151 



Now, since a large number of other plants abound as well on 

 lime as outside it, without being restricted to either of the two 

 soils, it will be understood that only in a few cases and exactly 

 by the last named plants, when these occur in large quantities, 

 we can settle whether a caleareous or a non-caleareous vegetation 

 is present. 



As the result of these observations we have: 

 A litoral vegetation, difficult to separate from the principal 

 form the Croton-vegetation ; this latter is determined by Acacia 

 and Croton and has either a Capparis type op a Rhacoma-Antirrhoea 

 type. In the higher parts this Croton-vegetation changes into a 

 more forestlike type ; in general the predominant Cactuses "are 

 found in the lower parts,^ although on Bonaire also some hills 

 are covered with them. The characteristic Rhacoma type is entirely 

 absent on Aruba, as this plant does not occur there. 

 The vegetation on Aruba receives a peculiar aspect through 

 Pithecolobium platylobum, which occurs there in very large numbers, 

 especially in the mountainous part, while on Curagao and Bonaire 

 Randia aculeata forms a very important constituent of the vege- 

 tation. 



Acacia villosa which predominates in certain parts of Curasao is 

 on the other hand entirely absent on Aruba and Bonaire. 

 If only a small number of plants is available to settle a vegetation 

 type, it will be seen on comparison with the list of the plants 

 that are only found in the Dutch W.I. Leeward Islands, that among 

 the plants, typical for this purpose, not a single indigenous one 

 occurs. Hence the aspect of the vegetation in the three Islands is not 

 typically indiddual by the occurrence of definite indigenous plants 

 but depends on plants that also occur elsewhere. 

 Now leaving aside certain types of the vegetation and looking 

 at it as a whole, we are particularly struck by the Cereus species 

 which ar either indigenous or South American, the Melocacti, 

 which are indigenous and other indigenous plants that predo- 

 minate in certain parts, the Agaves, Phyllanthus Euwensii, 

 Peltophorum Suringari, Chloris leptantha, Eragrostis Urbaniana. 

 Beside this small number of indigenous plants of which the 

 Cactaceae may be said to occur everywhere, we have a large number 

 of Antilles plants, as : Coccoloba diversifolia, Lithophila muscoides, 

 Capparis jamaicensis, Guaiacum sanctum, Fagara flava, Croton 

 flavens, Jacquinia barbasco, Bumelia obovata, Beureria succulenta, 

 Antirrhoea acutata, Morinda Royoc, so that the vegetation is in 

 complete harmony with the flora of the Antilles. 



