58 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



ABANDONED CLEARINGS. 



Abandoned clearings are usually overgrown either with common 

 tropical weeds, thickets formed 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, Waltheria 

 indica, Asclepias curassavica, Abutilon indicum, Sida rhombifolia, 

 Sida acuta, Datura fastuosa, Physalis angidata, Physalis minima, 

 and Heliotropium indicum; the composites Elephantopus scaber, 

 Elephantopus spicatus, Adenostemma viscosum, Ageratum conyzoides, 

 Glossogyne tenuifolia, and Synedrella nodiflora; Euphorbia atoto, 

 Euphorbia hirta, Phyttanthus niruri, Oxalis corniculata, and the 

 creeping, clover-like Meihomia triflora. Among the scrubby Legumi- 

 nosae are Indigofera anil, Indigqfera tinctoria, Crotalaria quinque- 

 folia, Cassia tora, Cassia occidentalis, Cassia sophera, and the fine- 

 leaved Cassia mimosoides. The principal hedge plants now forming 

 thickets are the orange berry (Triphasia trifoliatd); the physic 

 nut (Jatropha curcas); sibucao, or sappan wood (Biancaea sappan); 

 Leucaena glauca, called " tangantangan " in Guam, and "lead tree "in 

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

 siana, which bears yellow globular heads of fragrant flowers. 



Twining among these bushes are Abrus abrus (PL XXXII), which 

 bears the tiny red-and-black seeds called crab's eyes; the spiny yam 

 {Dioscorea spinosa) (PL XLIX), which often renders the thickets 

 impenetrable; Cassytha filiformis, a leafless, wiry parasite, sometimes 

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

 bean, or hikamas (Cacara erosa). Among the Convolvulaceae are sev- 

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

 called abubo, 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 inophyllum, breadfruit both seedless and sterile, coconuts, 

 Terminalia catappa, Erythrina indica, Ceiba pentandra, Tamarin- 

 dus indica, Anacardium occidentale, Cassia fistula, Crescentia alata, 

 Pandanus tectorius, Pandanus dubius, Pandanus fragrans, Cycas 

 circinalis, Annona reticulata, Canangium odoratum, Agave vivipara, 

 Adenanthera pavonina, Pithecolobium dulce, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, 

 Pariti tiliaceum, Heipetica alata, and bunches of Job's tears ( Coix 

 lachrymae-jobi) and of lemon grass (Andropogoti nardus). Many of 

 these are self -propagating. The introduced Canangium odoratum 

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

 lloweis, is gradually spreading over the island; through the medium of 

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



