160 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



^ Twelve years ago I introduced Leucena glauca, 

 a handsome naturalized tree, into my grounds, but 

 finding that it spread by means of its seeds until 

 it became an unmitigated nuisance I dug it out 

 entirely. Ever since its seeds have been coming 

 up by thousands and there is a prospect that they 

 will continue to do so for many years to come. 

 Elsewhere I have mentioned the fact that seeds 

 sometimes fall before they are mature and that 

 they no doubt ripen afterwards while lying in the 

 ground. This is probably the case with Leucena; 

 a few only are ripe when they fall and they at 

 once come up, while the rest slowly mature and 

 grow through a long series of years. 



I have noticed a curious thing in connection 

 with the germination of the seeds of our wild 

 papaw. When I first occupied my home it did not 

 grow in my hammock but in a year or two an 

 immense number of seedlings sprang up which in 

 two or three years became small trees and bore 

 abundant fruit. As it is short lived the plants 

 quickly matured and began to die, so in a few years 

 not one could be found. The seeds which pro- 

 duced this crop of trees were undoubtedly in the 

 ground when I came, and had sprung from a 



