THE NEOTROPICAL REGIONS ;;m 



The Antilles 



Aside from Trinidad, which is essentially South American in 

 its flora, the archipelago of the Antilles or West Indies, in the 

 Carribbean Sea, has a sufficiently individual flora to warrant 

 separating the West Indies from continental America, as a distinct 

 botanical province. Each of the larger islands has many peculiar 

 species, but there are many common to other islands, and to the 

 Mexican and central American mainland. The southern end of 

 Florida, with the "keys," is essentially West Indian in its flora, 

 and has many species in common with the islands. Examples 

 of these West Indian species are Pinus Cubensis, the royal palm 

 (Oreodoxa regia), mahogany, and species of figs, orchids and many 

 ferns. 



The larger islands are all very mountainous, the mountains 

 in Haiti exceeding 10,000 feet in height, while in Jamaica, the Blue 

 Mountains are over 7,000, and in Cuba the highest summits exceed 

 8,000. The trend of the ranges is mostly east and west, and this, 

 together with their elevation, exercises a marked influence on the 

 climate. The northeast trade-winds precipitate their moisture 

 mostly on the northern slopes of the mountains, the lee side being 

 much drier. This is well shown in Jamaica in making the journey 

 from Port Antonio on the north coast, to Kingston on the south 

 side of the island, about 40 miles away, the two places separated 

 by the high and steep range of the Blue Mountains. At Port 

 Antonio the annual rainfall is nearly 200 inches, while at Kingston 

 it is less than 40. The whole northern coast was originally clothed 

 with dense jungle, a typical rain-forest of great luxuriance. 



About twenty-five years ago, when the writer first visited Ja- 

 maica, the newly constructed railway between Port Antonio and 

 Kingston traversed a region of luxuriant forests, which have since 

 disappeared, and been replaced by extensive plantations of ba- 

 nanas, which are grown on an immense scale for the American 

 market. Of late years this trade in bananas and other tropical 

 fruits has assumed vast proportions, and has been extended to 

 Mexico and Central America, as well as to the other West Indian 

 islands. 



The mountains intercept a la rue part of the moisture of the trade 

 winds, and when one approaches Kingston, instead of the rain- 



