Flora of Krakatau 27 



As we approached the east coast of Krakatau we noticed with 

 growing amazement the remarkable progress made by the vegetation. 

 Almost the whole south side, from the beach to the summit and 

 to the edge of the steep promontory, is covered with green. On the 

 south-east coast, where we first thought of landing, a belt of forest 

 runs parallel to the shore in which we could recognise from a distance 

 numerous grey-green Oasuarina trees. Further to the south rose the 

 dark green leaves of coconut palms in association with slender broad- 

 leaved trees bearing whorls of branches. Isolated trees and shrubs 

 were seen on the low-lying ground which rises gradually to the base 

 of the conical mountain ; in some of the ravines half-way up the hill 

 they form patches of forest, reappearing as scattered plants on the 

 higher ridges and on the peak. 



At six o'clock the anchor was let go and after waiting impatiently 

 we took the boat over the pumice-strewn water to the level beach. 

 Here at the upper limit of the tide-swept zone (PI. IV., fig. 3) we 

 examined the material which the waves are constantly throwing up 

 on to the desolate shore. Amongst the debris of tree stems and 

 broken branches, with which the beach is covered, blocks of coral of 

 all sizes are scattered over the loose surface of pumice, in which one 

 sinks ankle-deep at each step, mixed with brown sea-weeds, broken 

 univalve and bivalve shells and green balls of algae. Fruits and seeds 

 of land-plants are mixed in abundant variety with the flotsam of the 

 waves : the cases of many of them, decayed beyond recognition or 

 completely rubbed off, afford striking evidence of a long and stormy 

 voyage. Some, on the other hand, are absolutely fresh, as if recently 

 fallen from the tree. 



Several of the fruits have germinated and are anchored by long 

 tap-roots to the ground ; others have been bored or completely 

 hollowed out by animals, particularly those of the coconut, the 

 largest of the drift-fruits. The ovate fruits of Cerbera Odottam, 10 cm. 

 [3'9 inches] in length, are met with in abundance ; the outer coat has 

 usually been removed, laying bare the loose floating tissue consisting 

 of a felted mass of slender fibres. The brownish-black ribbed fruits 

 of a strand-palm, Nipa fniticaus, frequently occur ; also the 

 irregularly angular seeds from the golden yellow fruits of Carapa 

 which reach the size of a man's head, single fruits and pieces 

 of the inflorescence of Pandanus, the large four-sided fruits of 

 Barriugtonia speclosa, the flat boat-shaped kernels of Term'malia 

 Catappa, spherical fruits of CalophyUwn, the drupe-like seeds of 

 Cycas, and many other large and small fruits and seeds. On the 

 previous day we had collected almost the same set of fruits and seeds 

 on the shores of the coral islands Edam and Pajoeng in the Java 



