14 THE CAPE SABLE REGION OF FLORIDA 



stalks, each about four feet long and bearing scores of 

 blossoms. Among many other peculiarities that we noted 

 in this hammock was the fact that the poison-wood, Me- 

 topium toxiferum, is replaced by another poisonous tree 

 of another family, namely, the manchineel, Hippomane 

 Mancinella. 



Before we reached Coot Bay we had gathered two 

 wagonloads of living orchids, for, as we were about to 

 send our own wagon back to Flamingo, a party of hun- 

 ters kindly turned an additional horse and wagon over to 

 us. And both wagons were filled to capacity. 



On the way back we temporarily deviated from the 

 trail and penetrated the hammock to the westward to- 

 wards Mud Lake. The further we went the more won- 

 derful the hammock became and many interesting plants, 

 particularly mosses and hepatics, were gathered here as 

 well. It was late in the afternoon when we started west- 

 ward and lack O'f time prevented us from pressing on 

 further. Thus forced to return, we reached Flamingo 

 after sundown and stowed our orchids in a shed. 



The next day was devoted to exploration on Cape 

 Sable proper. The cape consists of three blunt projec- 

 tions: namely. East Cape, Middle Cape, and Northwest 

 Cape. These points are about five miles distant from 

 each other. They are distinctive. 



East Cape, which projects southward, is the most 

 southern spot on the mainland of the United States, 

 reaching almost to latitude 25° north. Here the sand- 

 dunes are narrow, and back of these are considerable 

 areas of hammock. The hammocks have grown up on 

 old sand-dunes and the low hills have never been leveled. 



