liicri'iufiita florao jamaii^onsis. 87 



distances. For instauce, one may pass from the southerii slopes of 

 tho John Crow Peak of tho Blue Mountains at about 5500 ft., whore 

 xerophytic conditious sometimes occur and often cold nights with 

 temperatiire down to 50 ^ F., round the shoukler to the north and 

 straight down 3000 ft. to the 3Iabess River where there is ahnost 

 constant rain, continual nioisture from a perennial stream and a warm 

 temperature at nights. 



The geological structure of the Blue Mountains disti'ict is termed 

 hy the geologist, Sawkixs, the Metamorphosed Series, and consists 

 Chief ly of brittle shale, easily decomposing, with occasional masses of 

 coral limistone, marble, grauite etc. interspersed. 



There is a ränge of mountains close to the east eud, runuing in 

 a northerly and southerly direction, rising to au elevation of 2100 ft. 

 The coast in the neighbourhood is rocky, and continnes so for some 

 distance to the west of Port Antonio. These mountains, known as 

 the John Crow Mountains or Blake Mts., are so wet, and the lime- 

 stone rock is so difficult to travel over, that it is believed only one 

 white man has ever crossed them. Nathaniei. Wilson may have col- 

 lected on the slopes of these mountains on the east side, or ou the 

 southerly slopes, some of the species that have not beeu found since. 



The limestone rock of these mountains occurs over the greater 

 part of Jamaica, and in large districts it has disintegrated so as to 

 form, as in the John Crow Mts., such a series of precipitous cliffs 

 that it is impossible to travel through it. The so-called „Cockpit couutry" 

 is of this nature, and it is in such places that new species of plauts 

 may uaturally be looked for. I sent Mr. Harris several times to col- 

 lect in tliis Cockpit country from Troy as a base, and the nuinber of 

 new species found fuUy justified my expectations. 



In consequence of the restricted areas in which so many species 

 are found, it is no wonder that several collected by botanists in former 

 days — SwARTz, Plrdik, Wullsculaegel, Wilsox etc. — have not 

 beeil met with since. Peltostigma pteleoides hixs only siivvived^ bccausc 

 the wood in which it grows, is near a large school, and was bouglit 

 by the school trustees to prevent it from being let to negro peasaiits 

 wherein to cultivate their yams. 



Ranunculaceae. 

 Raiiimeulus cuix'iisis Griseb. Cat. (1866) p. 1. 



Anonaceae. 

 Aiiona .ianiaieciisis Sprague (n. sp.) in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 11 ser. Y 

 (1905) p. 701 =, .4. sericca Griseb. Flor. p. 5 (quoad plant, jam., non 

 Dun.). 



