Balata and the Balata Industry. 161 
is composed principally of wallaba and in others of 
crabwood, but the latter is general almost everywhere 
on this river. Greenheart is absent. The river-side 
plants are chiefly arisowroo, two species of wallaba, 
cannaheribally, mora in great quantity, long-john here 
and there in old clearings, with the trumpet-tree, 
etae, several species of Macrolobuim and Campsu 
atidra, coquerite, Vismia macrophylla, wild tamarind 
(a very fine and common tree) cotton-tree, frequent, 
etaeballi, dalli, trysil, mahoe, two or three species of 
Lonchocarpus, small palms, wild-plantains, buccrada, 
(a large tree with dark foliage, very conspicuous) &c, 
&c. Among the shorter growth Hibiscus bifurcatus 
trails its branches and produces its showy flowers. The 
creepers before mentioned and some of the stronger 
bush-ropes abound throughout. A little trifoliate legumin- 
ous twining plant is a pretty and effective drapery for 
many miles on the bushes along the sides of the river, 
mimicing natural arches, bowers, ivy-clad towers and 
ruins with striking efTe6l. Orchids and ferns in variety 
are singularly scarce. Clumps of the beautiful Epiden- 
drum imatophyllum are passed occasionally on the 
sun-exposed branches of trees, and in like manner one 
or two species of Coryanthes, On the trees skirting the 
savannah Brassavola Martiana is common and a 
Schomburgkia which was not in bloom. On the etae 
trees, at their tops, just under the crown of foliage, 
Vanilla palmarum and Catasetum longifolium grow. 
The etae is host for these palms, and they grow nowhere 
else. Much more conspicuously the coquerite, which is 
so very abundant in the region, is host for a fern — 
Oleandra hirtella. The head of every tree is seen to 
V 
