APPENDIX 531 



As demonstrating that tropical seeds can be transported unharmed by 

 currents through cold latitudes, it should be noted that all these experi- 

 ments were conducted in England. In the cases of the Keeling Atoll 

 seeds the experiment was carried on through a very severe winter, the vessel 

 of sea-water being exposed to a degree of cold that kept fresh-water 

 frozen for three weeks on the same table. This did not prevent the 

 subsequent germination of the seeds of Thespesia populnea and Ipomea 

 grandiflora. The same thing was established in a more natural way by 

 Lindman, who planted seeds of Entada scandens and Mucuna urens, that 

 had been stranded on the Norwegian coast, and found that they retained 

 their germinating capacity (see Sernander, p. 7). 



The following are the seeds or seed-vessels that remained afloat after 

 a year's flotation in sea-water, those that subsequently germinated being 

 preceded by G. In the other cases the germinating capacity was not 

 tested ; but they were always sound in appearance when cut across at the 

 close of the experiment. 



G Thespesia populnea (Malvaceae) 



Dioclea (violacea ?) (Papilionaceae) 

 G Mucuna gigantea, DC ,, 



G Mucuna urens, DC ,, 



Mucuna, sp. 



Mucuna, sp. 



G Strongylodon lucidum, Seem. ,, 



Sophora tomentosa, ' 



G Caesalpinia bonducella (Caesalpinieae) 



Entada scandens (Mimoseae) 



Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae) 



Scaevola Koenigii (Goodeniacese) 



Cordia subcordata (Boragineae) 



Tournefortia argentea 

 G Ipomea grandiflora, Lam. (Convolvulaceae) 



Tacca pinnatifida (Taccaceae) 



NOTE 4 (page 13) 



TABLE ILLUSTRATING THE DEGREE OF BUOYANCY OF THE SEEDS AND 

 FRUITS OF INLAND FIJIAN PLANTS 



(Unless otherwise indicated, the seeds or fruits sink at once or in a day or two) 



v/Abrus precatorius. Barringtonia edulis (i month) 



Acacia Richii. 

 . Ageratum conyzoides. 



Alphitonia excelsa. 



Alpinia sp. 



Alyxia (scandens ? ). 



Artocarpus incisa. 



, , integrifolia. 



sp. 



Bauhinia sp. 

 Bischoffia javanica. 

 Caesalpinia sp. 

 Calophyllum spectabile (2-4 weeks). 



Cananga odorata. 



Burmanni (4-10 days). 



M M 2 



