FLORA OF BRITISH GUIANA—HITCHCOCK. 299 
a greater importance because of:the conditions favorable to increased 
profit. Sugar and its by-products constitute about three-fourths 
the value of all exports. The sugar plantations are found along the 
coast in the alluvial plain from the Pomeroon district to the Couran- 
tyne River and along the rivers for a few miles above where they 
empty into the sea. Especially are the sugar plantations found along 
the “East Coast,” the coast east of Georgetown, and the “ West 
Coast,” the coast between the Demerara and Essequibo rivers, and 
the “ East Bank” of the Demerara, for a few miles south of George- 
town. 
In recent years rice has assumed some importance as an export 
crop. Other agricultural products are coconuts, cacao, coffee, rubber 
(Hevea brasiliensis), and limes, all of minor importance. Fruits are 
grown locally but, aside from limes, are scarcely of commercial. im- 
portance. 
Cattle raising is carried on in connection with the sugar planta- 
tions, but more extensively. in the Rupununi district, an upland 
savanna region of the southern part of the colony. This is an east- 
ward extension of the great savannas of Venezuela. The cattle are 
exported to Brazil as the communication with that country by way 
of the Rio Branco and thus to Manaos is easier than through the 
forest region to the coast of British Guiana. Recently a cattle trail 
has been cut through and one or two herds of cattle have been 
brought north successfully. 
The chief native food plants of the colony are the yam (Dioscorea 
sp.), cassava (Manihot utilissima), eddo and tannia (Colocasia 
esculenta or allied species), the sweet potato (/pomaea batatas), rice 
(Oryza sativa), plantain (Musa paradisiaca), and several legumes 
such as the pigeon pea (Cajanus indicus) and the bonavist or bonny- 
vis (Dolichos lablab). The bread fruit (Artocarpus incisa) is grown 
to a limited extent. 
The common vegetables are the tomato, egg plant or boulanger, 
the okra or gumbo (Hibiscus esculentus) and several kinds of 
pumpkins and squashes. 
Peppers in great variety are much grown for flavoring and the 
sorrel or roselle ({2biscus sabdariffa) for making acid drinks. 
The flora of British Guiana has been made known chiefly through 
the collections of Jenman, who was superintendent of the Castleton 
Gardens in Jamaica from 1878 to 1879 when he came to Georgetown 
as government botanist and superintendent of the botanical garden. 
The first collections of importance were made by Schomburgk who 
made two journeys into the interior (1835-1839 and 1840-1844) the 
second for the purpose of fixing the boundaries of the colony. The 
Jenman collection forms the basis of the herbarium at the botanical 
garden of Georgetown and is known officially as the Jenman Her- 
