REPORT OX THE BOTANY OF THE ATLANTIC ISLANDS. 1 1 



and fruit without success. One of the trees was about twenty feet high and nine inches in diameter 

 of trunk. Some thorny acacia bushes are abundant on the shore, and Abrus prccatorius twines round 

 everything on the main island ; but I did not see it on the outliers. Jatropha urens is abundant 

 everywhere, and a horrible pest. 



" Ipomcea pes-eaprce, the same as at Bermuda and the Cape Verdes, is in abundance on the sand- 

 hills, and is covered with Cuscuta amcricana, which is extremely abundant, and attacks most of the 

 low herbs. 



" I saw only one grass (Oplismenus colonus) on the main island, but that was abundant. Ccreus 

 insularis covers the cliffs; but I did not see anything answering to the Cactus quadrangular is 

 mentioned by Webster. The Cape gooseberry and castor-oil plant grow wild on all the islands. Some 

 few of the plants which I collected on the main island were from the neighbourhood of the convict 

 settlement, and are probably introduced species. 



" The upper part of St Michael's Mount is covered with a thick growth of bushes, trees, and 

 creepers. The island is comparatively inaccessible, and affords no space for cultivation ; hence all 

 the plants upon it have probably reached it through natural agencies. I was several hours on this 

 island, and believe that I made a tolerably complete collection of its flora. At the base of the rock 

 grows an Ipomasa with a large white flower. I did not see this species on the main island, but only 

 the blue-flowered one, Ipomma pcs-caprw, which does not grow on St Michael's Mount or any of the 

 other outliers on which we landed, although this white-flowered species is abundant on all of them. 

 A fig, Ficus noronhce, grows all over the upper part of St Michael's, and in favourable spots forms a 

 considerable tree. I saw one about eighteen inches in diameter of trunk and thirty feet in height. 

 The tree is wide and spreading, and throws down aerial roots like Ficus indica. Webster mentions 

 the banyan as growing at Fernando-Noronha : this is evidently the tree referred to. It grows 

 also on Rat Island near the sea-level, but does not there form a tree, being merely a low bush. 

 Another tree, Capparis cynophallophora, with dark-green leaves of an oval lanceolate form, grows 

 abundantly on the summit of St Michael's Mount. It has a stem about eight or nine inches in 

 diameter, and an almost creeping habit. On Rat Island there is a thick growth of grass with 

 clinging seeds mingled with Leguminous and Euphorbiaceous herbs and Cucurbitaceous creepers ; 

 but there is no tree, there not being sufficient shelter from the wind. The fig does not reach more 

 than five or sis feet in height. 



" On the whole, I should expect, from what I saw during my few hours on the islands, that the 

 flora of Fernando-Noronha is not very rich in species, the same plants recurring everywhere. I 

 collected only about fifty species of flowering plants in all. 



" I found neither fern nor moss, either on the mainland or on St Michael's Mount, although there 

 are moist and shady spots about the latter rock where ferns might grow. Lichens were very scarce. 

 I noticed only two incrusting species, and these were not abundant. 



"There is a .small inland lake marked on the chart at the western extremity of the main island. 

 Ferns, sedges, &c, may possibly grow there ; but perhaps the occasional drought is too much for 

 them. 



" The top of the Peak, which is quite inaccessible, appears to be without vegetation. Marine 

 alo-a?, excepting incrusting calcareous forms, are not at all abundant about tide-mark; but about 

 twenty-four species were obtained by Professor Thomson whilst dredging in shallow water, from seven 

 to twenty fathoms. A green Ulva grows on some low rocks on the sandy northern beach. 



" Sugar-cane, maize, cassava, a black bean, and sweet potatoes are cultivated in Fernando- 



