36 THE PLANT WORLD 



and Cacti in great profusion. Palms were abundant particularly on the 

 perpendicular faces of the mountains, and were kept in constant motion 

 by the sea breeze. 



The flora of the mountains is very different from that of the plains, 

 and strangely enough the pines are confined to the plains. To the ecol- 

 ogist the mountains afford a most interesting study and there also re- 

 mains much to be done before anything like a satisfactory list of the 

 species can be written. The island is completely surrounded by a man- 

 grove zone. Here as elsewhere it is the plant that reclaims the sea. 

 The ocean current and tide sweeps through it, carrying the debris from 

 other lands and the roots of the mangrove retain it. It is practically a 

 pure growth, as few other plants can exist under such conditions. It is 

 limited inland by tide water and is the favorite abode of the cayman, 

 many of which may be seen from a ship in passing. Immediately be- 

 hind the mangrove zone comes a belt of palms, among which are small 

 savannahs in which grasses and sedges form a sward. Nowhere else 

 in the trip were seen such numbers and varieties of palms growing. It 

 reminded one of the palms of the Amazon. Some were palmetto-like, 

 others bore pinnate leaves. Very few were in flower at the time of our 

 visit in January, and the time at our disposal did not warrant our trying 

 to identify them. 



Three regions not sharply delimited may be distinguished in the in- 

 terior of the northern part of the island — the savannahs, the pine lands, 

 and the stream banks. 



The Malpais River is so named from the wet savannahs in the central 

 part of the island through which it flows. The savannahs also extend 

 to the uplands and have steadily increased in size as the natives have 

 burned them over to improve the pasturage. Besides sedges and grasses 

 there are many other herbaceous plants, especially species of Legumino- 

 sae. They make up a thick sward. All show by their form and the 

 texture and vesture of their leaves a decidedly zerophytic adaptation. 

 Scattered everywhere through the savannahs are arborescent palms, 

 mostly of the palmetto type. One species with perfectly rotate leaves 

 and fibrous sheathing bases to their petioles was everywhere seen. Its 

 identity has not yet been determined. The sheaths enclosed each other 

 on the stem and when separated had the appearance of fibrous cornu- 

 copias. Thirt}^ to fifty could be taken from one plant. 



The pine lands resemble those of our own gulf region. The pine pre- 

 dominates over considerable areas. They are best developed on the 

 higher ground. They have palms mingled with them everywhere, 

 especially in the lower lands. The kinds of pine have been discussed by 

 the writer in another place. There has been heretofore little done upon 

 their aJB&nity, but in general they have been referred to Pinus cubensis. 



