CONTRIBUTIONS TO PHYSIOGRAPHY OF PHILIPPINES. 23 



rock which, disintegrating, furnishes the coarse sand of the valley and 

 the plain. 



I shall quote here a few sentences from Dr. Foxworthy's notes on 

 the plant life on the mountain: 



The soil seems to become progressively worse as one ascends the valley and 

 trees almost entirely disappear, except at the edges of the formation along the 

 water courses. 



In the river valley itself there is, comparatively, a very rich vegetation. In the 

 rooky bed of the main stream there are numerous agoho trees (Casuarina equise- 

 tifoUa Forst. ) and a good many ferns and herbs of various sorts. Wherever the 

 valley widens out, there are found a number of ta.ll trees of different kinds with 

 undergrowth of wild banana, bejueo, etc. 



In the small upper valleys of the small branch streams are found some tree 

 ferns, several figs, Dalbergia, Cratoxylon, Duabanga, and Vaccinum species. 



The coarse, rocky soil at the base of Mount Pinatubo contains practically no 

 vegetation, the very small amount of grass which starts being periodically 

 burned off by the Negritos. 



The bare, burned surface of the mountain which is scarred by land slides goes 

 up to about 1,400 meters, where the mossy forest begins very abruptly, being- 

 protected only by a narrow fringe of very coarse, reedy grasses. The lower part 

 of the mossy forest contains a few figs and Vaccinuvis with some Kubiis and 

 Deutzia in the undergrowth. One of the few herbs is a Gareoc. Among the less 

 common shrubs are Cyrtundra and Geniosfoma. From about 1,.525 meters to just 

 about the top there is another type of vegetation. In this, Medinilla ivhitfordii 

 Merr. with its brilliant purple flowers is the most conspicuous, and this one tree 

 constitutes fully one-half of the flora. Interspersed with this are Ficus, Alangium, 

 and Vaccinum. In the lower part of this range, the Medinilla reaches a height of 

 about 30 feet and is a very clearly marked tree. In fact its shape is such as to 

 give almost the effect of a formal Japanese garden. In the upper part of this 

 range the tree is very stunted in habit, being only 1 or 1.5 meters in height. 



One of the few flowering herbaceous plants found in this range is Nertera 

 depressa Banks & Soland. In the more sheltered parts of this formation, filmy 

 ferns, lichens, and mosses are very albundant. 



At the summit all the woody plants are stunted in habit. Sphagnum and other 

 mosses, and lichens are very abundant. Great masses of moss cover the tree 

 trunks. Many orchids are found in this moss on the trunks, one yellow-flowered 

 form being very abundant. 



I shall conclude this preliminary note by saying that Mount Pinatubo 

 is not a volcano and we saw no signs of its ever having been one, 

 although the rock constituting it is porphyritic. The mountain and the 

 surrounding country afford' excellent opportunit}^ for physiographic 

 studies. The region is q^^ite unique and I have seen nothing in the 

 Philippines quite like it. 



It is a matter of regret to me that I have not time now to return to it, 

 and so for the present this preliminary account must suffice. 



