Hammocks and Everglades of Florida, 269 



but a fraction of a hectare or so in area or may contain up to 

 several square kilometeis. Ordinarily, however, their area is 

 from two to five hectares. Instead of the open growth of the 

 pines they are dense jungles of large and small trees, shrubs, 

 vines and herbaceous plants, frequently forming an almost im- 

 penetrable tangle, through which progress is at best slow and 

 difficult. In many places it is impossible to see more than three 

 to five meters in any direction, even upwards. To be sure it is 

 only in the densest hammocks of Southern Florida where no 

 fires or other destructive influences have thinned them out that 

 such thick growth can be found. vSo dense is the shade in some of 

 these hammocks thatat noon on a bright day the light is a sort of 

 dim twilight, while on a cloudy day the darkness is very marked. 

 As a consequence of this dense growth the aii within the ham- 

 mock is moist, the wind being almost entirely checked, while 

 the shade reduces the drying out to a great extent also. As a 

 further indication of the great humidity of the air within the 

 hammocks is the presence of epiphytes of all descriptions, ferns, 

 orchids, bromeliads, liverworts, etc. 



The trees making up the arborescent flora of these hammocks 

 are entirely diff"erent from those of the regions further north. 

 They are, with few exceptions, not Coniferous It will not be 

 out of place heie to enumerate a few of the commoner or more 

 striking trees as they will show very clearly the difference 

 between these forests and those of the North. By no means are 

 all the families represented in the hammock trees given in the 

 list nor all the genera in the families mentioned. Moiaceae: 

 Morus and two species of Ficus, one of which always and the 

 other often starts Hfe as an epiphyte, eventually in that case 

 destroying the tree upon which it is located. Polygonaceae, 

 represented by the Pigeon Plum, Coccolobis laiirifolia. Allioni- 

 aceae, with a small tree, Pisonia longijolia, and a woody vine, 

 P. aculeata. Euphorbiaceae, represented by Dry petes and Gym- 

 nanthes, fair sized trees. Anacardiaceae, represented by Meto- 

 pium, a sumac reaching a height of 12 to 20 meters. Sapin- 

 daceae, with Sapinius and Exoihea. Myrtaceae, with Eugenia, 

 Anamomis and Chytraculia, Sapotaceae, with four or five genera, 

 one species, Sideroxylon mastichodeniron, attaining a height of 



