PLANTS FIRST KNOWN FROM GUAM. 63 



Very little is known of the algae, and still less of the fungi, lichens, 

 mosses, and hepatics of the island. 



'As in every part of the tropical world, there is much uncertainty 

 about the various forms of cultivated yams, aroids, bananas, plantains, 

 and breadfruit, and complete botanical specimens of these should be 

 obtained, together with photographs of the growing plants, their 

 flowers, fruits, and roots, and notes of the odor of the flowers and 

 flavor of the fruit or roots. Similar work should be done on the screw 

 pines of the island in order that careful comparisons may be made 

 with the species and well-defined varieties from other parts of the 

 world. Notes of particular methods of propagation, cultivation, and 

 preparation for use are also valuable. The bamboos are not definitely 

 known, and the entire genus Ficus, which includes the banyans, 

 remains to be worked up. Special efforts should be made to get photo- 

 graphs of flowering bamboos and aroids. 



GUAM TYPES. 



To the botanical collector the most desirable species are those which 

 were first described from type specimens collected on this island. 

 Some of these original types are in very poor condition or are incom- 

 plete, lacking fruit or flowers or leaves from various parts of the 

 plant or a representation of one of the sexes, and the identity of others 

 is not well established, owing to the lack of a sufficient number to form 

 a series for comparison with closely allied species from other locali- 

 ties. The handsome caper growing on the rocky shores of the island 

 (Capparis mariana Jacq.) is supposed to be a variety of Capparis 

 spinosa,' a Claoxylon marianum Mull. Arg. is very closely allied to 

 Claoxylon taitense of Tahiti; Ipomoea mariannensis, a plant which has 

 never been figured, should be compared with the American Ipomoea 

 triloba; the epiphytal fleshy -leaved Dischidia puberula should be com- 

 pared with Dischidia benghalensis, for which it was first mistaken by 

 Gaudichaud; the fragrant Gynopogon torresianus of Guam should be 

 compared with the allied species from other Pacific islands; a series 

 of specimens of Melastoma marianum should be secured for compari- 

 son with the closely allied Melastoma denticulatum and M. malabatJi- 

 rlcum of Polynesia and the East Indies. The Guam Pipers and 

 Peperomias need further study, and the Guam types of species of 

 Ochrosia, Cormigonus, Phyllanthus, Glochidion, Euphorbia, and the 

 hispid-leaved, yellow-flowered Stemmodontia canescens should also be 

 secured. 



YAMS, BANANAS, AND BREADFRUIT. 



Many distinct kinds of yams (Dioscorea), bananas (Musa), and 

 breadfruit (Artocarpus) are recognized wherever these plants are cul- 



See Schumann, Flora deutschen ost-asiatischen Schutzgebietes, p. 201, 1888. 



