236 OUTLINE OF PLANT GEOGRAPHY 



cultivation of these spices in the islands has greatly decreased in 

 late years, and the trade in these products is no longer of very 

 great importance. 



The Philippines 



Of special interest to Americans is the Philippine Archipelago, 

 lying North of Borneo and Celebes, and extending nearly to lati- 

 tude 20°. 



The Philippines share many species with the Sunda Islands, 

 and their flora is predominantly Malayan in character; but in 

 the northern island, Luzon, especially in the mountains, is a pro- 

 nounced infusion of temperate species, related to those of the 

 Asiatic mainland, especially China. 



The botany of the Philippines has been the subject of much 

 investigation since the American occupation, so that our knowledge 

 of the very extensive flora has been greatly increased. It must be 

 said, however, that much important work was also done during 

 the Spanish regime. 



Like Java and western Sumatra, the Philippines are character- 

 ized by extensive volcanic formations, and the vegetation on the 

 volcanic peaks has much in common with the similar mountain 

 floras of the Sunda Islands. 



The shore vegetation does not differ essentially from that al- 

 ready described for other Malayan coasts, and includes mangrove 

 and Nipa swamps, and beaches with the same strand species. 

 Near Manila a screw-pine (Pandanus tectorius) is abundant, and 

 its leaves are used for many purposes by the natives. Calophyl- 

 lum, with beautiful glossy leaves, Terminalia, Barringtonia and 

 Casuarina, are the same as in Borneo, and elsewhere in Malaya, 

 and the trailing morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae), grows every- 

 where along the beach. An interesting little water-fern (Marsilea 

 crenata), was also noted by the writer, in low ground near the 

 shore. 



The writer had an opportunity of studying the vegetation on 

 two of the volcanic mountains in the vicinity of Manila, Mt. 

 Maquiling and Mt. Banajao. 



The former is about 3,500 feet altitude and its vegetation has 

 been very little interfered with. The forest at the lower elevations 

 has several species of Dipterocarps, which, as elsewhere, are the 



