VEGETATION OF THE RAIN-FOREST. 33 



cristatum, and Dryopteris effusa, Dryopteris patens, Dryopteris ampla, 

 and other species for which it has not been possible to secure determi- 

 nations. Peperomia turfosa, Pilea parietaria, Rynchospora eggersiana, 

 Calanthe mexicana, Spiranthes sp., and several other orchids are infre- 

 quent in occurrence. 



LEEWARD SLOPES. 



Both the climatic conditions and the vegetation of the Leeward 

 Slopes differ considerably between the lowest altitudes which arc being 



considered and the upper slopes in the vicinity of the main ridge of 

 the Blue Mountains. The latter resemble in many respects the ridges, 

 to be described presently, and differ from the former not so much by 

 reason of their difference in altitude as on account of the greater rainfall 

 at the higher slopes and the fact that they are enveloped in fog during 

 a good share of the time that the lower slopes are in sunlight. What i- 

 to be said of the Leeward Slopes accordingly relates to the lower alti- 

 tudes, while the higher ones that is to say those within 500 vertical 

 feet (153 meters) of the main ridge are comprised in the ridge type 

 of forest. 



The Leeward Slopes depart still more than the Leeward Ravines 

 from the typical rain-forest which has been described. An arborescent 

 flora richer than that of the Windward Ravines and Slopes form- a 

 forest of low stature, in which individuals of large and small trunk 

 diameter are intermingled to form a closed canopy. There is little 

 distinction between the crowns of the largest trees and the foliage of 

 the smaller trees and shrubs, so that there is frequently a solid mas> 

 of foliage from the canopy to the ground. The hygrophilous mosses 

 and hepatics are scarce, and the epiphytic vegetation is scant and con- 

 fined to the more xerophilous forms of the ridge forest. Lianes are 

 abundant, as are also a number of loranthaceous parasites. The ter- 

 restrial herbaceous species are largely phanerogamic, while the pt en- 

 dophytic ones include a large number of species of fern- represented by 

 infrequent individuals, and a small number of lycopodiums which are 

 extremely abundant . 



The trees of the Leeward Slopes are in part species which also occur 

 on the slopes of the windward side, together with others which range 

 upward from far below our area. The most common arc: ('It thru 

 orrulcnlnlis, Yairinium meridionale, Ilex montana var. occidentaUs, 

 Alchorw-a hilifolia, Brunellia comocladifolia, Rapaneaferruginea, Cyrilla 

 racemiflora, Juniperus barbadensis, Cleyera theoides, Lyoniajamaicensis, 

 ( 'itharexylum caudatum, Viburnum viUosum, Viburnum alpinum, Eugt nia 

 harrisii, Dipholis montana, Daphnopsis tinifolia, Gilibertia arborea, 

 Oestrum sp., Heterotrichum patens, Psidium montanum, and Tamonea 

 rubens. A large number of -mailer trees and shrubs are characteristic 

 of these slopes, some of them dominating the areas of ruinate which are 



