155 



Leaving the lower parts we see on the slightly higher lime grounds 

 besides numerous Cactuses especially Jatropha gossypifolia, while 

 Caesalpinia coriaria and Haematoxylon Brasiletto with Rhacoma 

 crossopetalum form the higher thicket of shrubs. 

 In combination with a great many Phyllanthus Euwensii, Beureria 

 succulenta, Croton flavens and Cordia globosa they form a vege- 

 tation which has entirely the aspect of the Croton vegetation, 

 with already an occasional Eandia in it. 



'The plant-growth on these lime hills agrees entirely with the 

 typical lime hill vegetation in all parts of CuraQao, of which as 

 a specimen I shall describe: 



The lime hills near St. Martha. 

 When we descend to the sea from the top of one of the lime 

 terraces near it, we are particularly struck by the abundance of 

 high shrubs or low trees like Malpighia, Guaiacum oflBffiinale, 

 while Croton flavens with Phyllanthus Euwensii, Randia aculeata, 

 Bursera tomentosa, Caesalpinia coriaria, Haematoxylon Brasiletto, 

 Bursera simaruba are the principal constituents of the pretty 

 dense thickets of shrubs, with Euphorbia thymifolia and especially 

 Capraria bifloraat the bottom. 



Nearer the sea, somewhat lower on the incline, Lantana involu- 

 crata, Bumelia obovata and Croton vegetation become prominent 

 and finally :A.gave vivipara with Cactaceae. 



Especially in the part West of St. Martha the lime hills are 

 highly overgrown and treelike forms become more prominent. 

 Similar in its general character to the above mentioned lime 

 hills, but in its details somewhat different is the plant-growth on the' 



Kabrietenberg near Beekenburg. 

 Climbing this fairly high lime hill from the land-side we meet 

 again the rather dense shrubs, among which we notice Malvastrum 

 spicatum, Melochia tomentosa, Sida, Croton flavens, Cordia cylin- 

 drostachya, Lantana camara; a very dense shrub-growth compared 

 with the much more scantily overgrown parts of Curasao. Beureria 

 succulenta and Acacia tortuosa rise above these shrubs together 

 with Haematoxylon Brasiletto and Machaonia Ottonis; in places 

 where the shrubs are less dense we flad the soil pretty thickly 

 covered with Tephrosia cinerea, Heliotropium humile, Sida, Chloris, 

 Mariscus fuliginous, Hyptis pectinata and Paspalum glabrum, 

 while Ipomoea winds through everywhere. 



A few Bursera bonairensis and Antirrhoea acutata form again, 

 together with a large number of Casearia bonairensis and Hae- 

 matoxylon Brasiletto, the higher shrubs or stick out with Hippo- 



