58 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



ABANDONED CLEARINGS. 



Abandoned clearings are usually overgrown either with common 

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

 which have continued 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 Ackyranthes aspera, Waltheria 

 indica, Asclepias curassavica, Abutilon indicum, 8ida rhombifolia, 

 Sida acuta, Datura fastuosa, Physalis angulata, Physalis minima, 

 and Heliotropium indicum; the composites Elepliantopus sealer, 

 Elephantopus spicatus, Adenostemma viscosum, Ageratum conyzoides, 

 Glossogyne tenuifolia, and Synedrella nodiflora; Euphorbia atoto, 

 Euphorbia hirta, Phyllanthus niruri, Oxalis corniculata, and the 

 creeping, clover-like Meibomia triflora. Among the scrubby Leguini- 

 nosae are Indigofera anil, Indigofera tinctoria, Crotalaria quinque- 

 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 trifoliata}', the physic- 

 nut (Jatropha curcas); sibucao, or sappan wood (Biancaea sappari); 

 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 Abrus abrus (PL XXXII), which 

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

 (Dioscorea spinosa) (PL XLIX), which often renders the thickets 

 impenetrable; Cassythafiliformis, 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 abubo, 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- 

 phyllum inophyllum, breadfruit both seedless and sterile, coconuts, 

 Terminalia catappa, Erythrina indica, Ceiba pentandra, Tamarin- 

 dus indica, Anacardium occidentale, Cassia fistula, Crescentia alata, 

 Pandanus tectorius, Pandanus dubius, Pandanus fragrans, Cycas 

 circinalis, Annona reticulata, Canangium odoratum, Agave vivipara, 

 Adenantfiera pavonina, Pithecolobium .dulce, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, 

 Pariti tiliaceum, Herpetica 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 odoratum 

 (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 



