April 1930 
The Queensland Naturalist 
69 
Scrub” is the result. This consists, on Palm Island, of 
Malayan types with trees of Eucalyptus tesselaris. 
The Malayan type of vegetation in Queensland is 
known as Rain Forest or Scrub, and is very variable. It 
varies from an easily penetrable forest with few lianas 
and few epiphytes to rich tropical jungle, the trees laden 
with epiphytes; from Algae and Lichens to flowering 
plants, the ground covered with ferns and other herbs 
and shrubs; while immense lianas writhe over the ground 
and trees. 
On Palm Island the extreme of dryness in Malayan 
forest is met with in places, as for example in many of the 
steep gullies on the sides of the mountains. The extremely 
moist forest is absent, though the top of Mount Bentley 
supports a very luxuriant flora. Hymenophyllaeeae are 
absent, however, and there is a dearth of epiphytes except 
Dendrobium teretifolium, D. speciosum, Oberonia pusilla, 
Drynaria quercifolia, Platycerium alcicorne, Asplenium 
nidus, and a few other rather xerophytic species. On the 
eastern side of the island in a creek where descent alone 
was possible, more favourable conditions obtained, and 
epiphytic orchids and ferns were more common, though 
still of the same species as found on Mount Bentley. 
Ophioglossum pendulum, growing luxuriantly in the 
humus accumulated by an elk horn fern (Platycerium 
alcicorne) were also found at the summit of Mount Bent- 
ley. In the more sheltered places a tree fern, Alsophila 
rebeccae, is found, and smaller ferns clothe the ground ; 
these include — Adiantum aethiopicum, A. hispidulum, 
Pteris tremula, Pteris ensiformis, and Aspidium ramosum, 
Lianas are very abundant, very noticeable being Entada 
scandens, with its large pods and stout coiling trunk; 
Mucuna gigantea, with its pods covered with irritating- 
hairs; and Pothos sp., an avoid with characteristic leaves, 
the petiole being expanded to the width of the lamina. 
Rhapidophora Lovellae, another liana belonging to the 
Araceae is conspicuous from the size of its incised leaves 
The juvenile leaves are entire ; later leaves develop holes 
which have a necrotic origin ; and in still lates cases, these 
holes are enlarged into leaf incisions. Vitis opaca is 
common, and &milax australis is in places A~erv trouble- 
some, especially on account of its small thorns! Galeola 
foliolata, a saphrophytic orchid, climbs over small trees 
and logs, attaching itself by means of its rather short 
aerial roots; it is a striking plant, but not common. 
Lygodium japonicum, L. reticulatum, and L. scandens, 
three ferns, are also characteristic of the lianoid element 
of the forest. Eustrephus latifolius is found also in the 
Eucalyptus forests. 
