190 THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



The fruits of the Christinas Island trees were on 

 the whole smaller than those of the Gardens 

 plants, but I saw few ripe ones and many fallen ones 

 were sterile. " The pod with its fibrous coat is well 

 suited for sea dispersal, and is undoubtedly so dis- 

 persed. Its later dissemination over the island is effect- 

 ed in part at least by crabs and perhaps also by the 

 fruit bats. For these animals the eatable part is the 

 green outer coat of the pod. In Singapore the seeds 

 are often destroyed before they are ripe by the 

 squirrels which gnaw through the pod to eat the seed. 



Caemlpinia (Guilandina) bowducella, Fleming. 



A strong thorny climber with pubescent leaflets, 

 and racemes of yellow flowers, with recurved pubescent 

 bracts. Capsule 3 inches long brown spiny containing 

 1 or 2 round grey seeds. 



Common at Smith point, and North East Point 

 collected also by Andrews. In bud at the close of our visit 



Distrib. All tropical countries. A typical sea 

 shore plant, the hard seeds of which are sea borne. 



Entada scandens, Benth. 



East coast (Andrews) I did not meet with this big 

 climber anywhere. 



Distrib. India Malay Peninsula, Africa South America 

 seeds are often found in sea drift and it is one of the 

 best known sea-dispersed plants. Mr. Chapman found 

 a seed in the sea at Christmas Island. 



COMBRETACEAE. 



Terminalid (Jatappa, L. 



This tree is very abundant over much of the island 

 not only along the lower terraces and on the sea beach 

 but also on the Plateau. Many of the trees are very 

 large with big buttresses. The wood is hard and dark 

 red brown. I have not seen trees as large elsewhere. 



Jour. Straita Branch 



