1890.] D. Prain— ^ List of Diamond Island Plants. 275 



bearing well, there are the ordinary tropical vegetables ; the only one that 

 is noticeable from our present point of view is the bird's-eye chillie 

 (Capsicum minimum) which here, as in the An damans and in Great 

 Coco Island, has spread itself everywhere about the clearing and is even 

 penetrating into the adjacent jungle. la front of the telegraph-office 

 there are two rows of very weather-beaten Coco-nut trees of which only 

 14 are now left ; probably if planted or sown along the edge of the beach 

 they would have done much better ; there is not at present, it may be 

 remarked, a single Coco-nut tree in this situation anywhere round the 

 island. 



The commonest tree throughout the island is Bomhax malaharicum, 

 and next to it in point of numbers is Albizzia procera ; towards the 

 western end of the central table-land the latter is the more plentiful 

 species, those trees at the extreme edge being stunted and weather-worn. 

 Among the other trees and shrubs observed were Chailletia gelonioides 

 (very abundant on the south side of the island,) Gonnarus gihhosus, 

 Ellipanthus sterculiaefolius, Gnestis ramiflora (also very abundant on the 

 southern slope of the island,) Lagerstroemia Flos-Reginae (a common 

 tree on the Eastern part of the island,) Ixora rugulosa, Pavetta indica, 

 Psychotria adenophylla, Wiretia laevis, HeteropTiragma adenophyllum (not 

 uncommon,) Bridelia tomentosa and Flueggia microcarjpa (both frequent,) 

 Ficus hispida (not frequent,) Macaranga Tanarius (the only Macaranga 

 present and common on the south side of the island.) A common and 

 very striking undershrub is Leea parallela ; in the opener ground on 

 the western weather-beaten side Oshechia chinensis, Vernonia cinerea and 

 Anisomeles ovata are common herbs ; along the water course leading to 

 the north side of the island Adiantum lionulatum occurs, not frequently, 

 however, and it does not appear to be anywhere else on the island ; 

 the only other ferns met with were the water-fern Ceratopteris, and a 

 climbing species, Lygodium Jlexuosum. Qnite as striking as the absence 

 of ferns is the absence of any species of Selaginella ; still more striking, 

 perhaps, considering the proximity of the island to Burma, is the 

 absence of Bamboos. 



In the interior the climbers met with were Oyclea peltata (frequent,) 

 Ahrus precatorius fexceedingly comm.on,) Mucuna monosperma, Entada 

 scandens, Luff a cegyptiaca (onljr on the western side and, like the Cap- 

 paris and like Ipomoea digitafa, spreading over the sea-face as well as 

 common in the interior jungle.) Wilhighbeia ediilis (only met with 

 once,) Ich7iocarpus frutescens n,nd Dregea voluhilis (both common,) Erycihe 

 paniculata (spreading over adjacent species, but hardly a climber,) 

 Thunhergia laurifolia very common, as are Dioscorea glabra and Smilax 

 macrophijlla ; a Calamus (C. tigrinus Kurz ?) forms a great part of the 



