27 



sickness. More striking objects attracted tlie atleiiti(jii (;l the 

 visitor, and he began to fill up the canvas sack with specimens of 

 A^ave spicata and Anthnrmm venosum. Cirisel)., hoping to grow 

 them in Rutgers' greenhouse. Botli of these species are said by 

 Dr. Roig to be peculiar to these mogotes. Conspicuous among 

 the plants hanging from the cliff was the lovely Siemensia 

 pendula (C. Wr.) IJrb. with its trumpet-shaped white fiowers 

 in large clusters, while several kinds of palms found lodgment 

 in crevices, such as the feather-leaved Gaussia privceps and the 

 fan-leaved Thrinax microcarpa, both of these being species re- 

 stricted to the limestone rocks. Among the ferns growing as 

 crevice plants near the base were Adiantum fragile Sw., A. len- 

 erum Sw., A. trapeziforme L., A. villosnm L., a dwarf form of 

 Aneimia {Ormithcpteris) adianti folia and Aspleniiim dentatum 

 L., here reaching a size not observed in other stations. 



So far we were collecting in a sort of bay between two parts 

 of the ridge, and the flora was so rich that Roig had to remind 

 the visitor that time was passing, and there was stiff climbing 

 ahead. So we asked the guides to lead on and show us the way 

 to ascend what looked as impregnable as Gibraltar. We soon 

 found that although roots were treacherous and loose rocks 

 worse than useless, the projections left during erosion of the 

 rock often made excellent footholds. Dr. Roig had warned me 

 not to attempt to carry a camera, for I would need to have both 

 hands free; I presently came to places where it seemed neces- 

 sary to hang on with both hands and also with one's teeth. 



After climbing for half an hour, with such collecting as we 

 could do during the scramble, we came to what might be des- 

 cribed as a steep gorge, and here we paused to put into our port- 

 folios the specimens we had snatched on the way, while the 

 guides succeeded in locating for me several specimens of Zamia 

 latifoliata Frenelaus, found growing in humus contained in pock- 

 ets of the limestone. This species well merits its name, and shows 

 a remarkable venation, with its nearly parrallel \eins ending at 

 the irregularly jagged apex of each leaflet. A small terres- 

 trial orchid, Physuriis sagraeanus Rich, was collected here, also 

 fine specimens oi Selaginella stolonifera (Sw.) Spring.,* a species 



*This identification is in doubt. Dr. W. R. ]\Iaxon, who has been kind 

 enough to look over my Cuban Pteridophytes, is of the opinion that the col- 

 lections include two species of Selaginella, and has promised to furnish names 

 at a later date. 



