148 



Chagos Archipelago. 



The flora of this group has been little investigated, as com- 

 pared with that of the Laccadives and Maldives; but, so far 

 as it is known, it is of quite the same character and composition. 

 A sample is afforded by the following list of plants collected 

 by Dr. A. G. Bourne in Diego Garcia in 1885. Absence of 

 mangroves and presence of 6 species of ferns is noteworthy; but 

 it should be borne in mind that the list has no claim whatever 

 to completeness. Several evidently introduced species are 

 omitted : — 



Sida diffusa, Triumfetta procumbens, Suriana maritima, 

 Terminalia Catappa, Morinda citrifolia, Guettarda speciosa, 

 Vernonia cinerea, Ageratum conyzoides, Scaevola Koenigii, 

 Ochrosia borhonica, Asclepias curassavica, Cordia subcordata, 

 Toumefortia argentea, Ipomoea (Calonyction) quadriflora, I. 

 biloba, Herpestes Monniera, Stiiga hirsuta, Lippia nodiflora, 

 Stachytarpheta indica, Premna serratifolia, Boerhaavia diffusa, 

 Pisonia inermis, Achyranthes aspera, Rivina laevis, CassytJta 

 filiformis, Hernandia peltata, H. ovigera, Euphorbia pilulifera, 

 Phyllanthus Niruri, Acalypha indica, Casuarina equiseti folia, 

 Cyperus ligularis, Kyllinga monocephala, Fimbristylis glome- 

 rata, Digitaria horizontals, Stenotaphrum complantum, 

 Asplenium aequabile, A. longissimum, A. falcatum, A. Nidus, 

 N ephrodium unitum, Pteris marginata and Psilotum triquetrurn. 



The plants of the foregoing list were the subject of a paper 

 by the writer, for particulars of which see bibliography, and 

 the specimens are in the Kew Herbarium. Noteworthy facts 

 are the total absence of Rubiaceae, except the widely dispersed 

 Morinda citrifolia, and Guettarda speciosa, and the presence 

 of ferns* 



Plants Reported from the Smaller Islands Indicated 



Below, but not from Aldabra. 



Hibiscus Hornei — Gloriosa. 

 Oxalis nr. 0. villosa — Cosmoledo. 

 Hippocratea sp. nova? — St. Pierre. 

 Canavalia obtusifolia — Assumption, Cosmoledo. 

 Afzelia bijuga — Coetivy, Agalega . 

 I)es manthus virga tus — Providence . 

 Breaia madagascariensis — St. Pierre, 

 Terminalia Catappa — -St. Pierre. 

 Barringtonia speciosa — Amirn ntes. 



Cucumis tricjonus — Gloriosa. 

 Vernonia cinerea — Amirantes. 

 Ochrosia borbonica — Providence. 

 Ipomoea glaberrima — Providence, Gloriosa. 

 Striga hirsuta — Providence. 

 Nesogenes prostrata— Agalega. 

 Celosia phytolacci folia — Assumption. 

 Hernandia peltata — Providence, Amirantes. 

 Cassytha filiformis — Assumption, Cosmoledo, Astove,. 

 Providence, Gloriosa. 



Pipturus argenteus — Agalega. 



