8 
of Spinifex and Vitex or relieved by an occasional tuft of Crinum, 
Belamcanda or other sea-side flower. ove this a shrubby belt of 
Screw-pine often appears with patches of Caesalpinia. On muddy 
shores there is frequently a dwarf mangrove formation formed by 
small Rhizophoraceae and Aegiceras in the shallow water. Where salt 
marshes occur various Cyperaceae are predominant as in other parts 
of the world. 
Supposing now that the visitor proceeds across the fields towards 
the nearest village, it is very probable that waste ground plants 
next engage his attention, and the usual tropical weeds of 
such places including many species of Desmodium, Solanaceae, 
districts more rock and less down is seen, but, even there, the less 
remote mountains are destitute of all woods. The cause of this is 
the old, and perhaps excusable, custom that the Chinese have of 
cutting down all the wild trees, shrubs and grass near their villages 
though less conspicuous Strophanthus, Raphiolepis, Pittosporum, 
Lespedeza, Eurya, Zanthoxylum, Diospyros, and shrubby Euphor- 
biaceae, and Urticaceae. In the more rocky and damp ravines are 
found various epiphytic orchids, Gesneraceae and herbaceous 
Urticaceae, 
Beiween the gullies, the mountain sides have, as has been said, a 
general appearance of smooth grass. On closer inspection this is 
found to consist of numerous diiferent formations of lowly growth. 
On the highest mountains, where clouds are not infrequent even in 
the dry season, level plains of fairly close turf (Ischaemum, etc.) are 
found, containing ground orchids, Balsams and mountain Compositae. 
On the middle and lower slopes there is usually an irregular covering 
of coarse grass associated with patches of Melastomaceous and 
Ericaceous undershrubs. On these grassy slopes Hedyotis species 
