THE EQUATORIAL FORESTS 
Low moist flats were often partially covered 
with the Pao de lacre or Sealing-wax tree ( Vis77iia 
guianensis, Pers.), a bush of 12 to 15 feet high, of 
the same family as our St. John's worts, and like 
them having the leaves, flowers, etc., studded with 
glandular dots. From the wounded stem exudes a 
thick reddish juice, which being collected and 
allowed to dry, forms a very good substitute for 
sealing-wax. Of taller trees in such sites there 
were several species of Inga, some with large, flat, 
scimitar-like pods ; others with slender, cylindrical, 
furrowed and twisted pods a yard long, hanging 
from the branches like rope's-ends or portions of 
some twining stem (whence their Indian name 
Inga-sipo). With them were several Monkey-pods 
(species of Pithecolobium), nearly related to the I ngas 
in habit and character, but with the leaves twice 
(instead of only once) pinnate, and with smaller pods 
often curled into a ring, or at least with the valves 
rolling back when ripe so as to simulate a monkey's 
tail. Over these and other trees climbed Mal- 
pighiacese, adorned with racemes of yellow or pink 
flowers with elegantly fringed petals and usually a 
pair of large glands (or tubercles) at the base of 
each segment of the calyx ; and still more showy 
Combretaceae, whereof one species [Cacoucia cocciitea, 
Aubl.) was all in a flame with its long spikes of 
brilliant scarlet flowers. 
Waste places, with a drier soil, were often clad 
with a vigorous but weedy vegetation, the pre- 
dominant plants being rank prickly Solana, with 
large woolly leaves and apple-like fruits, and several 
species of Cassia, gay with golden flowers, which 
were followed by long pods whose loose seeds kept 
