Chap. IV] TROPICAL DISTRICTS CONSTANTLY MOIST 297 



Species of Rubus, for instance R. glomeratus, R. chrysophyllus, 

 R. alceaefolius, are more remarkable for the beauty of their foliage than 

 of their flowers ; in addition they first appear as essential components 

 of the vegetation in forests situated higher up. Small trees and shrubs 

 with quite inconspicuous flowers, on the other hand, are very strongly 

 represented both as regards number of species and number of individuals. 

 To these belong representatives of the Urticaceae with loose pendulous 

 greenish inflorescences, such as species of Boehmeria and of Laportea; 

 species of Piper with erect taper-like inflorescences ; Euphorbiaceae, like 

 species of Croton and Phyllanthus ; and Lasianthus purpureus with small 

 violet flowers. Finally, as essential constituents of the vegetation in the 

 shade, may be mentioned small palms of the genus Pinanga, Pandanus 

 furcatus, and numerous tree-ferns. 



The herbaceous vegetation displays a marvellous wealth of forms. Its 

 most prominent constituents are the social Zingiberaceae, the thickets of 

 which have already been described. Here and there appears a fine Musa 

 not in blossom. Wide tracts are covered by a dense shrubby Strobi- 

 lanthus, the transparent stems of which break like glass as one passes 

 among them, and the delicate foliage of which is rendered gay by fairly 

 large bright red flowers. In other places the herbaceous vegetation is 

 hardly up to the knee, and is chiefly composed of Cyrtandra nemorosa and 

 a species of Elatostema ; from the dark green level surface there rise 

 up isolated taller plants, such as the large-leaved Begonia robusta, Pollia 

 thyrsiflora, more conspicuous for its cobalt-blue berries than for its white 

 inflorescences, Dianella montana, which agrees with the last-named plant 

 in the rare colour of its fruit and in that of its flowers, Disporum multi- 

 florum with pendent violet campanulate flowers, Polygala venenosa with 

 large yellow flowers, and many others. 



If with the hand we push aside the leaves of the herbs clothing the soil, 

 we can see, between the turgid brittle stems, the soil covered with de- 

 cayed sodden leaves. The gaps between the plants appear large, though 

 they are completely arched over by the canopy formed by the foliage of 

 the herbs, and they support no vegetation that is visible to the naked eye. 

 One is however surprised to find a flora of flowers which are invisible from 

 above the leafy roof, and spring in particular from the stalks of Cyrtandra 

 nemorosa, but also from the stems of Saurauja cauliflora, which produces 

 its dense red and white bunches of flowers only at its base, quite hidden 

 among the herbage. 



Trees are the least striking constituents of the rain-forest ; the plank- 

 buttresses alone distinguish many of them at first glance from the trees 

 of a European forest. The finest tree in these forests is Altingia excelsa, 

 one of the Hamamelidaceae, the rasamala of the natives, which attains 

 a maximum height of about 60 meters and a diameter of stem of 112 



