24 FOREST CONDITIONS OF PORTO RICO. 



especially one feature that strikes me as "being peculiar to this mountain ridge com- 

 pared Tvith the woods of other islands, for example, of Dominica. While the cli- 

 mate is just as moist in the sierra of Porto Rico a^ in that of Dominica, the forests 

 of Porto Rico seem nearly entirely destitute of epiphytes, 1 with the exception of some 

 few Bromeliads and a very rarely occurring stray orchid. But orchids in general 

 and epiphytical ferns, such as Triehomanes and Hymenophyllum, etc., are conspicuous 

 by their absence. Of palms. I found but one species, which I have distributed in my 

 '•' Flora.'" I believe it is a Euterpe) grow? gregariously at an altitude from 1,500 to 

 3.000 feet. Xo Cycads were seen at all. 



On the other hand. I found several interesting trees, especially a beautiful Talauma. 

 with immense white, odorous flowers and silvery leaves, which would be very orna- 

 mental. The wood is used for timber, and called Sabino. A Hirtella, with crimson 

 flowers. I also found rather common. It is not described in any of the Grisebach's pub- 

 lications. An unknown tree, with beautiful, orange-like foliage aud large, purple 

 flowers, very similar in shape to those of Sccevola plumieri, split along one side, a tall 

 Lobeliaeea. a large Heliconia, nearly allied, it seems, to H. eariboaa Lam., and several 

 other as yet undetermined trees and shrubs are among the most remarkable things 

 found. 



On the whole. I was somewhat disappointed with regard to the result of the voy- 

 age, as I had expected a greater number of novelties, as well as a richer vegetation 

 in general, at least something like the Caribbean Islands. But these partly nega- 

 tive results may no doubt be of some value also in forming an idea of the West Indian 

 flora in general. Of tree ferns, Cyathea. Serra, and am Alsojyhila were not uncommon. 



One of the most conspicuous trees in some parts is the Coeobola - maerophylla, which 

 I found on my first visit to Porto Rico. This tree is found up to an altitude of 2.000 

 feet, but chiefly near the coast, where it forms extensive woods in some places, which 

 at the time of flowering, with immense purple spikes more than a yard long, are 

 very striking. The tree is named Ortegon by the inhabitants. It does not seem to 

 occur on any of the British islands, but to be confined to Porto Rico and Haiti : at 

 least I do not see it mentioned in Grisebach's Cat. Plant, cubensium. 



Logs are still cut from the edge of the Yuucjue forest, but the cost in 

 time and labor of securing timber therefrom is far more than it would 

 be to import similar woods from Santo Domingo. 



A few acres of forest are also preserved here and there in the Sierra 

 Cayey and the Cordillera Central, notably between Aibonito and Adjun- 

 tas. Collectively, these small patches will not aggregate 10 square miles 

 of standing timber, and have been largely culled of their most valuable 

 trees. There is also a small patch of forest preserved in the pepino 

 hills, near Aguadilla, upon a small piece of land belonging to the Gov- 

 ernment. There may be a tew more acres elsewhere. Otherwise, in a 

 commercial sense, the mountains are deforested, although some excel- 

 lent trees still stand, just as walnut trees are found preserved in the 

 deforested areas of the United States. 



THE COAST-BORDER WOODLANDS. 



The second class of flora inhabits the foothills belt lying between the 

 southern front of the Central Mountains and the southern coast, a 

 region which is comparatively arid. The wide playa plains and stream 



1 In this Mi - mistaken ; epiphytes abound in some other parts of the island. 



• Misprint of Cvtcoloba. 



