56 ON THE VEGETATION OF MALAYSIA, 



regularly into two or four valves. Gastanopsis includes all the 

 species found in the oriental region, 24 being enumerated 

 between India, China, and Malaysia ; in fact there is only one 

 other. According to Bentham and Hooker there are but two 

 species of Gastania, one of which is the well-known edible 

 Chestnut. No true Gastania therefore exists in the Malay 

 Peninsula. Gastanopsis argentea occurs as high as 6,000 to 7,000 

 feet in Burmah. The timber is valued to some extent, especially 

 in Java, and the fruit is used in the same manner as the Euro- 

 pean Chestnut. Sanienten appears to be the Malay name, and 

 Tangogo in Sunda. In Tagalo and Visayan Oaks are called 

 Olayan, Hayopag, Macabingao, Mangasariqui, Cacana, Palayen. 

 The Gastanopsis in Tagalo is Talacatac and Tacatac. There are 

 but two or three species of Gastania in the Philippines, and the 

 Oaks are somewhat more numerous, but they do not occupy so 

 important a position in these islands as they do in Malaysia. 

 Nearly all the fruits of the Chestnuts of the forest are used as 

 articles of food, in Java and Sumatra especially, but they are not 

 cultivated. 



Creeping or Climbing Plants. — The vines of the jungle form 

 so large a portion of the vegetation that to enumerate even a fair 

 percentage would far exceed the limits of this essay. Only a few 

 of the leading genera can be mentioned, for the climbing shrubs 

 range through every natural order, not even excepting the 

 Cryptogams. Lygodium scandens has already been mentioned. 

 Freycinetia is a common climbing Screw-pine, Galamus a climbing 

 Palm, and Vanilla a climbing Orchid ; and as for the climbing 

 Aroids they are innumerable. This will serve as a specimen for 

 the endogens. As for the exogenous climbers only a very 

 few can be named. Several species of Gocculus and Anamirta 

 are common. The latter is the source of the bean Gocculus indicus, 

 used in beer to increase its stupefying qualities and as a fish- 

 poison. Gocculus glaucescens is another common species, the fruit 

 of which is eaten readily by the natives and is said to be agreeable 

 and refreshing. Naravelia zeylanica is an inconspicuous climbing 



