56 THE PI^ANT WORI.D 



climbing ferns of Guam, by far the most interesting is Huviata hetero- 

 phylla, which was first described from this island and takes its generic 

 name from the village of Umata (or Humatag) in the roadstead of which 

 the ships used to anchor. Its sterile fronds are simple — the fertile ones 

 are pinnately lobed and prettily crenated. I first saw this species on the 

 shore of Pangopango Bay, Samoa. Other climbing ferns are Davallia 

 solida ("Pugua machena"), with bright green glossy divided fronds, 

 Polypodiuvi adnascens, with small simple, entire, linear-lanceolate fronds, 

 and Polypodhan phytnatodes ( ' ' Kahlau " ) , with fronds like huge leathery 

 oak leaves. Among the epiphytal species the most conspicuous is Asplen- 

 ium nidus, the birdsnest fern, which the natives call "Galak," and 

 associated with it are Acrostichuin spicatimi and the well-known sword 

 fern Nephrolepis aaita and N. exaltata var. hirsutula, the long narrow 

 simply-pinnate fronds of which hang down from the limbs most grace- 

 fully, together with tassels of the grass-like Vittaria elongata and Ly co- 

 podium phlegvtaria. Another interesting epiphytal fern is Ophioglossum 

 pendtdum, called " Leston " (ribbons) by the natives. I have not vSeen 

 a single Adiantum, Hymenophyllum, or Trichomanes on the island. 

 The only epiphytal orchid I noticed was one with inconspicuous brown- 

 speckled flowers (^Luisia teretifolia Gaud.) which was named by Gaudi- 

 chaud after Don Luis de Torres of this island. The natives call it 

 " Wild onion " (Seboya halom-tano). Another orchid growing on logs, 

 practically without leaves, proved to be Taeniophyllum fasciola (Forst). 



From time to time we came to clearings in the forest, where natives 

 were cutting down trees and clearing away thickets of screw-pine, Cycas 

 circiyialis, and many kinds of undershrubs. When a forest is cleared 

 they first plant taro, bananas, and plantains. Afterwards, as they get 

 rid of the stumps, they plant corn (maize), and finally they establish 

 their coconut groves, setting out the sprouting nuts neatly and regu- 

 larly in rows. Sometimes they leave a huge banyan standing, perhaps 

 because it is too much of an undertaking to cut it down. It is unneces- 

 sary to leave shade trees in Guam for coffee and cacao plantations. 

 Such clearings as we saw to-day are good fields for the collector of epi- 

 phytal and parasitic plants. I looked for Dischidia puberula, which was 

 collected on this island by Gaudichaud, but I failed to find it. Some of 

 the plants of this genus are interesting from the fact that they have 

 leaves modified into pitcher-like receptacles (ascidia). A succulent 

 plant with three-nerved leaves was called by the boys Tupun-aytcyu 

 (crabs-sugar-cane), owing to the fact that the vegetable-feeding Ayuyu, 

 or robber-crab {.Birgus latro), is very fond of it. Susana has one of 

 these crabs in the kitchen and is fattening it with coconuts for the table. 



Among the forest trees we saw several which I have not been able to 

 identify — one called ' ' Yoga, ' ' with limbs spotted like our sycamore, and 



