FORMS OF VEGETATION. ' 409 



species of anthurium, growing like parasites on trees, various 

 species of caladium and others ; from the widely known and 

 useful mamure {Carludovica) , which furnishes the settlers with 

 natural twine and rope, down to the dumb-cane (Dieffenbachid) 

 and smaller aroids growing on river-sides, together with the 

 curious cy clan thus — all are equally interesting and attractive. 

 Tanias and seguines belong to this form. An interesting plant 

 of this class is the Montrichardia, the largest of all, covering our 

 half -salt, brackish swamps for miles : its seeds supply a sort of 

 chestnut, which certainly no one would have expected. 



Lianes. — We have already had occasion to observe how rich 

 our forests are in this form — the truly distinctive feature of the 

 tropical woods. A great number of families supply examples — 

 the most prominent being bignonias, malpighiaceae, bauhinias, 

 and dilleniacese : they assume all possible forms, sometimes being 

 twisted together like ropes, or flattened like tapes; sometimes 

 they creep up the highest trees, thence to hang down in elegant 

 festoons, or coil around the stems, like giant serpents, attempting 

 to stifle their supporters. A few run along the ground, their 

 hooks and thorns catching or tearing the incautious hunter, who, 

 in return, has honoured them with the appellation of Boyaux- 

 Diable (devil's-guts) and Crocs-ckien (dog's-teeth). Others hang 

 a few feet only from the ground, in readiness to cut and tear 

 the clothes of the treader of their mazes. A great many, on the 

 other hand, supply, in case of need, as I have more than once 

 experienced during my rambles in our forests, an abundance of 

 fresh water of a deliciously cool and refreshing quality. A 

 large proportion of our lianes bear the finest flowers ; I need 

 only mention the bignonias, dolichos, norantea, the passion-flowers, 

 and the securidaca. 



Aloes. — There is but one plant here as a representative of 

 this form — the agave — which grows principally at the Bocas 

 islands, in great numbers and with much vigour. 



Grasses — mainly arborescent. — Although the bamboo, which 

 chiefly represents this form in our island, is a foreigner, yet it 

 has spread all over the colony to such an extent that it becomes, 

 in many places, an indispensable adjunct to our island landscape. 

 We possess, however, an indigenous bamboo, which may be seen 

 at Caroni, Chaguanas, and Couva, and also the elegant chusquea, 

 which we have noticed on the Tocuche, 



