APPENDIX 



layer of dead leaves, and is almost devoid of any minor vegetation ; 

 more frequently, however, especially in the lowland forests, in the 

 mountain gorges, along rivulets, and in all localities where, on account of 

 the dampness and the nature of the decaying leaves, humus is rapidly 

 formed, herbaceous plants are both numerous and varied. They belong 

 principally to the families of the Ferns, Zingiber acece, Marantacece, 

 Ar acece (particularly Schismatoglottis), Gesner acece, Acanthacece, Urti- 

 cacecB (with the genera Pellonia, Elatostoma and Procris). Common 

 enough, too, are some species of Argostemma and Ophiorrhiza among the 

 Rubiacce, of Sonerila among the M elastomacece , together with other small 

 forms of this fine group of plants, various orchids, commelinas and 

 begonias. Of the Cyperacece only a few Mapania, Hypolytron and 

 Scirpodendron are forest species, and of the Graminacece only Leptasis 

 urceolata, R. Br., a widely spread plant within the tropics. 



Whilst the herbaceous plants of the Bornean primeval forest are mostly 

 endemic forms, or in any case limited to a restricted geographical area, 

 those of the districts in which the primitive forest has been destroyed, 

 or occupied by cultivation, are without any exception adventitious 

 and often cosmopolitan species, or at least widely diffused in Southern 

 Asia. Amongst the herbaceous plants of Sarawak there are found only 

 two or three Euphorbia and some Phyllanthus, only four or five Labiates, 

 some Lythracece, Hedyotis, Desmodium, etc. I collected twelve species 

 of Cyperus, but none of these was peculiar to Borneo or the Malay 

 Archipelago, though everywhere common, growing amidst the rice or 

 on the sandy sea-beaches. Some are common even in Europe. Amongst 

 other Cyperacece several Fimbristylis, Scleria, but only two Carex, are 

 found in Sarawak. Of the Graminacese I collected about 60 species, 

 but except the already mentioned Leptasis, I found none living in the 

 primeval forest, although some appear in the clumps of fruit-trees which 

 surround the Dyak houses. The majority of the grasses in Borneo are 

 to be found in plantations around habitations, on the river banks denuded 

 of forest, on the islands of the larger torrents when left dry for some 

 months, and lastly on the sandy sea-beaches ; here are also found species 

 of Convolvulus, Crotalaria, Indigofera, Phaseolus, Vigna, Tephrosia, 

 Desmodium, etc. 



The families of plants most largely represented in the primeval 

 forest of Borneo are the following, mentioned approximately in accord- 

 ance with their richness in species : — Rubiacece, Orchidacece, Euphorbiacece, 

 Leguminosce, Anonacece, Melastomacece, Palmce, Urticacece, Myrtacece, 

 Aracece, Guttiferce, Dipterocarpece, Meliacece, and A nacardiacece. 



The physical characteristics of the trees which form the primeval 

 forest of the island are of the same nature as those met with in 

 the trees of all tropical forests, in which, as in Borneo, growth suffers 

 no interruptions, but is continuous all the year round. The vegetative 

 characters of such a forest may be summed up as consisting of the 

 great height attained by the trees, and of certain special peculiarities 

 of the latter, viz., the perfect straightness of the trunks, which are bare 

 and only branch high up ; the huge expanded head which crowns them, 

 and the great laminar " banners " or buttresses, which very frequently 

 augment their stability. 



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