THE AZORES 



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often came under my notice, both on the great mountain and in the 

 lake district to the east of it. In all probability Osmunda also 

 grows on San Jorge. 



Per sea indica, Spr. ( = Laurus indica of Lowe's Madeiran flora). — 

 The " Vinatico " of the Azores and Madeira. Evidently exists or 

 did exist in nearly all the islands of the Azores ; but there is a doubt 

 about its nativity. Seubert, who was dependent on the Hochstetters 

 for his information, does not mention it; and Watson remarks that 

 as seen by himself in Fayal and Flores the tree had a questionable 

 claim to be considered indigenous. However, Drouet refers to entire 

 woods of it in the other islands. Trelease gives no opinion on the 

 matter; but the symbol used indicates that he regarded it as indi- 

 genous. Yet, considering that the tree is entirely confined to the 

 Macaronesian islands, it would not be a subject for surprise if it was 

 indigenous in the Azores as well as in Madeira and the Canaries. 

 We have seen that a number of peculiar Macaronesian species (Ilex, 

 Rhamnus, Picconia, Laurus, Myrica, etc.) give a common character 

 to the woods of all the three groups and the exclusion of this handsome 

 tree from the list can on this ground scarcely be justified. I found 

 it growing commonly in colonies in the woods at the back of Magda- 

 lena, Pico, two miles inland, and 600 to 800 feet above the sea. The 

 trees, fifty feet in height, were in early fruit in the latter part of March, 

 whilst great numbers of the previous year's seeds lay germinating 

 on the ground beneath the trees, often forming seedlings five or six 

 inches high. Solitary trees are to be noticed in the gardens. As 

 elsewhere observed, the fruits are a favourite food of Azorean and 

 Canarian pigeons. 



Picconia excelsa, DC. ( = Notelcea excelsa, Webb). — The " Pao 

 branco " of the Azores and Madeira, and the " Palo bianco " of the 

 Canaries. Seubert states that this tree flowers in May. I found it 

 on Pico in flower in April. It probably exists or did exist on all the 

 islands; but its hard timber is much appreciated by the Azoreans, 

 and on the mountain of Pico it only escapes destruction by taking 

 refuge in some inaccessible gulch or small crater. I only came 

 upon three or four solitary trees in the woods of the great mountain 

 of Pico at altitudes of 1000 to 2000 feet. They are said to be more 

 frequent off the mountain, as on the slopes above Lagens. Seubert, 

 whose work is concerned with the Azorean flora in the first half of 

 last century, alludes to this tree as a constituent of the lower mountain 

 woods of Pico, that is, below 2500 feet, and as occurring in nearly 

 all the islands at elevations of 2000 to 3000 feet (Hochstetter), though 

 rather uncommon. Drouet remarked that in his time (1857) it 

 was more frequent on Santa Maria than elsewhere. In some islands, 

 as in San Miguel, where it used to be planted with the Faya for the 

 protection of the Orange trees (Seubert), it was, however, truly 

 native (Hunt quoted by Watson). Lowe states that it is very 

 rare in Madeira, growing to a height of forty to sixty feet, one or 

 two trees together. It there flowers, February to July. Fruits, 

 August to September. 



Polygala vulgaris, L. — It is remarkable that this plant has only been 

 found in the Azores on the island of Pico. Since it was collected 



