Botanical Notices from Java. 469 
LVI.—Journey through Java, descriptive of its Topography and 
Natural History. By Dr. Fr. Junauunn*. 
[Continued from p. 48. ] 
‘Tuts same species of tree (Thibaudia varingiefolia), but decreasing 
more and more in size, accompanied us to the highest summit, which 
we reached by climbing along a rocky wall, descending perpendicu- 
larly in a westerly direction, and extending for about 500 feet at a 
height of not more than thirty to forty feet; but a cleft overgrown with 
shrubs extends at its base far lower down the mountain. On this jour- 
ney the author also saw, amongst other gigantic fig-trees, one of fifty 
feet in circumference. They have not however the imposing appear- 
ance of other gigantic trees, as their short trunks are soon lost in 
thick branches, not of compact masses, but made up of a thousand 
single stems and air roots, forming a kind of trellis-work, or an ag- 
glomeration of columns. The author likewise saw, upon the Unga- 
rang, another gigantic tree, apparently also belonging to the genus 
Ficus, with a trunk of about forty feet in height, and thirty to 
thirty-five feet in circumference, with immense polyp-like branches. 
The author observes, with respect to the richness of the flora of 
this mountain, that it would require at least two months to examine 
a space of 300 square feet; whereas he could only remain two days. 
A single tree, with its hundreds of parasitic plants, of the most 
varied families, would alone require a longer time. 
Upon the Lawu were Casuarina forests ata height of 4200 Paris 
feet. ‘They consisted of Casuarina equisetifolia, and formed, in iso- 
lated groups, small woods with sharply defined limits, which scattered 
here and there rise upon the grassy slopes, and alternate with more 
shady, dark green woods. From the extremities of their boughs hang 
down, yards long, the articulated sheathed branches, floating in 
the wind. They thus give to the locality a peculiarly lovely and 
beautiful physiognomy, such as the author had not before seen in 
Java, and which reminded him of the pine-forests of the northt. 
The ground in these forests is only occasionally barren, and covered 
with the fallen dry branches, just as in a larch-wood. It is also 
covered with species of Rubus, Viburnum, Gnaphalium, and masses of 
lofty Allang. 
At the same time the author found a Casuarina-tree, built in so 
as to form a kind of temple in the ruins of Bundentjeddo. The 
building-stones consisted of trachytic lava, and inclosed the tree 
closely. The trunk was three feet in diameter and about ninety feet 
in height. The author reckoned that these ruins must have existed 
before 4.p. 1400, as Mohamedanism was introduced into Java shortly 
after that period, and he conjectures that the tree must now be 
above 600 years old. Upon another spot were Casuarina-trees, sur- 
rounded by the darkest and most shady oak-forests, whose fresh 
* Translated from the ‘ Botanische Zeitung’ for Sept. 29, Oct. 3, 10, 17 
and 24, 1845. 
+ M. Junghuhn is a German, and comes from the Hartz. 
