The Sierra Maestra. 273 



time the direct influence of the moisture-laden trade wind is ex- 

 perienced. 



Then the change is, indeed, very great, and a number of plants 

 that were not found in the low country are common. There are 

 forests of tree-ferns, palms and tree species that are not found in 

 other parts. Of the ferns generally it is impossible to give an 

 enumeration, but their great number, particularly epiphytic and 

 filmy ferns, make them, with the mosses, very striking features of 

 the landscape. The atmosphere up here is very near the precipita- 

 tion point, and it is thus an ideal environment for moisture-loving 

 plants of all kinds, and, as might be expected, they occur in ex- 

 travagant profusion. Almost every tree is covered completely with 

 epiphytes, mostly ferns, orchids and Peperomias, while on the 

 ground are large quantities of the grasses Oplismenus and Arth- 

 rostylidium, the latter often running up into the trees. 



Of the orchids, a beautiful little Pleurothallis was one of the 

 most common, some of the plants being scarcely more than two 

 inches high, and having the most wonderful tiny flowers of dark 

 red or white, or yellow-green. The genus Stelis was also well rep- 

 resented. The family Melastomaceae, represented by numerous 

 shrubs and trees, was found here, but nowhere in the lowland, except 

 in one canyon. It would not be possible in a paper of this length 

 to give a detailed account of the plants of this ridge, as the number 

 of species is very great and the time spent in the area was not at 

 all proportionate to the richness of the flora. 



On the slopes of this range occur three palms, the most com- 

 mon being of course the Royal Palm,, Roystonea regia. The other 

 two are not so plentiful, Bactris Plumieriana being local in its 

 distribution, and Geonoma dulcis only common in altitudes of 2,000 

 feet or more. Besides these there are one or two others reported, 

 and of course the Cocoa nut, Cocos nucifera, which has been intro- 

 duced and planted at the shore. 



One very interesting botanical feature of the region is the great 

 size of the trees of Ceiba pentandra that are everywhere common 

 except on the topmost ridge of the Maestra. To those who are 

 interested in the probable New World origin of this species this 

 discovery will be of interest, as it is (next to Pithecolobium) the 

 largest tree that was found, and some of the trees may possibly 

 antedate the discovery of the island. The occurrence of Citrus, 

 however, in many shady nooks of this virgin forest — certainly an 

 Old World genus — strengthens the questioned theory of the intro- 

 duction of the former from the East. 



Norman Taylor. 



