Botanical Notices from Java. 469 



LVI. — -Journey through Java, descriptive of its Topography and 

 Natural History, By Dr. Fr. Junghuhn*. 



[Continued from p. 48.] 



This same species of tree {Thibaudia varingiafolid)^ but decreasing 

 more and more in size, accompanied us to the highest summit, which 

 we reached Sy cHmbing along a rocky wall, descending perpendicu- 

 larly in a westerly direction, and extending for about 500 feet at a 

 height of not more than thirty to forty feet; but a cleft overgrown with 

 shrubs extends at its base far lower down the mountain. On this jour- 

 ney the author also saw, amongst other gigantic fig-trees, one of fifty 

 feet in circumference. They have not however the imposing appear- 

 ance of other gigantic trees, as their short trunks are soon lost in 

 thick branches, not of compact masses, but made up of a thousand 

 single stems and air roots, forming a kind of trellis-work, or an ag- 

 glomeration of columns. The author likewise saw, upon the Unga- 

 rang, another gigantic tree, apparently also belonging to the genus 

 Ficus, with a trunk of about forty feet in height, and thirty to 

 thirty-five feet in circumference, with immense polyp-like branches. 

 The author observes, with respect to the richness of the flora of 

 this mountain, that it would require at least two months to examine 

 a space of 300 square feet ; whereas he could only remain two days. 

 A single tree, with its hundreds of parasitic plants, of the most 

 varied families, would alone require a longer time. 



Upon the Lawu were Casuarina forests at a height of 4200 Paris 

 feet. They consisted of Casuarina equisetifolia, and formed, in iso- 

 lated groups, small woods with sharply defined limits, which scattered 

 here and there rise upon the grassy slopes, and alternate with more 

 shady, dark green woods. From the extremities of their boughs hang 

 down, yards long, the articulated sheathed branches, floating in 

 the wind. They thus give to the locality a peculiarly lovely and 

 beautiful physiognomy, such as the author had not before seen in 

 Java, and which reminded him of the pine-forests of the north f. 

 The ground in these forests is only occasionally barren, and covered 

 with the fallen dry branches, just as in a larch- wood. It is also 

 covered with species of Rubus, Viburnum, Gnaphalium, and masses of 

 lofty Allang. 



At the same time the author found a Casuarina-tree, built in so 

 as to form a kind of temple in the ruins of Bundentjeddo. The 

 building- stones consisted of trachytic lava, and inclosed the tree 

 closely. The trunk was three feet in diameter and about ninety feet 

 in height. The author reckoned that these ruins must have existed 

 before a.d. 1400, as Mohamedanism was introduced into Java shortly 

 after that period, and he conjectures that the tree must now be 

 above 600 years old. Upon another spot were Casuarina-trees, sur- 

 rounded by the darkest and most shady oak- forests, whose fresh 



* Translated from the ' Botanische Zeitung' for Sept. 29, Oct. 3, 10, 17 

 and 21, 1845. 



t M. Junghuhn is a German, and comes from the Hartz. 



