THE AZORES 



429 



twelve feet; but sometimes gregariously, when it is usually three 

 to six feet high and may form thicket-like growths. 



Hedera canariensis, W. — Fruits in winter as with our English 

 species. Observed in mature black fruit in February and up to the 

 end of March. The fruits had all fallen by the end of June. Evi- 

 dently, therefore, as with our Ivy, they fall in April and May. On 

 Pico it may reach as high as 3500 feet, but it is most characteristic 

 of the Faya zone, that is, below 2500 feet. 



Hypericum foliosum, Ait. — Flowers in June and July. The 

 empty fruits remain on the plant during the winter and spring. 

 Plants in full bloom in June may still carry the old fruits of 

 the previous year. Typical of the lower woods, that is, below 

 2000 feet. 



Hydrocotyle vulgaris, L. — First recorded from the group by Trelease 

 from Flores in 1894. I found it in 1914 to be one of the most abun- 

 dant plants on the moist upland moors of Pico, 2000 to 4000 feet above 

 the sea. Doubtless it also grows on San Jorge. 



Ilex per ado, Ait. — The " Azevinho" of the Azoreans ; but the word 

 is so clipped that it sounds like " Azvi." The time of flowering 

 depends on the altitude. Thus in the lower levels this usually occurs 

 in April and May, as in Madeira (Lowe) ; but in the high levels in 

 June and July. According to Seubert it is in flower in the mountains 

 in June when it is in mature fruit in the gardens. However, on 

 Pico it was frequently to be observed bearing ripe red fruit at the 

 latter end of March, and on one occasion I found the same tree in 

 early flower and mature fruit. It is equally characteristic of the 

 upper and lower wood zones of Pico between 1000 and 5000 feet. 

 According to Seubert and Hochstetter it grows in the higher levels 

 of all the islands, and on Pico at 4000 to 5000 feet. The genus, 

 though so widely distributed over the world, seems rarely to occur 

 in oceanic islands. It would appear that the distribution of the 

 primitive family type over the Pacific took places ages since, and 

 that with the breaking up of the connections through the failure 

 of the dispersing agencies differentiation has been induced. Thus, 

 although no species of Ilex is known from the islands of the tropical 

 Pacific, they possess in Byronia another genus of the family which 

 they share exclusively with Australia, Hawaii holding one species, 

 Tahiti another, whilst Australia claims a third. 



Ipomcea carnosa, R. Br. — See p. 218. 



Isoetes azorica, D. — This species was first catalogued by Watson 

 as /. lacustris. Since the genus was once regarded as monotypic 

 and later as holding a few species, whilst at the present it is credited 

 with more than fifty species, there is room for the view that the 

 larger conception of the specific value may be the most correct. 

 The plant was first found by Watson on Corvo in 1842. After more 

 than half a century (1894-6) it was rediscovered there by Trelease, 

 whilst his son found it on Flores. The present writer discovered 

 it in the lake district of Pico in 1914. In all probability it grows 

 on San Jorge. That curious association of Isoetes with Littorella 

 at the borders of a pond or lake, which has so often been remarked 

 in other parts of the world, is to be observed on Pico. There are 



