A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 581 



White Mangrove. (Laguncularia raeemosa Gsert.) 



A combretaceous shrub found also on the tropical shores of 

 America and West Africa. Flowers small, in lateral and terminal 

 spikes. Leaves opposite, smooth and fleshy. 



Sea Mulberry; Button Tree; Zaragoza Mangrove. (Conocarpus 



erectus L.) 

 Common on most of the shores. Also in the West Indies and 

 Florida. A combretaceous shrub, with lanceolate, alternate leaves 

 and angular branchlets ; flowers and fruit crowded in small heads ; 

 flowers very small, greenish. (See ch. 26, d.) 



Mangrove. (RJtizophora mangle L.) 



Figure 42. Plate LXXIV ; Figure 1. Plate LXVIII ; Figure 2. 



The true Mangrove still grows luxurianth r in many of the salt 

 swamps and in the upper parts of some inlets and coves, as at Hun- 

 gry Bay, Mangrove Bay, etc. (See ch. 26, e.) 



Prickly Pears. (Opuntia vulgaris Mill.; 0. tuna Mill. ; 0. pes-corvi 

 Leo; and O. Jicus-indica Mill.) 



These four species of Opuntia are not easy to distinguish. Some 

 have much longer spines than others ; few and small in the last 

 named ; 4 or 5 stout ones in each cluster in 0. tuna. They are 

 abundant on the barren sea-side cliffs and small islands, as well as 

 on the walls and cuts along the roadsides. 



Whether all these species were originally native is not known. 

 Prickly Pears were used as fruits to a considerable extent by Somer's 

 party, and by the earliest settlers, in 1609 to 1616, before better 

 fruits were introduced. The flowers of all are large and yellow ; 

 the fruits reddish, at least on one side when ripe; pulp red. 



Sea Purslane. (Sesuviu?)i portulacastrum L.) 



A common, native, succulent, sea-side plant, growing in moist 

 places. It is found on most tropical coasts. Resembles purslane, 

 but has small, rosy, apetalous flowers in September. The common 

 Purslane also grows here by the sea-side. 



Ear Wort. (Jihachicallis rupestris DC.) 



Among rocks along the shores ; a ragged-looking shrub, with 

 small leaves, belonging to the Rubiacea?. West Indian. It is the 

 Vaillantia muralis of Lefroy. 



