Cojn-ti\s\ of the New Voik Botanical Garden. 



A STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY— WITH THE HONORS TO THE FIG 



In a liamnidik ..n Roberts Island in the Everglades west of Little River, Florida. A stranglingfig, i>ale-barked tree, grappling a cocoa-plum, horizontal 



tree-trunk in front, and a s\yamp-bay. erect trunk behind. Note strongly buttressed trunk of strangling-fig. 



A DUEL TO THE DEATH 



01" a very womlerful trip intu Southern Florida, on 

 a botanical exploration in 1916, Dr. John K. Small 

 writes most intere.stingly in the Journal of the New 

 York Botanical Garden. What he says regarding the 

 immediate region surrounding Roberts' Island, where the 

 unusual and striking photograph shown aliove was taken, 

 is quoted : 



"We went by automobile through the pinewoods to 

 the edge of the Everglades. There afoot we took to 

 the water and mud, and waded for a distance of three 

 miles in a westerly direction in water mostly knee-deep 

 and mud at the same time half as deep or of ef|ual depth, 

 until we reached the hammock The trip requires stren- 

 uous wading, which must of necessity be made at a pace 

 compared with which a funeral march would seem quite 

 rapid ; but the objective is worth the etTort. I'his island 

 is several miles long, standing north and south in the 

 Everglades, and about a quarter of a mile wide. It is 

 densely forested throughout. Much of its surface is 

 so low that it is submerged during the rainy season. 

 The soil of the low parts is mud and humus. This sup- 

 ports an almost impenetrable jungle made up mainly 

 of pond-apple trees, cocoa-plum trees, antl red-bay trees, 

 and ferns. There are ferns Ijy the scpiare rod and ferns 

 by the acre. The Boston fern and the sword-fern con- 

 stitute the largest and most beautiful beds. Several 

 kinds of epiphytic ferns and a few s])ecies of air-plants 

 often cover the limbs of the trees. The higher ground 

 of the island is sandy. There the live-oak is the domi- 

 nating tree of the forest, and each tree constitutes a 



hanging garden. (Jrchids, air-plants, and ferns com- 

 jjletely clothe the limbs of the larger trees. However, 

 ])lants do not have a monopoly of the trees. There are 

 also epiphytic lizards and epiphytic snakes ! There is 

 everywhere present a beautiful green snake. It inhabits 

 the hammocks and it is especially abundant in those ol 

 the Everglades. It lies outstretched on the branches of 

 shrubs and trees and glides along the Ijranches from one 

 tree to another with surprising ease. ( )ne has usually to 

 be careful to look before laying hold of the limb of a tree 

 for support, or he may grasp something of (|uite different 

 consistency from that of wood! 



"The shrubs and herbs here represent more northern 

 kinds than are met with in the hummocks of the nearb\- 

 Everglade Keys. Among the more interesting discoveries 

 on this island was a gigantic plant of the coni])tie, Zaiiila 

 pnmila. which had not previously been found south of 

 Fort Lauderdale. The specimen mentioned had a very 

 large branched underground stem, and an unusually fine 

 cluster of leaves, each one over four feet tall. So striking 

 was the |)lant that we dug it up. photographed it, and re- 

 [jlanted it. 



"After a ])rofitable dav on this island, we retraced our 

 steps through the Everglades and found om^ automobile 

 uitiiout special incident, except that one member of the 

 party got his legs tangled in the coils of a large water moc- 

 casin, and in the excitement and confusion of trying to get 

 away in a hurry he fell ]M-one in the mixture of mud and 

 water. Both snake and man were equally surprised at 

 the sudden meeting and neither had time to harm the 

 other." 



491 



