THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 167 



in the stormy season by the heavy masses of sea spray thrown 

 up by the waves. 



The peculiarity of the soil very rich in phosphate, and 

 lime also must be unsuitable for many plants. The area at 

 present available for cultivation of any trade products is too 

 small for more than experimental work, but a good many more 

 vegetable and fruits might be successfully grown. I brought 

 and gave to Mr. Macpherson who took a good deal of interest 

 in plant cultivation, suckers of pine-apples, and seeds of the 

 cherry tomato. This plant had run wild in Fernando de 

 Noronha, an island very similar in many respects to Christmas 

 Island, just as the Chili has there, and its small sweet fruits 

 were found to be very refreshing, and could be gathered in 

 basketsful from the rocks among which it grew. The birds in 

 Christmas Island would soon disperse the seed and it would 

 probably soon become abundant. The only wild eatable fruits 

 on the island are those of Sideroxylon which somewhat resem- 

 ble cherries and the kernels of the Ketapang and Inocarpus 

 edulis, the Otaheite chestnut, which I was somewhat surprised 

 to find no one on the island seemed to know was eatable. 

 When boiled it has quite the taste of a Spanish Chestnut but 

 it 13 very much larger. 



The following is a list of all the plants cultivated at present 

 or previously recorded in Christmas Island. The amount of 

 cultivated land is very small. A number of the plants in this 

 list were introduced by Mr. Ross and others later by the 

 employes of the Phosphate Company, of the trees I saw fre- 

 quently but one specimen. 



1. Fruit trees. 



Punica granatum Pomegranate, grows well. 



Anona squamosa Custard apple ,, 



,, muricata Bullock's Heart ,, 



Mangifera indica Mango. One tree not fruiting. 

 Artocarpus integrifolia Jack. ,, 



Achras sapota Chicko, several fruiting. 



Citrus decumana Pumelo ,, 



R. A. Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



