THE PALAEOTROPICS 209 



small inconspicuous species, but some of them of great beauty. 

 Rhododendrons with white or scarlet flowers may be seen high 

 up in the branches of the trees. The numerous epiphytic rho- 

 dodendrons are a common and beautiful feature of the Malayan 

 mountain forests. Sometimes growing as epiphytes, but more 

 common on the ground, or climbing over the lower vegetation, 

 are several species of pitcher plants (Nepenthes), whose centre of 

 development is in the mountains of Malaya and Borneo. The 

 graceful vases or urns, suspended from the leaf tendrils, are beauti- 

 fully colored, and sometimes a foot or more in length. No plant 

 structures are more remarkable than these curious organs. The 

 climbing screw-pines (Freycinetia) are common and conspicuous, 

 but Pandanus is much less in evidence. 



The numerous species of Aeschynanthus (Gesneraceae), with 

 very showy scarlet flowers something like a snapdragon, are among 

 the most attractive of the epiphytes, but even more beautiful are 

 species of Medinilla (Melastomaceae) whose great clusters of pink 

 flowers subtended by big rosy bracts, at once attract attention. 

 Some very handsome Begonias, too, occur as epiphytes in the wet 

 mountain forests. 



A visit was made to the summit of the main range, at Pahang 

 Gap. At this elevation, about 4,000 feet, quite a different type of 

 forest was encountered. The trees are much smaller and trunks 

 and branches covered with a heavy growth of mosses, liverworts, 

 and other epiphytes, mostly of rather small size. In this "moss- 

 forest" were collected a number of interesting bryophytes, which 

 found here a congenial habitat. 



The exposed summit of the ridge was occupied largely by open 

 boggy places, with stunted small trees and shrubs. In the bogs 

 were masses of peat-mosses (Sphagnum) in which were growing 

 rhododendrons and other members of the heath family; orchil-. 

 and other bog-plants, suggestive of the northern peat-bogs; but 

 with these were strange ferns, and clambering over the bushes 

 were magnificent Nepenthes with pitchers as big as a pint 



measure. 



Of the ferns, several of the Gleichenias are wide-spread species, 

 but two of the most conspicuous ferns, Dipteris conjugate, and 



Matonia pectinata, are less common, and the latter is restricted to 

 rather limited areas on the mountains of the Peninsula and the 



