no PLANT GEOGRAPHY 



and these are succeeded by Podocarpus and Camelliacece 

 up to 9000 feet, where trees give place to shrubby 

 V ' acciniacecB , such as Thibaudia, and to woody " ever- 

 lastings " (Gnaphalium). 



The eastward extensions of this region, marked by 

 the occurrence of Cycas, which occurs also in Japan, of 

 the various species of Nutmeg (Myristica), of Sandal- 

 wood (Santalum), and of such Palms as Rhopalostylis and 

 Kentiopsis, are interesting as linking the flora of the 

 south-east of the continent of Asia with tropical Aus- 

 tralia, New Caledonia, the Fiji Islands, and even Juan 

 Fernandez and Hawaii. 1 



TROPICAL AMERICA. Neither in Africa nor in Asia is 

 there as great a variety in the development of tropical 

 conditions or as great a wealth of endemic types as in 

 Tropical America. On the northern borders of the zone 

 we have, in Southern Mexico and Central America, 

 almost perennial rain, with the evergreen foliage, lofty 

 trees, Tree-ferns, and numerous lianes and epiphytes of 

 the true Rain-forest. Among the lianes the Palms of 

 the genus Desmoncus replace the Asiatic Calamus, the 

 Vanillas are among the many groups of endemic Orchids, 

 and Smilax is represented by many species. The 

 epiphytic Aroids Anthurium, Monstera, and Philodendron, 

 and the BvomeliacecB, among which is the Pine-apple 

 (Ananas sativus Schult.), are peculiar to America, and 

 some of the latter are epiphytic, whilst others are ter- 

 restrial. The Heliconias represent the Scitaminece of 

 India, and Carludovica, from the leaves of which are 

 plaited the so-called " Panama " hats, with other 

 Cyclanthacea, represent the Screw-pines. Many Legu- 

 minosce, such as the Logwood (Hcematoxylon campechia- 

 num L.), and Cedrelacecs, such as the Mahogany (Swie- 

 tenia Mahagoni Jacq.), are among the loftiest trees, the 

 latter recalling the African Rain-forests of Senegal and 

 Guinea. 



The West Indies are but an insular extension of this 



1 Of the genus Santalum itself, 5. album L. is Indian; 5. lanceo- 

 latum R. Br., S. obtusifolium R. Br., and 5. ovatum R. Br. are 

 Australian ; 5. austro-caledonicum Vieill. belongs to New Caledonia ; 

 S. Hornet Seem, and 5. Yasi Seem, are Fijian; 5. pyrularium A. 

 Gray and S. Freycinetianum Gaudich. are Hawaiian, the latter 

 growing also in the Marquesas and Society Islands; and the related 

 S. fernandezianum Phil, is represented apparently by one remaining 

 tree in Juan Fernandez. 



