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plants or fragments of these, after having been carried by rivers to 

 the sea, may have been transported by sea-currents to Krakatao, 

 though also other modes of import are quite possible, f.i. with rice- 

 straw used for the packing of bottles. This part of Krakatao has 

 been frequently visited by Europeans and doubtless these have carried 

 drinks with them, at least water, but probably also something better. 

 Mucuna acuminata Grab, may also have been introduced by the 

 sea. 



It is very doubtful whether among the older specimens of Cocos 

 nucifera L. there were really wild ones. Most of them were remote 

 from the sea but the beach may have increased after the nuts arrived 

 at their present places. Conversely the specimen found below the 

 flood-mark on a decreasing part of the beach on the south-eastern 

 side must have grown previously more in the interior. Anyhow, it is 

 certain that not a single undoubtedly wild specimen was found except 

 young seedlings growing under fruit-bearing trees that stood themsel- 

 ves above flood-level and probably had been planted (See p. 39 seq.). 

 In the list of plants found in 1905 by Valeton on Krakatao 

 Cocos nucifera does not occur. - Cymbidium Finlaysonianum Lindl. 

 was found in a- single specimen but this orchid was collected as 

 early as 1896 byBoerlage on Lang Eiland. To my knowledge it 

 has not been found back on Krakatao since 1906 but this is of 

 course no proof that it has disappeared. Looking for rare plants on 

 Krakatao is like looking for a needle in a hay-stack. Cassia siamea 

 l^amk., which was found in a single quite young specimen close to 

 the sea, is a tree that in the lower regions of Java is very frequently 

 cultivated along road-sides and locally has more or less run wild. One 

 can only guess how its seeds may have reached Krakatao, perhaps 

 a branch with ripe pods was washed ashore. Neither do we know how 

 the comose seeds of Cynanchum lacve Schum. and the winged 

 seeds of Uncaria and Nauc/ea have been carried over to the island; 

 it is a very alluring hypothesis to ascribe the introduction of these 

 plants to direct action of the wind but in the first place it is not 

 certain that they were introduced at all and are not survivors of the 

 eruption, in the second place other modes of introduction (f.i. by the 

 sea) are as well possible. Barringtonia insignis Miq., Ficus fistulosa 

 Reinw., fulva Reinw. and hirta Vahl,-Leea aequata L., Macaranga 

 tanarius M.A. Pipturus incanus Wedd. Trema orientals Bl. and Trichos- 

 anthes bracteata Voigt, all of which posses fleshy or juicy fruits and 

 are in Java common plant of forests, forest-borders, jungles or thickets 



