SOME BOTANIC GAEDEXS ABROAD. 133 



In the latticed plant houses a good show of Gloxinias, cal- 

 adhniis and ferns can be seen, and a very interestino- rockery had 

 been erected near the orchid honse, shaded by Baccaurea dulcis 

 and various jungle trees. Here we find B^'gonias, Calaflieas, 

 PrUonias and PJiiu/niions. 



hi the lake splendid jSTelumbiums are growing together 

 witli the Water Hyacinth, Eicliliornia crassipes, and nianv other 

 interesting aquatic plants. Band)oos and palms shade the edges 

 of the pond. 



One of the features of Singapore garden is the Cyvtosacliys 

 lal-lri or Sealing Wax Palm, as it is sometimes called on account 

 of some imagined resemblance of its red stem to a bar of red seal- 

 ing wax. This palm is very decorative and highly prized in all 

 ]n-ivate gardens in the colony, where it is also indigenous. 



Among the genera of Aroids best represented are Alocasia 

 with some seventeen species, Amor phopli alius, Aglaonema, Dief- 

 foibacliia, Homalonema, Bliaphidopliora, PliiJodendron, Cryfo- 

 coryne, Schismatoglottis, and Scindapsus. 



A number of myrmecophilous plants such as Clerodendron 

 int/rniecopJiila, Korthalsia. and Myrmecodia offer a very interest- 

 ing study. 



The herbarium of the gardens consists of collections from 

 the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, Assam, India, Australia, 

 Christmas Island, and Polynesia. It is especially rich in Ma- 

 layan plants, most of which have been collected by Mr. Ridley 

 during his eighteen years of work on the flora of the Peninsula. 



Besides the ninety acres comprising the main garden, there 

 is an area of about seventy acres devoted to an economic garden. 

 Here are cultivated most of the economic plants of the Tropics, 

 some only represented by one or a few specimens ; others which 

 are or may prove suitable for the Straits settlements are groAvn in 

 quantities for experimental purposes. 



A stand of several hundred old Para rubber trees (Herca 

 hraziliensis) are especially interesting. Experiments are period- 

 ically made in tapping these for rubber, and the published results 



