220 THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



B. abbreviate^ Bl. 



All seem to be insular plants. The seeds are very 

 light, and in B. insularis, a puff of wind blew those 

 of a ripe plant away like the seeds of an orchid. The 

 plant is doubtless wind dispersed, and although it grows 

 very low on the ground hardly projecting more than 

 2 or 3 inches, in thick woods so that one would hardly 

 expect the winds to drift its seeds high enough to cross 

 the sea, still it has a parallel here, in the little wood- 

 land plants Zeuxine and Didymoplexis. The occurrence 

 of the plant in Pulau Aur as well is of interest as that 

 little island is also the only other known locality of 

 Sarcochilus carinatifolius. 



I could not determine what tree this plant was 

 parasitic on. The first gathered was nearest to a Bar- 

 ring tonia ; another below a Ficus retsa. 



PlPERACEAE. 



Peperomia Icevifolia, Miq. 



A small green succulent branched herb with alternate 

 rhomboid lanceolate bright green fleshy leaves pale be- 

 neath, 'an inch long spikes very slender 2 inches long 

 with minute flowers. Fruit globose minute brown closely 

 pustular. 



On tree trunks on the Plateau Common. 



Distrib. Mt. Salak, and Tjapus river, Java. 



P. exigua, Miq. 



A small branched succulent herb, erect or half 

 prostrate 3-10 inches long succulent stems slender 

 pinkish branched. Leaves alternate ovate, or ovate 

 cordate shining light green -|-| inch long and broad pale 

 beneath. Spikes axillary erect very slender 1-J inch 

 shortly peduncled. Flowers distant. Bract ovate 

 subacute. Fruit globose not distinctly beaked ribbed 

 and warted. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



