143 



p 



A later collection from Dupoiit adds: Gouania tiliaefolia, 

 •{xagnebina tamariscina, Evolvulus alsinoides and Clerodendron 

 minutiflorum. A species of Oralis (near 0. villosa, Baker, a 

 Madagascar species) was collected. This genus is not recorded 

 from any of the other islands. 



ASTOVE. 



Baty states that " the forest of A stove is composed of iorest 

 trees and flowers of Madagascar, Their growth is very stunted, 

 but very thick, especially along a belt of 200 ft. near the 

 lagoon. The commonest of all the trees is the Bois D'Ainande M 

 — Pent phis acidula. 



Dupont's contribution to the Botany of Astove is limited to 

 39 species in his Distribution Table. These include Hibiscus 

 tiliaceus, Thespesia populnea, Apodytes mauritiana, Colubrina 

 asiatica, Scutui Com mer&onii, Schtnidelia africana, Macpher- 

 sonia mad agascariensis , Cordia sub cor data, Solatium aldabrense, 

 Astephanus arcnarius, Avicennia marina, Pisonia macrophylla. 

 Ficus nautarum, F. aldabrensis, Cassytha filiformis, Gasuarina 

 eqiiiseti folia, Lomatoplt yllvm borbonicum, Dracaena reflcxa and 

 Asparagus umbellulatus . It will be realised that several of 

 the plants named are common to Aldabra and not ordinary 

 littoral types. It may be noted, too, that no true mangrove is 

 recorded. Fox collected Panicum maximum, a widely culti- 



vated species, in this island, no. 285. 



Fryer has the following paragraph: — "The bush in places 

 resembles Aldabra Pemphis scrub, and in others the open 

 country of Assumption. It was very bare aud dead during my 

 visit, and hardly a score of plants were obtained in flower, 

 though during the dry season it is supposed to be the most 

 luxuriant of all the Aldabra series." He collected specimens 

 of: Polanisia strigosa. Cap pari* galeata. Plumbago aphylla, 

 Sarcostem ma riminale, Ipomoea biloba, Erolvulus alsinoides, 

 Hy poesies aldabrensis, Asystasia coromandeliana and Boerhaa- 

 via diffusa. 



Fabquhap . 



The little that is known of the vegetation of these islands 

 points to no peculiarities. Dupout has nothing on record. 

 Concerning Farquhar, Gardiner says of South Island, " Al- 

 though the islands are so close to Madagascar the plants were 

 again the same as those of Chagos and Coctivy. The coco-nuts 

 of North Island had been nearly all blown down by a hurricane 

 in 1893, but were still growing, having bent up through an 

 angle of 90°, leaving 10 to 15 ft. of their stems lying prone on 

 the ground. Near them were great groves of Casuarina." 

 Pemphis, Scacvola and Tovrnefortia, etc., appear in the 

 illustrations. 



Providence. 



A sample of the flora of Providence, collected by Dr. R. W. 

 Coppinger, on the cruise of the " Alert/' 1878-82, follows 

 here: — Sida carpinifolia. S. spinosa, Abutilon indicum, Tnum- 

 fetta procumbent Cassia occidental is y Desman thus virgatus, 



