S2 JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM (vol. ii 



fru'ts arrests attention in autumn and winter. Bushes of Elaen^nus in sev- 

 eral specio are i)]entiful and hero and there grows Caryopferis ificatiu,s Mi(j. 

 On the iin])ressive and lofty sea-chfTs north of Karcnko tlic uiounLain flora 

 deseeiids well toward the sea and there is no well-marked littoral vegetation. 

 The flr)ra of these rliffs is little known and many of the sj^ccies are ])eeuliar. 

 On them T galhf^red a new Hose, a new Distylinm and several other inter- 

 esting plants. At Gukutsu, where a strong-flowing river has hurst through 

 to the sea, Junipcrns JormOi<(xna Ilay. descends to sea-level rocks, and on 

 the faces of vertical clilfs Ilihiiicns .sj/riacus L. with lovely lavender-colored 

 flowers is plentiful. In the descent from the cliffs to the little i)ort of So-o 

 I gath(Ted the interesting Ahella ionandra iTay.; also a Ficus Vvith dee])ly 

 lobed leaves and a si)ecies of Caryopteris, botli new, and each only a few 

 inches high. It took me five days to make this pioneer trip over the sea 

 cliffs of northeast Formosa. The road is exceedingly difficult, not to say 

 dangerous and the weather was far from favorable, hut a rich harvest of 

 specimens of interesting plants well repaid me for the fatigue ami hardships. 

 From the sea only can a i)roi)er estimate of the height and grandeur of 



these cliffs be obtained, but oidy by struggling over them can the forest- 

 wealth which clothes all but the most vertical walls l)e realized. Nearly 

 all the trees are evergreen; Fagaceae and Lauraceae i)redominate and their 

 canopy of green almost shuts out tlie heavens. Camphor-trees are plenti- 

 ful, Cala}nus Margaritae Ilance, Mucnna Jerrngbica Matsum., Baultinia 

 Champioiiii ]?enth. and other lianas cling a})0ut the tallest trees and with 

 rope-like stems bind them together. The forest-floor is choked with a 

 dense growth of Ferns in great variety including Alsophila and other tree 

 species. Alocasia macrorrhiza Schott with huge dark green leaves is plenti- 

 ful; various Araliaceae are eonunon and among them the liice Paper- 

 {)lant {Tdrapanax papyrifcra K. Koch) with huge panicles of snow-white 

 flowers conspicuous in the dim subdued light of the forest-de])th. Every- 

 thing is dank and luxuriant, and the tense silence is broken only by the 

 dull roar of the waves of the Pacific Ocean dashintr themscKes against the 



clilfs some two or three or more tliotisand feel below. Occasionally a 

 bird flits across the path or a monkey is seen in tlie tree tops, l>ut these 

 are rare events. The armed Jai)auesc police and the Savages wlm carried 

 our baggage were all silent as wc trudged slowly through the wondrcnis 

 primeval forests which clothe the uj>i)er parts of the world-famous sea- 

 cliffs of norllieast Formosa. 



The character of the vegetation on the foothills varies aci'ording to tluMr 

 nearness or otherwise to districts long settled by Chinese. When near such 

 settlements they have been deforested and are now clothed with coarse 

 grasses, miscellaneous shrubs and trees none of much interest or value. The 

 Camphor-tree and its relatives with other broad-leaf evergreen tiees have 

 disappeared from low altitudes except where the Savage has held tlic 

 utilitarian Chinese in check. Where the luunolested forest remains it is 

 similar in character from near sea-level uj) to 1800 metres. It is every- 

 where a rain-forest, and nearly all the woody plants are c\-ergrcen. At the 



