lOO Natural History Buli.etin. 



crrow not onlv at the water line but in the water itself with 

 their trunks often immersed to some length. Their appropri- 

 ation of land from Neptune's realm as well as the continua- 

 tion of the species is accomplished in two ways; first — By 

 the growth and spreading of the roots, which issue from the 

 parent trunk even at some distance above the water, and 

 arching downward establish themselves in the mud. Roots 

 also issue from the branches above in the manner of the 

 banyan tree. x\s a result there is an intricate tangle of 

 slender twisted roots in the m_azes of which is lodged ulti- 

 matelv a wealth of mollusks, crustaceans and sea-mosses 

 swept up \)\ the waves. Second — By aerial germination of 

 the seed, which pushes down its long radicle before it leaves 

 the parent tree, and is already well started on its career 

 before it finalh' drops down into the water, and sinks into 

 the mud. The flower is small and pale 3'ellow; the fruit is a 

 bean-like pod, 



"The Fan-palms also grow in the tangles along the 

 shore, overshadowed bv the round fleshy leaves of the ' sea- 

 grape' with its inconspicuous panicles of greenish flowers. 

 Further inland are the same tall hedges of sage-brush or 

 lantanas, with white moon-flowers and blazing passion-vines 

 trailing over them. A little further from the shore in an old 

 sugar-cane field, we found the small orange-flowered lantana 

 of our green-houses, and the coarse and gaudy Zinnia cher- 

 ished in our old-time gardens. There were several species 

 of Solanums with blue-black berries and flowers varying 

 from a small white star-like affair to a pinkish lavender wheel. 



•• The Leguminosce are omnipresent in one form or another, 

 and the showv pea-vine twined in among some wild tomato 

 plants. A species of milkweed with greenish white flowers 

 was common. 



" The Compositai, numerous and showy and, for the most 

 part, low-growing forms, have not yet been identified. 



''One peculiar tree noted along the banks had a tough, 

 corky bark and when bruised exuded a milk} , resinous fluid. 

 The flowers were fragrant and not unlike those of the orange 



