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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



bright color note. At the foot of the 

 bank the tides are felt and the plants 

 are no longer the gentle growth of a 

 summer meadow, but must be virile 

 enough to hold their position against 

 wind and water. As opposed to the 

 mangrove zone, the dominant plants 

 here are grasses. These are of various 

 types, ranging from great, coarse beach 

 grass such as a species of Panicum, to 

 creeping grasses such as Courmelina 

 longicaulis Jacq. A species of Sporobo- 

 lus is found, with long prostrate stems. 

 In surprisingly exposed places the 

 curious little, clover-like purple-flowered 

 Desmodium stands bravely in low, com- 

 pact bunches, while Kyllinga with its 

 small white flowers, creeps feebly a 

 few inches from its roots. 



Among the mangroves, bromeliads 

 are found in serried rows and clusters, 

 often so abundant as to break down their 

 support. The roots above low water 

 are coated with moss and lichens, while 

 the branches are often put under terrific 

 strain by burdens of heavy vines such 

 as Souroubea guianensis Aubl. and its 

 interesting relatives, several species of 

 Marcgravia. Even the top branches 

 are not free, and epiphytic orchids such 

 as Epidendrum gragrans Sw., Epiden- 

 drum nocturnum Jacq. and Diacrium 

 hicornutum (Hooker) Benth. are found 

 in great abundance. 



While the actual flora of the tidal 

 area is limited and fixed, yet this zone 

 offers one of the most fertile fields for 

 another phase of botany — the flotsam 

 and jetsam of the river current. Every 

 receding tide leaves a host of stranded 

 seeds and nuts. 



Luxuriant tropical rain-forest. Un- 

 less artificially altered by man the 

 littoral flora merges directly and ab- 

 ruptly with that of the jungle. At 

 Kartabo some of the river jungle is 

 swampy, with palms as a dominant 

 association, mingled with hard and soft 

 wood trees. On the dry and higher 

 ground we find the typical rain forest 

 of Eastern South America. In the most 

 luxuriant primeval forest, the great 

 trees arise at considerable distances 



from each other, with trunks straight 

 as plummets, often quite bare of 

 branches for one hundred feet. The 

 undergrowth is scanty and low, and 

 the mid-level is broken only by occa- 

 sional lianas or aerial rootlets, all of 

 which are as straight as the tree trunks. 



Where plantations of the Dutch once 

 existed, or where an Indian has made 

 a clearing for his cassava field, the new 

 growth never regains its maximum de- 

 velopment. In these changed condi- 

 tions, while there are many large, tall 

 trees, yet there is not the unbroken 

 aspect of the roof of the jungle, and the 

 undergrowth instantly reflects this in 

 its more lush character. 



In swampy areas Ichnosiphon grows 

 luxuriantly, tall, smooth, reed-like 

 stems, with a burst of leaves at the 

 summit. Comacuballi lianas climb trees 

 and thrust out masses of red berries 

 beloved of birds. Wild ginger, in these 

 places sends its 6 to 12 ft. leaves up from 

 compact stumps and Heliconias run 

 riot. 



Even in low jungle one can always 

 see through the undergrowth for ten 

 to thirty yards. Thorns are rare, but 

 when they do occur, it is useless to try 

 to force one's way against them. The 

 jungle floor is always covered with a 

 thick carpet of fallen leaves and twigs, 

 from a few inches to a foot or more in 

 depth. In deep jungle herbaceous 

 plants up to 6 ft. in height are not 

 uncommon, but inconspicuous. Fallen 

 petals and flowers are abundant, often 

 having dropped 100 ft. from some ob- 

 scure vine. Color in masses is to be 

 found in the tree tops when whole 

 trees burst forth into a solid head of 

 lavender or pink within twenty-four 

 hours. Lichens, fungi and mosses are 

 everywhere. Even in the dry season 

 they flourish in damp places, while 

 during the rains they rival the flowers 

 of the glades in color. As for molds, 

 smuts and rusts, a mycologist who spent 

 four days at the Research Station col- 

 lected three hundred forms in a few 

 trips along the trails. The importance 

 of this density of vegetable growth 



