58 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



ABANDONED CLEARINGS. 



Abandoned clearings arc usually overgrown either with common 

 tropical weeds, thickets formed by hedge plants, plants once cultivated 

 which have contiiuied to grow, or indigenous species which usually 

 grow on the edge of the forest or in open places. Among the tropi- 

 cal weeds of wide distribution are Achyranthes aspera, Waltheina 

 hiilica^ jLsclepuis curasKdvica^ Aljutilon indicum^ Sida rhomhifolia^ 

 Sida acuta.. Datura /((stuosa., PJiysalii^ angulata^ Physa/is minima., 

 and Heliotropium indicam; the composites ElrpJuintopm scahei\ 

 Klephantopus spieatus, Ade^ioHtemma mscosum., Ageratum conyzoides., 

 GloHsogyne tenui folia, and Synedrella nodijiora; Euphorbia atoto, 

 Euphm'hia hirta., Phyllanthus niruri., Oxalic Gomicidata, and the 

 creeping, clover-like Meihomia triflora. Among the scrubby Legumi- 

 nosae ai'e Indigqfera anil., Indigofera tinctoria., Crotalaria qiiinque- 

 folia., Cassia tora. Cassia occidentalis., Cassia sophera., and the fine- 

 leaved Cassia, mimosoides. The principal hedge plants now forming 

 thickets are the orange berry {Triphasia trif<>liata)\ the ph>'sic 

 nut {Jatroplia curcas); sibucao, or sappan wood {Biancaea sappaii); 

 Leucaena glauca., called "" tangantangan " in Guam, and "lead tree "in 

 the British West Indies; and the well-known opoponax, Acacia farne- 

 siana., which bears yellow globular heads of fragrant flowers. 



Twining among these bushes are Ahrus ahrus (PI. XXXII), which 

 bears the tiny red-and-black seeds called crab's eyes; the spiny yam 

 {J)ioscorea sphiosa) (PI. XLIX), which often renders the thickets 

 impenetrable; Cassythajiliformis., a leafless, wiry parasite, sometimes 

 called laurel-dodder; and several Leguminosae, including the yam 

 bean, or hikamas {Cacara erosa). Among the Convolvulaceae are sev- 

 eral species of Ipomoea; Argyreia tiliaefolia, the flowers of which, 

 called ahuho., are strung into garlands by the children; and the white- 

 flowered Operculina peltata. 



On the sites of abandoned gardens are found trees, shrubs, and 

 herbaceous plants, both indigenous to the island and introduced, which 

 the natives usually plant near their houses. Among them are Calo- 

 p)kyUwn inophyllum., breadfruit both seedless and sterile, coconuts, 

 Terminalia catapp>a^ Erythrina indica, Ceiba picntandra.^ Tamarin- 

 dus indica.^ Anacardium occideiitale, Cassia fistula., Crescentia alata., 

 Pandanus tectorius., Pandanus didyius.^ Pandanus fragrans, Cycas 

 circinaUs., Annona reticulata.^ Canangimn odoratmn.. Agave vivipara., 

 Adenanthera pavonina, Pitliecolobhum, .dulce., Hibiscus 7'osa- sinensis, 

 Pariti tiliaceum., Hetpetica alata, and bunches of Job's tears {Coix 

 lachrymae-jobi) and of lemon grass (Andropogon nardus). Many of 

 these are self -propagating. The introduced Canangium odoratuni 

 (ilangilang tree), which the natives plant for the sake of its fragrant 

 flowers, is gradually spreading over the island through the medium of 

 fruit pigeons. These birds are also fond of the fruit of the ink berry 



