340 ZONES AND REGIONS [Pt. Ill, Sect. I 



Nevertheless, as was stated before \ saprophytic fungal vegetation in 

 tropical forests is much less striking than it is in the cool forests of higher 

 latitudes, for in the tropics it is chiefly composed of small and even 

 microscopic forms, and includes but few large Hj-menomycetes. Alfred 

 jMoller, in his mj^cological contributions from South Brazil -, has, however, 

 proved that very striking and large forms of fungi are not wanting among 

 tropical humus- plants. 



Phanerogamic saprophytes are in the number of species much more 

 numerous between the tropics than beyond them, and are largely inhabi- 

 tants of the dampest and shadiest rain-forest. Yet even there they do 

 not strike the eye, but this is partly due to the fact tliat the commonest 

 species are for the most part very small and delicate, so that even when 

 very numerous the}' do not make much show. The few larger forms — 

 those about the size of our Neottia or of Monotropa are to be reckoned 

 amongst them — as far as my observations go, occur only singl_\-, whilst 

 many of the small forms grow socially and occur sporadicall}- in abundance i 

 for instance the orchidaceous Wullschlagelia aphylla and the burmanni- 

 aceous Apteria setacea, in Dominica ; the gontianaceous Voyria trinitatis' 

 in Trinidad ; Lecanorchis javanica and Burmannia (Gonyanthes) Candida 

 neither of which is quite devoid of chloroph\-ll. in Java. These, howeverl 

 are isolated productions. I have often roamed for hours through tropica] 

 rain-forests in America and Java without seeing a single phanerogami 

 saprophyte ^. 



The saproph)'tes of the tropical rain-forest occur both on firm, mainlv 

 mineral, soil which is however permeated with humus-solutions, as wel 

 as on loose, slightly decomposed mould and on still coherent thougl 

 rotting stems and branches. Thus, in Dominica, we found Burmanni; 

 capitata on decomposing stems and branches, and the sole habitat o 

 which I found Epipogon nutans in Java was the rotten trunk of a tre( 

 which in Germany might have led me to expect Buxbaumia indusiat 

 but not a saprophytic orchid. I found however on this trunk, crowde 

 together as in a nest, twenty specimens of this remarkable Epipogon in a 

 stages of development. 



In respect to their occurrence as revealed by the naked eye, holoparasite 

 show relations not ver}- different from those presented by saprophytes, bi 

 large forms are more frequent among them. Eor instance, I observe 

 far more numerous large parasitic Pol}-poreae on trees than large sapn 

 phytic fungi. Among phanerogamic parasites, as among saprophyte 

 social species are common. This is, for instance, true to a large extei 

 of the Javanese Balanophora elongata, but I know this plant onlj' in tl' 



^1 



' See p. 226. - Alt'. Mollcr, II-V. 



^ Even the sharp eyes of Pa-ldang, the excellent guide to the Javanese forest, could 

 in such cases discover ' white orchids.' 



1 



