FOREST GROWTH 105 



enough to contain the whole population, all church-goers, 

 the school, mission-house, and palace. A row of graves, 

 made tomb-like with slabs of coral, runs down the 

 middle of the main street. The whole of this sandy flat 

 is covered with rich forest growth (Fig. 28), cocoanut 

 palms in all stages, from the young plant just sprouting 

 from the shell to the ancient of the groves, 80 feet in 

 height, bearing heavy clusters of ripe fruit beneath its 



FIG. 28. Forest Scene in Funafuti. 



crown of feathery fronds ; pandanus, with its strange 

 adventitious roots and truculent sword-shaped leaves, 

 broken in the middle ; the laurel-like Nono (Morinda 

 citrifolia) ; and the " Nya " tree (Pemphis), with its 

 heavy stem of hard red wood, and delicate foliage. 

 Ferns abound, and some brightly-coloured flowering 

 plants; an Abutilon, which puts forth fresh blossoms 

 day by day ; and a handsome bean, which trails through 



