THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 195 



Common on the sea rocks from South point to Rocky 

 point. 



Var crassifolia. Leaves very thick and succulent. 

 Between Waterfall and Steep Rock. This form is very 

 strikingly different from the common one when alive on 

 account of the very thick leaves but I could see no 

 other difference. It formed very large erect or sub- 

 erect bushes or almost trees along the shore in one 

 place, and where exposed to the heavy sea spray and 

 winds it formed a prostrate dense mat of wiry branches 

 lying over the rocks. 



Distrib. Africa and Mascarene isles, Cochin China, 

 Hong Kong, Burmah, Ceylon, S. India, Andamans, 

 Malay Peninsula and islands Australia Polynesia. 



Ficoide.e. 

 Sesuvium portulacastrum, L. 



A succulent creeping herb with fleshy linear terete 

 leaves, and pink star-like flowers. Fruit a capsule with 

 many seeds. 



Densely covering rocks on the top of a promontory 

 by the little White Cove between the Waterfall and Steep 

 Rock. 



The seeds and probably portions of the plant are 

 dispersed by sea. It is a common seashore-plant in all 

 parts of the Tropics, growing in tidal mud or on sea- 

 rocks. The whole plant when boiled makes an excellent 

 vegetable, and is known to the Javanese as Sesepit. 

 The boobies near the waterfall used branches of it to 

 make their nests. 



"Distrib. Tropics generally. 



CUCURBITACE.E. 



Zehneria alba, n. sp. 



Stems slender glabrous. Leaves ovate cordate acute 

 entire dark green glabrous, upper surface dotted over with 



R f A. Soc, No. 45, 1905 



