58 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



ABANDONED CXEARINGS. 



Abandoned clearings are usually overgrown either with common 

 tropical weeds, thickets f onued by hedge plants, plants once cultivated 

 which have continued to grow, or indigenous species which usually 

 grow on the edge of the forest or in open places. Among the tropi- 

 cal weeds of wide distribution are Achyranthes aspera, ^Valtheria 

 indica, Asdepias curassai'ica, Ahutilon indicum, Sida rhomhifoUa, 

 S!da acuta, Datura fastuosa, Physalis angulata, Physah's minima, 

 and Heliotroj)ium i?idi€u?>i/ the composites ElepTiantojpus scaber, 

 Elephantopus spicatxis, Adenostemma viscosum, Ageratum conyzoides, 

 Glossogyne ten ui folia, and Synedrella nodijlora; Euphorbia atoto. 

 Euphorbia hirta, PhyJlanthiw nintri, O.ralis comieulata, and the 

 creeping, clover-like Meibomia trifiora. Among the scrubby Legumi- 

 nosae are Indigofera anil, Indigqfera tinctoria, CrotaJaria quinqiie- 

 folia. Cassia tora, Cassia occidentalism Cassia sophera, and the fine- 

 leaved Cassia mimosoides. The principal hedge plants now forming 

 thickets are the orange berry {Triphasia trifoliata); the physic 

 nut {Jatropha- curca^); sibucao, or sappan wood {Eiancaea sappan); 

 Zeucaena gl<iiwa, called "tangantangan"' in Guam, and "lead tree "in 

 the British West Indies; and the well-known opoponax, Acacia fame- 

 siana, which beare yellow globular heads of fragrant flowers. 



Twining among these bushes are Abrus ahrus (PI. XXXIl), which 

 bears the tiny red-and-black seeds called ci-ab'S eyes; the spiny yam 

 {Dioscoreu spinosa) (PI. XLIX), which often renders the thickets 

 impenetrable; Cassythafilifomnis. a leafless, wiry parasite, sometimes 

 called laurel-dodder; and several Leguminosae, including the yam 

 bean, or hfkamas {Cac-ara erosa). Among the Convolvulaceae are sev- 

 eral species of Ipomoea; Argyreia tiliaefolia, the flowers of which, 

 called abxiho, are strung into garlands by the children; and the white- 

 flowered Operculina peltata. 



On the sites of abandoned gardens are found trees, shrubs, and 

 herbaceous plants, both indigenous to the island and introduced, which 

 the natives usually plant near their houses. Among them are Calo- 

 phyllum inophyllxim, breadfruit both seedless and sterile, coconuts, 

 Terminalia catappa, Erythrina indica, Ceiba peniandra, Tamurin- 

 dus indica, Anacardium occideniale. Cassia Jistida, Crescentia alata, 

 Pandanus tectorius, Pandanus diiiius, Pandanus fragrans, Cycas 

 circinalis, Annona reticulata, Canangium odoratum. Agave vivipara. 

 Adenanthera pavcmijia, Pithecolobium duJce, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, 

 Pariti tiliaceum, Herpetica alata, aaA bunches of Job's tears ( (^b/.?' 

 lachiymas-jobi) and of lemon grass (Andropogon nardus). Many of 

 these are self-propagating. The introduced Canangiu7n odoratum 

 (ilangilang tree), which the natives plant for the sake of its fragrant 

 flowers, is gradually spreading over the island through the medium of 

 fruit pigeons. These birds are also fond of the fruit of the ink berry 



