THE PLANTING OF OUR FLORA 153 



others often germinate after being cast up on our 

 beaches; even the fleshy bulbs of Crinum and 

 Hymenocallis are not the least injured by an 

 ocean voyage. Why, then, it may reasonably be 

 asked, do they not spring up and form colonies 

 along our shores? The reason is that local con- 

 ditions are not congenial for most of them. The 

 material forming the shores of the open sea is 

 impregnated with salt; at times the sea may roll 

 over it, and even if this were not the case a beach 

 situation is too much exposed for most inland 

 plants. 



However, the seeds of certain of these species 

 do come up and flourish when thus cast on the 

 outer shores. Leaving out all the naturally lit- 

 toral forms, such as mangroves and other strand 

 species, we do find in many such places the two 

 Pithecolobiums (P. guadelupensis and P, unguis- 

 cati) ; Reynosia latifolia or darling plum ; two species 

 of Chrysobalanus or coco plum; Eugenia buxifolia 

 or Spanish stopper (all small trees), and also sev- 

 eral shrubs and herbaceous plants which seem to 

 do nearly as well along the shore as at a distance 

 from it. 



During the time of hurricanes tidal waves 



