SEIFRIZ: PLANTS ON Mt. GEDEH, JAVA 295 
may find the pitcher plant, Nepenthes melamphora, with brilliant, 
purplish red, pendent pitchers. One wonders why a plant such 
as Nepenthes occurs in a locality so poor in insect life as the upper 
mountain regions of these forests. The pitcher of Nepenthes is 
a nicely planned mechanism for attracting, catching, and digest- 
ing insects, but of little use in the high altitudes of the third 
subzone where insect life is sparse. When the pitchers of 
Nepenthes are emptied they are found to contain but few and 
only small insects. As the plant thrives wonderfully well, an 
organic diet appears unnecessary. A further point of interest 
the species. In the bogs where the plant is met with under 
foot in the third subzone, it is of a very compact form not rising 
over 8 inches from the ground. In other and drier regions of 
this zone Nepenthes occurs as a liane reaching a maximum length 
of 25 feet. The tendrils are extended leaf midribs. On the 
vines few, sometimes no, pitchers are formed. Numerous tran- 
sitional forms occur between the two extreme types. 
III. Tue HERBACEOUS SUBZONE 
(7,000-8 000 feet) 
The transition from the second to the third subzone is gradual. 
The change in type of vegetation with increase in altitude is 
noticeable throughout the second subzone, the upper limits of 
which begin to assume third subzone characters. The epiphytic 
pandanaceous Freycinetia and the tall herb Strobilanthes cernuus, 
typical third subzone species, begin to appear in the upper limits 
of the second subzone, while second subzone genera, such as 
Podocarpus and the bird’s nest fern, Asplenium nidus, last far 
into the third subzone. 
The third subzone is open in character. The undergrowth, 
therefore, receives more light. Being at a high altitude the zone 
is frequently enveloped in clouds, and being, further, just below 
the gap between Gedeh and Pangerango, it is protected from 
wind. The zone is, consequently, very moist. Abundant 
light and moisture permit a luxuriant flora of tender herbs. 
The trees of the third subzone are not distinctive. The 
open forest formation is made up of tree genera which are 
characteristic of the two neighboring zones. “The second zone 
genera Quercus and Schima are abundant, and Podocarpus 
