586 Forestry Quarterly. 



MoLAVE TypS. 



Throughout this type, molave (Vitex parviflora) is fairly well 

 distributed. The type occupies a topography similar to that on 

 which the yacal-lauan type is found, except that in a great major- 

 ity of cases the underlying rock is usually limestone rather than 

 volcanic in nature. The low limestone hills, either coastal or bord- 

 ering large uplifted river valleys, are usually composed of crystal- 

 line coral limestone with a honeycombed structure. These rocks 

 are generally covered by shallow or very scanty soil, and this, 

 together with their honeycombed nature, makes the habitat a very 

 dry one. It is roughly estimated that the area covered by this 

 type comprises some 4,000 square miles (1,036,000 hectares — 2,- 

 558,920 acres). The trees are the most valuable in the Philip- 

 pines, and are easily accessible for exploitation. This has brought 

 about the more or less complete destruction of the original forest, 

 and so it is very difficult to analyze the true nature of the vegeta- 

 tion. From the study of virgin and nearly virgin areas, however, 

 the following characteristics seem to be most general. The for- 

 est is open. Its large trees are few and far apart, with the inter- 

 vening spaces filled with small trees, or by a jungle growth usually 

 of sprawling, climbing, or small erect bamboos. With a few ex- 

 ceptions, the dominant trees are short boled, irregular to very 

 irregular in form, and with wide-spreading crowns. The forest 

 has a decidedly deciduous foliage, almost entirely so on rough 

 topography in regions where the dry season is pronounced. The 

 composition of the type varies in different parts of the Islands. 



In some expressions of the type, the following are among the 

 dominant trees present : molave, dungon, tindalo, supa, batete, ipil, 

 acle, banuyo, alupag, bansalaguin, calantas, lanete, mancono, bat- 

 itinan, spiny narra, narra, and liusin. Of the smaller species, the 

 following may occur: ebony, camagon, kuyus-kuyus and cana- 

 fistula. It must not be supposed, however, that all these species 

 occur in any one locality. Indeed, the reverse is the case. Man- 

 cono, for instance, in merchantable quantities, is restricted to 

 northeastern Mindanao and adjacent islands. Supa, likewise, 

 is found in Tayabas and Ambos Camarines ; narra, calantas, and 

 acle are usually scattered along the hill streams. Distinct forms 

 of this type are sometimes present on dry hills of hard volcanic 

 rock — hills too dry to support any forest but members of this 



