1891 ] , A Visit to the West Indies. 135 



Even composites are scarce. Of Cacteae I observed Opuntia 

 Tuna common along the coast; O. coccincllifera and O. 

 Ficus-indica, introduced around dwellings, Mclocactus com- 

 munis/\r\ arid places; C en us gr audi [flows and one or two other 

 trailing or climbing Cerci ; C. Sivartzii and Opuntia spina- 

 sissima. The last two species were particularly abundant on 

 the palisades, an extremely sandy tongue of land, at the end 

 of which is Port Royal. O. spino sissima sometimes grows to 

 the height of 25 feet and is truly a tree cactus, the straight 

 and frightfully spiny trunk being crowned by a spreading or 

 pendent series of oblong joints. C. Swartzii (botanically so 



J 



or 30 feet 



and has the habit of C. gigrantea. It is used extensively for 



hedges, being planted very close and kept trimmed to a given 

 height. Another hedge plant much used is the Pinguin. 13 



Euphorbia antiquorum is introduced in many places, es- 

 pecially in the Bahamas, and where established, often occu- 

 pies considerable area to the exclusion of everything else, 

 forming a prickly and impenetrable thicket ten or fifteen feet 

 in heighv. 



On Eleuthera and some of the neighboring islands grows a 

 species of Agave A with the flower stalk 25 or 30 feet high. 

 This is, curiously enough, called '' 4 bamboo" by the natives. 



The real bamboo is extensively naturalized in Jamaica, and 

 is used for a variety of purposes. Many of the huts are made 

 by weaving the split bamboos into upright posts and thatched 

 with "cane " (sugar cane) or wild cane. 14 Baskets and other 

 small articles are made from the finely split culms; drinking 

 cups and other vessels from the closed joints; fences, includ- 

 ing the posts, are largely made from this grass. 



To me one of the greatest curiosities of the flora was the 

 mangrove l 6 swamps. These have been frequently described 

 but must be seen to be appreciated. We saw a very fine 

 grove at Port Morant, at the head of the bay and lining each 

 side of a small river which enters it at that point. From the 

 outside it presented a most beautiful bank of glossy, dark- 

 green leaves, reaching to the water's edge. Inside, however, 

 one sees about as dismal a view as can be imagined. I he 

 trees all perched on spider legs, through whose intricacies a 



13 Bromelia I'inguin. (Bromel.) 

 14 Arundosp. (Gram.) 



1B Khizophora Mangle. (Rhizoph.) 



