Antillean Region: Jamaican Distriet. 679 
palms, Zuterpe oleracea, form a striking feature of the forest. These palms 
with the tree ferns, large aroids and epiphytic bromeliads give a 
thoroughly tropic aspect to the vegetation. There are numerous epiphytic 
orchids and a great variety of species of Aelionia, Hedychium, Canna and 
tropic liverworts, of the genera Dendroceros, Symphyogyna and Monoclea. In 
this tropic forest generally, according to my observations, the botanist meets 
with several species of Phzlodendron climbing high up the trunks of trees, or 
clambering over rocks. Syngonium is also abundant and species of Anthurium, 
Dieffenbachia, Peperomia, and other genera abound in the more moist situations. 
Innumerable lianes festoon and smother the forest trees. Some of these are legu- 
minous climbers, others belong to the natural orders Convolvulaceae, Vitaceae, 
Acanthaceae, and Apocynaceae. The ferns comprise all the tropic types, 
according to CAMPBELL, the Hymenophyllaceae alone being represented by 
some fifty species. The Cyatheaceae include the tree ferns (see plate XVII), 
Cyathea, Alsophila, Hemitelia, while the order Marattiaceae is represented by 
Marattia alata, Danaea alata, D. elliptica and D. nodosa. The fern order 
Schizaeaceae comprise Schisaea elegans, Lygodium volubile, L. venustum, 
Aneimia aurita, A. hirta, A. adiantifolia and others. Gleichenia pubescens, 
G. dichotoma, G. pectinata are common and conspicuous ferns. The brome- 
liads (Aechmea, Caraguata, Tillandsia) occur in nearly all parts of the island 
and form an important factor in the rich epiphytic flora. One of the most 
characteristic sights is a large cotton tree, (erda pentandra (= Eriodendron 
anfractuosum) with its great horizontal branches covered with epiphytes con- 
spicuos among which are orchids, Cereus triangularis, Rhipsalis cassytha, 
many Tillandsias and other bromeliaceous plants (see plate XVII, to page 677; 
Bog Walk.) Sixty species of orchids are found in the island, the more interesting 
epiphytic types in this rain forest formation. There are pretty species of 
Efidendrum, a brilliant crimson orchid Broughtonia sanguinea and such terrestrial 
orchids as Bletia florida, B. verecunda. 
The most detailed account of the mountain forests of eastern Jamaica we owe to FORREST 
‚SHREVE (1906, see Bibliogr.) who penetrated them in a large valley drained by a eigen of 
panish River Iying between Vinegar Hill and John Crow Peak (6,000 feet), the most westerly 
high peak of the Blue Mountain Range. Over the river the trees form a closed arc 
here such trees as Symphonia globulifera, Calophyllum calaba reach a height of 100 feet. The 
long thatch palm Geonoma Swartzii, Heliconia bihai, species of Canna, Philodendron hie 
present. The epiphytic 
ö height of 20 feet; 
