JOHNSTON: FLORA OF MARGARITA ISLAND. 297 
that of a tropical seashore, and is simihir to that of 'J'ortuga and Coche 
and the coast of INIargarita, though more hmited. As reported by 
Ernst there are twenty-four different species, of which Cypenis 
brimneus, Cyperus caesius, Eragrostis prolifera, and Opuntia spino- 
sissima have not been reported from either Margarita or Coche. Two 
of these, Ci/perus caesius and Opuntia spinosissima, are not found on 
Tortuga. It will be noticed, however, that these are of wide dis- 
tribution. 
The three western islands lying off the coast of Venezuela belong 
to the Dutch Republic. The most important work that has been 
done upon them botanically was by Suringar ('86). He lists, however, 
scarcely a dozen plants from Aruba and Buen Ayre. From the 
character of these two islands one is led to expect a flora similar 
to that of Cura9oa though more limited. Buen Ayre is about forty 
kilometers (25 mi.) east of Cura9oa and has an area of twenty-four 
thousand hectares (85 sq. mi.), while Aruba is nearly seventy kilo- 
meters west of Cura^oa with an area of seventeen thousand hectares 
(69 sq. mi.). 
Cura^oa is the one of this group upon which some botanical work 
has been done. Several botanists have visited the islands, the most 
notable of whom w'as perhaps Suringar. As determined from his 
list of Curayoan plants (117 species), fifty have not been reported 
from Margarita. To be sure Suringar's list is not taken to be at all 
complete of the flora of Cura9oa. Simons ('68) has published a much 
longer list but unfortvmately the names are in a great part old ones and 
quite impossible to identify for certain with those at present in use. 
Even considering this list, Margarita has over four hundred plants not 
on Cura^oa. This difference in the flora is due to marked contrast in 
physical conditions and to their difference in geographical position. In 
physical condition Cura9oa resembles the plains and hills of Margarita, 
and has a vegetation similar to theirs, but the heavy woods and the 
varied vegetation of the mountain tops are to be found in Margarita 
only. In geographical position, although they are both coastal islands 
and are on nearly the same parallel, yet they are five hundred kilo- 
meters (300 mi.) apart and Cura^oa is ninety kilometers (50 mi.) from 
the coast of Venezuela. It is probable that complete exploration of 
both islands would show more resemblances between them, but 
according to present knowledge, the differences in physical conditions 
and in geographical situation alone may well account for the differences 
in the floras. 
