CHAPTER V 



THE FIJIAN STRAND-FLORA 



The inland extension of the beach plants. — The grouping of the coast plants. — 

 Their modes of dispersal. — The zone of change- — Summary. 



Having learned from the British flora the real significance of the 

 buoyant seed or fruit in a littoral flora, we will now return to the 

 Pacific and proceed to deal with the composition and general 

 character of the strand-plants. 



Speaking of the Malayan strand-plants, Professor Schimper 

 remarks (pp. ii, 12) that both in outward appearance and in 

 anatomical structure they are xerophilous in character, whether in 

 the case of those of the mangrove-swamp or in those of the beach. 

 Since the tropical shore-flora of the Pacific islands is essentially 

 Malayan, the identity usually extending to the species, the same 

 conclusion maybe applied to its character. The xerophilous habit 

 may show itself externally in a variety of ways, as in hairiness, 

 leaf-structure, a leathery cuticle, succulency, &c. 



From this xerophilous habit of the Pacific strand-flora we 

 should expect to find that many of the plants stray far from the 

 coast, wherever the suitable conditions for their type of organisa- 

 tion occur, whether in the inland plain or on the mountain-top. 

 This is indeed the case ; but in dealing with this subject it will be 

 necessary to discuss in some general detail the littoral floras of the 

 Fijian, Hawaiian, and Tahitian groups in succession. 



The Fijian Strand-flora 



THE inland extension OF THE BEACH PLANTS 



Viewed from the old standpoint of "station," where one would 

 distinguish sharply between the coast and the inland plants, the 

 Fijian strand-flora exhibits a number of inconsistencies, all at first 



