Ixxiv Appendix. 
an orange tree, and found a path leading up the face of the hill. On reaching 
the top I found that the crest was not over a foot wide in many places, and 
that on the other side was a little valley, a tributary of the Vallée de la Reine, 
full, apparently, of bamboos, and therefore not inviting a descent. Along the 
crest is to be found abundance of a curious little Ophioglossum about an inch 
high in the larger specimens; also good specimens of the universal Vandellia 
crustacea. About half a mile further up the ridge, the valley to the right 
begins to show some variety of vegetation ; there are several fine trees of pua 
(Carissa grandis, But.), Weinmannias, Rhus apapi, and one species of 
Cyrtandra with large flowers and small leaves, which is, perhaps, different 
from the common ones found further up the mountain. There are also several 
good ferns to be found here. About a mile further on the path led alongside 
of a precipice, which forms one of the sides of the deep Vallée de la Reine, 
bare of vegetation in consequence of fires. Here are those large rambling 
Lycopodiums in great abundance, a curious Restiaceous (1) plant with leaves so 
exactly like those of an Jris that before I saw the fruit I thought it must be 
a Libulia, several Carices, two or three species or varieties of Metrosideros 
lucida, two species or varieties of Vaccinium, Arthropodium sp., erroneously 
called cirrhatum (a very rare plant), and Schizea forsteri, and many other 
plants. Along the side of the valley he will see Commersonia echinata, Grewia 
mallococea, and perhaps one or two other plants resembling them, Aplonia 
costata, and many other trees. On the opposite side of the valley, to the left, 
near the highest point of the range, I found the only specimen I have seen of 
a Euphorbiaceous tree, with cordate downy leaves, and the female flowers 
strongly resembling Stillingia. 
Following on the side of the precipice, I came at last to the commence- 
ment of the bushy top of the mountain. Just before I entered the wood 
I found, on a tree of Dodonea viscosa, two orchids, which I have never seen 
anywhere else, and, which, I believe, nobody else has ever succeeded in 
finding. At the time I discovered it the tree was quite covered with the 
plants. They are two of the smallest orchideous epiphytes I ever saw ; the 
most abundant consisted of a green root only, of a triangular or doubly-keeled 
shape, running along and closely adhering to the bark, just in the way of the 
roots of Gunnia ; the flowers were very small and inconspicuous. The other 
had leaves like a Gamya, but the flowers were almost invisible, and the scape 
was covered with very large foliaceous bracts. As I fortunately preserved the 
only two flowering plants in spirit, you will be able to determine the genera 
from the specimens. 
I had now entered the damp bush surrounding the top of the mountain— 
the richest locality for plants that I know of in Tahiti—and every step 
added something new or rare to my collection. Here are to be found together 
