly formed 
pond is gradually filled in by vegetable débris, more and more 
encroached upon by subaquatie vegetation and ultimately be- 
comes forested. A characteristic plant of this vegetable for- 
mation is a broad leafed rattan palm. This coarse species in 
favorable places forms dense jungles. The leafy portion of the 
stem is very spinescent. Over these spines a species of ants 
construets a layer of vegetable matter and under which it lives 
between the spines. When they are disturbed they set up 8 
rhythmic hum which gradually dies out. Often I have aroused 
their noise in the lofty trees by jerking on the stem below. This 
same species of palm was notieed onee or twice upon damp 
ereek banks in the vicinity of Puerto Princesa but without the 
ants. Beyond this marshy strip the real coastal plain begins 
and is from two to five miles deep and extends clear to the base 
of the foothills. Its vegetation is mostly of the cogon grass and 
Several species of bamboos. Bambusa vulgaris Wendl. is a fine 
stemmed bamboo and forms large dense tussocks. In more or 
less alluvial flats its jungle growth covers acres in extent. The 
10 to 15 feet long and 0.75 to 1 inch thick stems are very nu- 
merous. Schizostachyum acutiflorum Munro is also very abun- 
dant but does not form jungles. It is a medium sized tree in 
seattered clusters. Its numerous branches are highly polished 
and yellowish in color. Of this there seems to be an unlimited 
quantity of bamboo sticks for curtain making. 
1 
J 
