CHAPTER IV. 



Flora of British Honduras. First impressions of the country. Mangrove- 

 trees. Characteristics of vegetation of the interior dependent on geolo- 

 gical features. Underlying strata. How deposited. Geological floor. 

 Glacial action. Icebergs. Reasons for adopting glacial theory. Pine- 

 ridge country. Vegetation. Pine-trees, pimento-thatch, crabboe, 

 haha. Distribution of pine-ridges. Use of pine-wood. White and 

 yellow pine. Resin and turpentine from pine-trees. How to extract 

 turpentine. Cohune-ridge. Cohune-palm. Description : leaves, 

 stem, and fruit. Cohune seeds. Oil. Timber-trees. Mahogany. 

 Value of export. Common cedar. Logwood. Sapodilla. Santa Maria. 

 Fiddle-wood. Rosewood. Salmwood. Braziletto. Ironwood. 

 Mahoe. Numerous undetermined woods. Locust-tree. Cashaw. 

 Edible candle-tree. Palms. Orchids. Ferns. 



THE flora of British Honduras, from its relations, on the one 

 hand, to the Continental forms of Central America, as well as 

 to those of the neighbouring West Indian Archipelago, might 

 naturally be expected to exhibit many types common to these 

 districts, in addition to not a few peculiar to it, on account of 

 the exceptional conditions of soil and climate which obtain 

 therein. The first impressions of a visitor to British Honduras 

 are associated with the almost continuous growth of mangrove- 

 trees, which, covering the numerous " cays," or small islands out 

 in the offing, have also taken entire possession of the low coast- 

 line on the mainland, tending to give the country, from the out- 

 side, a densely wooded appearance. These extensive forests of 

 mangrove in themselves are useful for no purpose whatever, 

 if we except the fact that the bark of some species is used for 

 tanning purposes. Where, however, through the agency of the 

 mangrove-trees, soil has accumulated, and land has been formed, 



