84 



The cabins were comfortable and water-proof and we spent 

 three nights there, a party of five botanists, and several of the 

 native foresters came to help in the day-time. The trail up is 

 through sugar and coffee plantations and yielded little of much 

 interest until we reached the station at about 1500 feet. We 

 arrived there in time to take a short walk along the newly 

 stoned trail, toward the summit, and become a little familiar 

 with the more common plants at the lower altitudes. Here we 

 found Hillia parasitica with its starry white waxy blossoms, and 

 Magnolia splendens with showy cream-colored flowers; passion- 

 flowers and Anihuriums climbed the trees, mistletoes and ferns 

 perched upon them, tree-ferns mingled with them and ferns and 

 mosses covered the ground. Selaginellas and Lycopodiums were 

 abundant, and hepatics and lichens helped to make a bewilder- 

 ing luxuriance of plant growth. 



The ferns were particularly abundant and represented by 

 many genera — Asplenium and Adiantum, Polypodium and 

 Rhipidopteris, Trichomanes , and Hymenophyllum, Vitmria and 

 Elaphoglossum in abundance and beauty. We were particularly 

 pleased with Oleandra articulata— its simple glossy fronds 

 pendent in large masses on the trunks of trees — and a few ground 

 orchids, and an interesting Apieria were also found. 



The first good moss collected was on the shady side of a big 

 boulder in the bed of a stream, crossing the path — Homalia 

 glabella and with it Fissidens polypodioides. Masses of Macro- 

 mitrium mucronifolium and Leucoloma serrulatum made cushions 

 on trees and stumps. Leucohryum crispiim and L. Martianum 

 were abundant and mixed with species of Campylopus, which 

 in the tropics takes the place of the Dicranums which are usually 

 so abundant on our northern mountains. The old logs were 

 fascinating places to linger over, searching for filmy ferns, 

 hepatics, and mosses. 



A comfortable night on clean new cots with plenty of blankets 

 and good camp fare, with delicious Porto Rican coffee, started 

 us off next day rested and keen for our trip to the summit. The 

 horses took us part of the way up — as far as the trail was possible 

 for them to go ; the rest of the wa}^ was too steep and muddy, so 

 we left them with a care-taker and started off — each of us with 

 a "practice" or forest-ranger to help us, and began collecting, 

 Mr. Bruner and Dr. Britton watched for new or interesting 



