1920] WILSON, PIIYTOGEOGRAPIIICAL SKETCH OF FORMOSA 33 



lower levels Dcndrocalamtis latifolius Munro, Bamhusa stcnostachya Hack., 

 B. Oldhamu ^Nlunro, B, dolichodada Hay. and other species with various 

 Tree Figs are prominent. Above 1000 m. Lauraceae and Fagaceae are the 

 dominant types but Schima Noronhae Reinw., Echinocarjms dasycarpus 

 Benth., Elaeocarpiis japonicus S. & Z., E, decipiens HemsL, Crataera 

 religiosa Forst. and other interesting trees are plentiful. All are lofty with 

 clean boles, many of them buttressed at the base. Araliaceae of which 

 Aralia hypolcvca Presl, Fatsia polycarpa Hay, Oreopanax formosana Hay., 

 Heptapleunim arhoricohim Hay., //. racemosnm Bedd. and //. octophylbim 

 Benth. arc noteworthy, and with Ardisia Sieboldii ^liq. and Rapanca 

 neriifolia Mez and various species of Symplocos, Eurya, Thea and 

 Osmanthus are the most common of the small trees forming the under- 

 growth. A Biuiana {Musa formosana Hay.) and Alocasia viacrorrhiza 

 Schott are abundant and impart a tropical appearance to the forest flora. 

 The interesting Ilelicia formosana Hemsl., Tiirpinia argida Seem., T. 

 nepalensis Wall, and various Tree Ferns are common and so is Debregea- 

 sia eduUs Wedd., a species of Stachyuriis, and the dwarf Palm, Didymo- 

 sperma Engleri Warb. The steeper the mountains the denser the forest on 

 the floor of which Ferns in great variety luxuriate. Lianas such as Calamus 

 Margaritae lliince, Mucuna fcrruginea Matsum., Ecdysanthcra rosea Hook. 

 & Arn., E. idilisjiay, climb to the tops of the tallest trees, and such root- 

 climbers as Hydrangea Integra Hay. and Pileostegia urceolata Hay. and 

 climbing Figs like F, pnmila L., F.foveolata Wall, and F. aivkcofsang Hay. 

 clothe their trunks and main branches. Such epiphytic Orchids as Dendro- 

 bium, Bulbophyllum, Cirrhopetalum, Cymbidium, in many species abound, 

 and in the south grows the lovely Phalaenopsis Aphrodife Reich. In more 

 open and drier forests the few deciduous trees mentioned early in tliis article 

 are to be found. The Alder is the most plentiful and in o])en places forms 

 pure woods. An Elm ( Ulmus'Uyematsui Hay.) is plentiful above altitudes 

 of 1000 m. in mixed forests and grows to a large size. Several species of 

 Maple grow in this forest zone but are small trees, and this also applies to 

 the species of Carpinus. At quite low altitudes Bischofia javanica Bl. is 

 common and has a short very thick trunk and massive branches forming a 

 wide-spreading crown. The Liquidambar is also common and so too are 

 an Ash {Fraxinus formosana Hay.), Trema orientalis BL, Rhus javanica L. 

 and Primus punctata Hook. f. In rather open country round ^lusha, in 

 central Formosa, a Cherry {Prunus stibhirtella var. ascendens Wils.) is quite 

 a feature in early March, and associated with it grows Prunus niumcS. & Z. 

 the favorite " Plum-blossom " of the Chinese and Japanese. In the dense 

 forests on steep slopes near Musha the lovely Prunus cainpanulafa ]Maxim. 

 is common and when in flower its red blossoms are seen to great advantage 

 against the dark foil of surrounding evergreen trees. Other handsome 

 flowering trees of this zone are the red-flowered Illicium arborescens Hay. 

 and the white-flowered Michelia compressa Maxim, both of them witli fra- 

 grant flowers. Several species of Styrax all small trees or large bushes, in- 

 cluding S. formosanum Matsum., S. Matsumurae Perk., S. suberifolinm 



