314 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



on our first approach. We learned that " hurricanes sometimes take 

 phice here, as well as at the other i.slands of the Group, and do a good 

 deal of damage to the plantations." The West wind is well known; 

 and from its inconstancy and short duration, is termed by the natives 

 " the foolish wind." 



The vegetable growth. This being a low coral-island, the coral- 

 island plants were first looked for. They proved comparatively rare, 

 and nowhere prominent, and after much searching, we could find only 

 the following nine species: tSca'vola, growing along the sea-shore; 

 Quettarda speciosa, also growing along the sea-shore; Tournefortia ar- 

 geiitea, once only met with; Cas-'^yta, not rare; Euphorhia ramosissima, 

 frequent; Pandaiius vfilis; Pfiilofum triquetnivi, rare; Polypod' am phy- 

 vnaiodes?, growing chiefly on the ground; and AspJeainin nidus. 



The island is covered with a thick coating of comminuted coral- 

 soil, and the luxuriant vegetable groAvth includes a great variety of 

 species. Yet there is a pervading coral-island character : shown by 

 the scarcity of Ferns, even on trunks of trees, and of epidendric ■plants 

 generally; there were no Peperomias, Lycopodiums, nor Hepaticae; 

 Musci or mosses, proved extremely rare, and TacniopliyJlum fasciola 

 was the only epidendric Orchideous plant. The absence of Freycine- 

 tias was striking; and vines of all kinds were decidedly less abundant, 

 and less prominent than on the rocky islands. 



The variation from the Sainoan vegetable growth was principally 

 negative ; the List of missing Tribes requiring to be further extended 

 by the following : 



Auipelidacete, 



Melastomacea;, 



Cyrtandraceae, 



Acanthacea', 



Scroptiulariaceae, 



Aristolochiacete, 



the tribe Elatostemeoj, 



the genus Peperomia, 



Musacese, 



( Dioscoreacese), 



Palinacefe, 



the genus Freycinetia, 



Araceaj, 



the genus Lycopodium, 

 (many genera of Ferns), 

 Hepatica;. 



Some positive variation was, however, manifest : as in the presence 

 of the genus Srinlax ; and on more thorough examination, the vege- 

 table growth, instead of being Samoan, proved unequivocally Feejeean. 



Following the Western margin of the lagoon-like inlet, after passing 

 the half-wild phmtations of the natives, I was surprised to find much 

 of the original forest-growth remaining. Large, fully-developed trees 

 were rare, having perhaps been removed by the natives : but of 



