THE VEGETATION OF ANEGADA 



N. L. Brixton 



New York Botanical Garden 



I visited the little-known island Anegada^ in February, 19 13, in 

 company with Mr. W. C. Fishlock, then Agricultural Instructor 

 for the Virgin Islands, and in charge of the Botanical Station at 

 Road town, Tortola. The trip was made during our botanical 

 exploration of the Virgin Islands, which included the examination 

 of St. Thomas, St. Jan, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Anegada, and 

 landings upon a number of the smaller islands of the archipelago.^ 

 Anegada is the most northern and eastern island of the group, and 

 lies north of the eastward prolongation of the axis of the archi- 

 pelago. It is separated from Virgin Gorda, which lies nearly south 

 of it, by about 13 miles; the greatest depth of water between the 

 two is about 11 fathoms. Anegada is about 10 miles long and a 

 little more than 2 miles wide at its broadest part, which is near the 

 middle of the island; its highest point, which is given at 30 feet 

 on the sailing chart, is a little east of the center. Deep water 

 occurs within a few miles to the north and west, 1,100 fathoms 

 being reached about 12 miles to the southwest. The eastern 

 and central portions of the island are a nearly level limestone 

 plain, slightly eroded, but the western part is a sand plain, with 

 large saline areas and many salt ponds. There are small areas of 

 arable land, originating, in part, from the decay of the limestone, 

 more or less mixed with calcareous sand. The population at the 

 time of our visit consisted of several hundred negroes. 



While situated on the same bank as the other Virgin islands, 

 Anegada is totally different from any of them, in being wholly 

 composed of limestone and sand and rising only a little above the 

 water, the other larger Virgin islands being hills which rise to 

 elevations of 500 to 600 meters and are mostly composed of 

 eruptive rocks, although some stratified series were locally ob- 



1 Also written Anagada. 



2 Jour. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 14: 99-102. 1914. 



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