C 24 ) 
CHAPTER II. 
GIANT TREES AND CHARACTERISTIC FORMS OF 
TROPICAL VEGETATION. 
General remEvrks — The Baobab— Used as a vegetabk cistern— Arborescent 
Euphiirbias — The Dracarna of Orotava— The Sycamore— The Uuuyaii 
— The Sacred Bu-tre« «f Anarajapcorft — The Tejik Tree — The i^avil — 
The Sandal True— The Satinwood Tre€— The Ceiba— The Miihogany 
Tree — The Mora— Bumbmje — The Guodua- Beauty and uiultifariuua 
UstfH of tht'Bo Colossal tjrasatH— Firing the jun^jle — The Alotfr— The 
A^^ave Americana — The lirunieliaa — The CACtusfs^ — The Mimoaaa^ — 
Bush -roptaj— Climbing trues — Emblems of ingratitude — Marriage of 
the rig-tree and tiie Pahn— Epiphytes — Water plants — Singularly- 
shaped Treea— The Barrigudo— The Bottle Tree — Trees with but- 
trcaaea and fantasticjil root;!— The Mangroves— The ir importance in 
farthering the growth of Land-Animal Life among the Mangrovea 
— "Jumping Johnny — Insalubrity o£ the Mangrove Swamps — The 
Ltun Trees with fortnid&ble Bipines, 
Whehever in tlie tropical regions periodical rains saturate 
the earth, vegetable life expands in a wonderful rariety of 
forms. In the higher latitudes of the frozen north, a 
rapidly evanescent summer produces but few and rare 
flowers in sheltered situations, soon again to disappear 
under the winter's snow j in the tem^x^rat^ zones, the 
number, beauty, and variety of plants increase with the 
warmth of a genial sky ; but it is only where the vertical 
rays of an equatorial sun awaken and foster life on humid 
grounds that ever-youthful Flora appears in the full exuber- 
ance of her creative power. It is only there we find the 
majestic palms, the elegant mimosas, the large-leafed 
bananas, and so many other beautiful forms of vegetation 
alien to our cold and variable clime, While our trees are 
