576 



old. ^ The common balata of tiie Island, believed to bs identical in 

 species with that which is so abundant in the Guarapiche country, as 

 the wood, gum and leaf of that tree are not to be distin^uislied from ours, 

 was for forty or fifty years described by the local botanists and Grisebach 

 as the Mi .ntsops globosa Gaertn., till in 1889 it was stated by the 

 Superintendent of the Botanic Garden (on the authority of a deterniiria^ 

 tion at Kevvj to be believed to be the M. dissecta. R.Br. There is a kind 

 on the Ortoire plain having a pinkish white milk Ewenj probably a 

 different species from the better-known one. Grisebach found we had 

 both M. glo. and M. diss, in the Colony, while Prestoe, without mention- 

 ing dissecta, says after M. glo, that ^here is another indigenous Mimusops.. 

 The commercially-worked balata tree of Berbice and Paramaribo, differ- 

 ing not widely from our common kind, is the Alim. Mulleri; the wood is 

 considerably heavier and of a deeper red than ours. It grows there in 

 country much subject to flooding. The balata is found in every ward, 

 on hill and plain, in small groups in company with other trees ; but in 

 at least two quarters is gregarious and in great number. 



[0.) Silver fern. Gyiniiogramme calomelanos, Kaulf. The Gold fern is 

 also a Gymnogramme. 



(p. Vanilla. There are at least four native species, the V . plani/olia var. 

 and V. aromatica, Griseb, both odorous, and the V. anaromatica, Griseb., 

 iaodorous and worthless, the fourth is perhaps the V. lutcscens noted without 

 authority stated by Prestoe. Cruger also says there are four indigenous 

 species and and that he exhibited all. Home to!d me in 1862 there were 

 four native species then cultivated and under his charge on trees in the 

 Botanical Garden. Mr. Prestoe was confident that vanilla could be 

 profitably cultivated in the Colony, and commended it especially to the 

 attention of ladies. 



(q.) Lilies are not rare in damp and shady localities, but the 

 list of native species that have been observed is a very short one, an Agave, 

 3.n Amaryllis, ^.n Hypo.\is, z Pancratiums and an Alstrceinia comprise all my 

 list at present shews. 



(r.) Orchids. Trinidad is for its area (little larger than Hants or Som- 

 erset >, remarkably rich in this varied, curious, and often richly decked order. 

 How many species and varieties are now known to be indigenous to the 

 Island I cannot state, for probably many novel form.s have come to light 

 since the compilation of my M.S. list in 1S66 which I revised and brought 

 on to date in 1884. It shewed 161 named species, plus 16 indicated and 

 possible and 8 varieties (7 of them named) equal to a total of 185. Of the 

 predominant local form Epidendnim it had 35 species and 3 varieties. 



The latest published list is that issued from the Botanic Gardens 

 and which appeared in the Agricultural Record two years ago fiSgi), in 

 the Horlus TrinHensis, ]. H. Hart. The number of native genera therein 

 stated was 50 and of native species 75 named, plus 9 more indicated equal 

 Si (or more) sp. The native Epidcnbrinns of that list number only 12 

 (no varieties'. It is true the Hor. Trin. profe-.ses to be no more than a list 

 of the plants cultivated in the Botanic Garden at St Ann's, but it was 

 understood, some y;-ars ago, that it was the ambition of the curator to 

 have the native orchids worthily and fully represented. 



Going again through my MS. list, with care, I find it shov/s the fol- 

 lowing number of native genera, species and varieties, in so far as I have 

 learnt, say to the end of 1893 — but which must omit a good many brought 

 in or seen since 1884 : named genera 68, plus indicated and possible 17 — a 

 possible total of 85. 168 named species, 3 unnamed, 17 indicated and 

 possible, and at least 8 varieties— a total list determined and possible, of 

 19G species and varieties. There can be no doubt the Colony has more 

 {han 200 species of indigenous orchids. 



