196 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



Guettardia elUptica, velvet seed. 

 *GueUardia scabra, rough velvet seed. 

 *Myrica cerifera, bayberry, wax mjnrtle. 

 *Byrsonoma Iticida, locust berry. 

 *Tetrazygia hicolor. 



Those marked with an asterisk are the pioneers 

 or precursors of the hammocks and indicate the 

 trees and shrubs which originally start the forest, 

 and also that live on their outskirts and accept the 

 brunt of battles with the fire. 



A good many hammocks originate on the bay 

 shores, along the open sea, by streams, ponds, and 

 swamps. Most of the others develop beside the 

 deeper limestone sinks in the pine forest. 



I have already described the sandy and rocky 

 ridge lying near the southeast coast of the State, 

 and how near Florida City it turns to the west- 

 ward and is broken into a long chain of "islands." 

 In the lower part of this ridge are numerous sinks, 

 or "banana holes" as they are locally called, that 

 vary in size from an ordinary pot hole to a quarter 

 of an acre in extent ; they may be partly filled with 

 standing water. In the pineland these sinks are 

 surrounded by rank, coarse herbage and it is 



