APPENDIX 



* 



nearly akin to others from these regions. Several are widely diffused 

 forms inhabiting an area which extends from the base of the Himalaya 

 and Southern China to New Guinea. 



Palms. — Amongst the vegetable forms of a markedly tropical type 

 which greatly predominate in Borneo the palms are conspicuous. Of 

 what I may term gregarious species, giving a special aspect to the land- 

 scape I can, however, only mention two — the Nipa (Nip a fruticans) 

 and the Nibong (Oncosperma filamentosa), both of which are restricted 

 to the lowlands along the estuaries and mouths of rivers. The Eugeis- 

 sonias, in the somewhat limited areas where they grow, can also to a 

 certain extent be considered gregarious palms. No palm in Borneo 

 overtops the level of the forest, as in other regions. Although some have 

 very tall stems (Pholido carpus Mayadum, Becc. ; Oncosperma horrida, 

 Griff.), their crowns remain always beneath the shadow of the great 

 forest giants. But the long rope-like palms, such as Plectocomia, 

 Korthalsia, Dcemonorops, and Calamus, do manage to make their way 

 up to, and above the topmost level of the forest mass. 



The Bornean palms at present known, for the most part found by 

 me in Sarawak, number about 130 species, divided amongst twenty-five 

 genera. Of these only about twenty grow in neighbouring countries ; 

 the rest appear to be peculiar to the great island. The majority of the 

 palms in Borneo are climbers, and such are almost all of the genus Calamus 

 (which includes 32 Bornean species) ; 21 Dcemonorops, 8 Korthalsia, 

 1 Plectocomia and 1 Plectocomiopsis. 



Amongst the non-climbing Bornean palms are some notable forms 

 of Arenga and of Zalacca, which thrive along torrents in narrow valleys ; 

 the highly characteristic Teysmannia altifrons, which I found abundant 

 only on the slopes of Mount Mattang, but which occurs also in Sumatra 

 and on the Malay Peninsula ; Cyrtostachys Lakka with its flame- coloured 

 leaf-sheaths, Areca Bomeensis, and Licuala paludosa, which last three 

 species prefer the edge of the marshy forest, along rivers. The more 

 abundant palms in the primeval forests of Borneo are however small 

 and even diminutive species, always elegant, of Pinanga and Licuala, 

 (the former being represented by fifteen, the latter by twelve species), 

 of pygmy Areca, Iguanura, and Didymocarpus. Two of the Pinangas 

 (P. rividaris and P. calamifrons) are stenophyllous, and occur on the 

 banks of rapid torrents in the interior of the island. The Gigliolia is 

 the only genus of palm peculiar to Borneo. 



Pandanaceae. — These contribute not less than the palms to characterise 

 the tropical vegetation, on account of their very peculiar foliage. I col- 

 lected about twelve species of Pandanus in Sarawak, and six or seven 

 Freycinetias, but both the former and the latter are as yet undetermined. 



Some kinds of gregarious Pandanus form impenetrable thickets in 

 certain marshy localities, whilst others with their singular candelabra- 

 like trunks supported on numerous stilt-like roots, grow isolated on rocks 

 by the sea-shore, or on the edge of littoral forests. Several are small 

 species which thrive in the shade of the primeval forest. There are 

 besides in Sarawak two true epiphytic Pandani, notable for their long 

 and abundant mass of leaves, which are often seen associated with the 

 great Platycerium and other ferns and orchids high up in the fork of some 



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