330 VEGETATION 



(Poison-wood), Rapania guyanensis Aubl. (Beef -wood), Tecoma bahamensis 

 Northrop, Petetia pappigii Schan., Duranta plumieri Jacq. (Wild bittersweet), 

 Fagwra coriacea (A. Eich.) Kr. & Urb. (Hercules club). Acacia choriophylla 

 Benth. (Cinnecord), Cassia sp., Tetrazygia bicolor (Mill.) Cogn. (Wild 

 guava), Ascyrum hypericoides L., Cordea bahamensis Urban, Pithecolobium 

 keyense Britton (Eam's horn), Errwdea littoralis Sw., Vernonia bahamensis 

 Griseb., Turnera ulmifolia L., Bajania hastata L. (Wild yam), Smilax hey- 

 richii Kunth, Setaria glauca (L.) Scribn., Decromena colorata, and the tough 

 fern, Pteridium caudatum (L.) Kuhn. In rock holes, which are abundant, 

 the orchid Bletea verecunda Sw. is common. As the foot of the Blue Hills 

 is approached, the pine-barrens terminate abruptly and the next formation 

 begins, 



Coppice Formations. — As in the case of the pine-barrens, the coppice 

 growth of New Providence may be divided into two rather distinct forma- 

 tions — the High-coppice and the Low-coppice. 



1. High-coppice. — This covers the southern slope of the Blue Hills, and 

 parts of the northern slope, particularly to the west of Nassau. The soil is 

 composed of porous rocks, rather soft, and filled with innumerable excavations 

 of all sizes. It is of the type described as Bahama black-loam in the chapter 

 on Soils of the Bahama Islands. As an example of the plant covering of this 

 formation, we shall take that section of growth at the junction of the Blue 

 Hills road and Soldiers road, about three miles south of Nassau. A photo- 

 graph of this spot is reproduced in Plate XXVII, Fig. 2. There is considerable 

 soil of dark, sandy loam covering the rocks, and the trees stand close together. 

 There is very little undergrowth on the densely shaded ground. The principal 

 woods growing here are Coccolobis laurifolia Jacq. (Pigeon plum), Rapania 

 guyanensis Aubl. (Beef -wood), Swietenia mahogani Jacq. (Mahogany), Bur- 

 sera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (Gum-elemi), Metopium metopium (L.) Small 

 (Poison-wood), Lysiloma laiisiliqua (L.) Benth. (Wild tamarind). Ilex kru- 

 giana Loes., Ilex repanda Griseb., Simaruba glauca Kunth, Lucuma muHiflora 

 A. DC. (Wild mammee), Pera humelicBfolia Griseb., Erythroxylon brevipes 

 DC. (Sareto), Acacia choriophylla Benth. (Cinnecord), Thouinia discolor 

 Griseb. (Eed-wood), Tecoma bahamensis Northrop, Isacoria paniculata (Nutt.) 

 Sudw. ("Maple"), Exothea paniculata (Juss.) Eadlk. (Butter-bough), and 

 Amyris elemiferaL. (White torch). The largest tree in this coppice was the 

 wild tamarind. Specimens were 2 feet 6 inches in diameter at base, and 35 

 feet in height, with large, wide-spreading tops. Next to it in size was Simaruba 



