THE CINCHONA BOTANICAL STATION 



35 



Cinchona, toward the mountains, a hundred species of ferns may be 

 seen in an hour's walk without leaving the path. Professor Underwood 

 estimated that four fiftlis of the 500 species native to Jamaica occur 

 within a day's ride of Cinchona. We may well note, by way of compari- 

 son, that but one hundred and fifteen species are given in Gray's Man- 

 ual for the whole northeastern United States. 



Lower down, for we have been speaking hitherto of the levels near 

 that of the Cinchona residence, the vegetation on this south side of the 

 Blue Mountains becomes more luxuriant in the valleys and more xero- 

 phytic on the ridges. In the former the trees, such as Alchornea lati- 

 folia and Pnniiis occidentaUs grow to a height of 60 or 70 feet, and 

 lianes, such as Mcuirandia, Begonia, Bliyncliosia and Bidens climb to 

 their tops, while a new series of ferns and shrubs make up the under- 

 growth. On the ridges also the plants have a different aspect. There 

 are new species, to be sure, but even the same species, e. g., certain ferns. 



Edge of Fohest. l'i>Ujiti,dinm, Chusquaca (at x) and other climbers. 



