466 Botanical Notices from Java. 



agreeably surprised by the appearance of a European species of 

 rush. It was Typha angustifolia, in appearance quite identical 

 with the European narrow-leaved Typha, which grows here in luxu- 

 riant abundance between the klaga, and whose light brown heads 

 waving to and fro reminded us forcibly of home. The Japanese, 

 who give a particular name to every small plant, had none for this 

 one ; they had never seen it, and only a few, who lived in villages in 

 this district, appeared to know it. How does this European plant come 

 here upon the volcanic district which has only been formed fourteen 

 years, and over which no traveller has since that time passed ? 



The ground now rose gradually steeper, became drier, and was 

 covered with layers of loose stone and rocks, which were here and 

 there covered with groups of young angring-trees {Celtis muntana, J.). 

 Tree-like Urticece also grow here, and alternate with patches of klaga, 

 which had as yet not lost any of their luxuriance. At that part 

 where, at the entrance to the large crater, the land rises remarkably, 

 there commences a peculiar forest vegetation, filling the entire cavity 

 (several miles in breadth), which gradually rises and becomes more^;^ 

 narrow towards W.N.W. It consists of young trees, seldom exor^gj. 

 ceeding thirty feet in height, of the families of Urticea, Artocarpea^t^ 

 Magnoliaceee, and others, which occasionally alternate with baniboos»^i>' 

 forming a leafy vaulted shade. Numerous tree-ferns, thirty feet^*^ 

 high, are scattered among them, and Aroidea, Musacete and Sci- 

 taminece blossom in their shade. But there are still many patches 

 of klaga which interrupt the continuous extent of the little woods, 

 and reach high up into the crater. Thus the thicket is composed 

 of young trees, shrubs and species of reeds, which fill up the hilly 

 uneven ground of the crater, intersected wdth numerous clefts, and 

 only become thinner and more scattered beneath a hill which runs 

 like a wall straight across the highest point of the crater. 



It is interesting to see what giant steps vegetation has made in 

 the short space of fourteen years. We find this new volcanic tract, 

 from the plains at Tassik-malayo up to the hollow of the crater, a 

 height of 3700 feet, overgrown with the most luxuriant and dense 

 vegetation, formed ^of Typha angustifolia (?), Saccharum Klaga, and 

 a species of Equisetum in the lower region, but higher up of tree- 

 ferns and trees of the families of Urticece and Artocarpea, interlaced 

 with numerous Scitaminece {Elettaria, Amomum, &c.) and Liance. 

 Some trees have already attained a height of fifty feet. This luxu- 

 riance is the more striking, when we compare other mountains ; for 

 example the Merapi, the higher parts of which (although more than 

 fourteen years have elapsed since its last eruption) are not yet clothed 

 with vegetation. But these tracts lie at a greater height than 5000 

 feet, whilst those (of the Galungung) belong to the warmer region, 

 where nature is more luxuriant and active; these consist of debris of 

 bare rocks, covered with lapilli of trachyte and pumice-stone, whilst 

 those of the Galungung were flooded with a fruitful blackish mud. 



In the rhinoceros- paths mentioned above, the Japanese are accus- 

 tomed to kill these animals by fixing in the earth sickle-shaped 

 knives, so that the belly of the animal, sliding along the ground, is 

 rii)ped up by them when it past-es that way. 



