202 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



occur, even at sea-level, and in the higher mountains are a number of 

 coniferous trees, mostly, however, of genera which do not occur in 

 America. 



The most characteristic genera of conifers in the Malayan region 

 are Agathis, to which belongs also the Kauri pine of New Zealand, and 

 Podocarpus, also well represented in the latter country. Another 

 Malayan coniferous type is Dacrydium, which also extends to the 

 Australasian region. 



Borneo, probably, has more species of palms than any other area of 

 like extent in the world ; but these are often small and quite inconspicu- 

 ous forms nor else they are climbing species, rattans, which are quite 

 different in appearance from the typical palms. There are, it is true, 

 a good many large and striking palms, but as a rule they do not 

 dominate the vegetation to the same extent as in equatorial America. 



The screw pines, or pandans, have already been referred to, and 

 these very peculiar plants are a most striking feature of the eastern 

 tropics and one quite absent from the New World. They may attain the 

 dimensions of trees, and there are numerous species occurring from sea 

 level to a height of four thousand to five thousand feet. The strange 

 pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes constitute another peculiarly Old 

 World type, and these attain the greatest development in Borneo where 

 they are very common and occur at all elevations up to eight thousand 

 feet or more. These interesting plants, which one may occasionally see 

 in hothouses, differ a good deal in the structure of their pitchers from 

 our American pitcher-plants; but, like the latter, these pitchers are 

 insect traps. The pitchers in Nepenthes are borne on tendrils at the 

 tip of the leaf, and are often of very graceful form and beautifully 

 colored. 



As in all wet tropical countries, Borneo has a great many species 

 of Aracese, some with gigantic leaves five or six feet long, looking like 

 huge callas. Others, e. g., species of Amorphophallus, have enormous 

 leaves much divided and produce immense flowers with a most evil 

 scent. Others, again, are climbers and clothe the trunks of trees in a 

 luxuriant drapery of bright glossy leaves. 



One naturally looks for many orchids in such a country as Borneo, 

 and in fact the number of species is very large; but, as every collector 

 knows who has visited the. tropics, it is only rarely that showy orchids 

 are abundant enough to make a striking display. The great majority of 

 orchids are small plants with insignificant flowers which would be quite 

 overlooked by any one but the botanist. There are, it is true, a great 

 many orchids of extraordinary beauty in Borneo, but these are for the 

 most part rare and are only occasionally met with in flower. Two 

 handsome orchids are common in the gardens about Kuching, Vaiida 

 teres and Arundina speciosa, both of which flower freely. Another 



