OF THE MALDIVE ISLANDS. 
115 
destitute of all vegetation, except a few old Pemphis trees 
half growing in the water at the east end. All the other 
islands are formed entirely of sand, with the exception of 
Goidu, which has a rocky belt 30-40 yards broad at its 
extreme eastern end. This is largely fringed near the sea 
with Pemphis, while cocoanuts, small Pandani, Allophylus 
Cobbe, Hernandia peltata, Acalypha fallax, and Premna 
integrifolia form a dense jungle behind. The rocky and 
sandy areas join in a small mangrove swamp, west of 
which is a dense jungle of bread-fruit, cocoanuts, and 
large Pandani, with a few large banyans and Terminalia 
Catappa. The west shore of Goidu forms a slight bay, and is 
fringed with Pemphis acidula and Tournefortia argentea N. 
and S., and in the centre Scævola Koenigii and Suriana 
maritima, with a small growing area outside covered with 
dense Spinifex squarrosus. Contrasted with Goidu the 
other islands are noticeably poor in low herbaceous plants. 
Inafuri is merely a sandbank covered with low trees and 
bushes, Spinifex and Launæa being the only herbaceous 
plants observed. 
Of food plants the cocoanut is alone of any importance, 
covering the greater parts of Goidu, Fehendu, and Furudu ; 
plantains, yams, and grain of any kind do not grow, and the 
papaw only reaches a very small size. The flora of this atoll, 
collected on Goidu and Furudu, with a few plants from 
other spots, numbers, apart from the strictly cultivated 
forms, 67 species. 
Mahlosmadulu Atoll. 
This is divided into North and South Mahlos Atolls. 
Plants were collected from several islands in each. 
Turadu,"^ in South Mahlos, is a small thickly inhabited 
islet with no indigenous foliage or jungle, the greater part 
planted with kurumba (yellow edible cocoanut), bread-fruit, 
* Only a few plants, picked as not found or not common in Goifur- 
fekendu. 
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