165 



distance. The flavor of the custard-like pulp may be compared 

 to ice-cream flavored with onions. The thorny rind, by the way, 

 seems to be the only object upon which the barefoot natives 

 can not walk with impunity. 



Besides the fruits, the botanist is always interested in the 

 numerous kinds of vegetables or other plant products offered for 

 sale, sometimes along the streets, but in greater variety in the 

 large public market. There are huge corms of taro {Colocasia 

 antiqiwrum) , bread-fruit {Artocarpus incisa) and jack- fruit 

 {A. integrifolia) of all shapes and siz^s, djahe, the large rhizome 

 of the zingiberaceous Alpinia galanga, kunjir, the small rhizome 

 of Curcuma longa, hondje, a huge zingiberaceous fruit, bamboo 

 sprouts, yams, sweet potatoes, pods of the legume Parkia in- 

 termedia, manihot roots, strings of betel nuts, neat bunches of 

 sirih leaves {Piper Beth), and naturally a wide variety of plan- 

 tains and bananas. 



Neither is the use of these various tropical plants confined to 

 the natives. The vegetable stews served at rijsttafel at the 

 hotel always contained some fresh surprise, which was identified, 

 if at all, only with considerable difficulty. We found bread- 

 fruit seeds, palm pith and palm cabbage, ginger roots, various 

 sorts of unknown leaves, and even the fruits of Gnetum. 



One can not appreciate the luxuriant vegetation of the botani- 

 cal garden without some knowledge of the climate. Probably 

 in no other place is there a climate of greater uniformity. From 

 the coldest month to the warmest month, the mean temperature 

 varies only a couple of degrees. At night, the minimum tem- 

 perature is about 70°; in the middle of the day, the maximum 

 rises to about 90°. The rainfall, amounting to about 180 inches 

 in the year, shows a slight distinction of wet and dry seasons, 

 but so slight is it that it makes no appreciable difference in the 

 vegetable life. 



Day after day goes by in Buitenzorg with exactly the same 

 weather. The mornings begin clear and cool, but the steamy 

 air rapidly grows warmer, until by noon it is uncomfortably hot. 

 All morning, also, the clouds have been gathering around the 

 summit of the Salak, or the even larger Gedeh, and descending 



