Travel Tales 
of a PI ant Coll ector 
E. H. WILSON 
Assistant Director of the Arnold Arboretum 
Author of “ Romance of Our Trees,” “Aristocrats of the Garden,” “A Naturalist in Western China” 
XII. THE TROPICS OF THE NEW WORLD 
Mexico’s Gift of the Gorgeous Poinsettia—West Indian Plants that Make 
Men Dumb—A Water Flower from the Orinoco with Leaves Five Feet by Six 
Editors’ Note: Preceding articles in this series, which is now brought to a conclusion, will be found in issues beginning with January of 1923. It is hoped 
that an additional series of articles, dealing with the history of plant discoveries in the temporate New World and Europe may appear at a later time. 
Copyright, D. P. & Co., 1923 
THE tropics of the New World the land area is much 
‘PJsSfffi * ess t ^ ian t * iat World but the climatic condi- 
frMy tions are virtually the same. The vast valley of the 
KiOsI mighty Amazon and those of other only slightly lesser 
South American rivers are regions of magnificent forests. The 
insular areas are much less than those of Malaysia alone, but 
are none the less equally rich in luxuriant vegetation. 
The wonderful forests of the Amazon valley and those of 
other parts of the American tropics have been ofttimes de¬ 
scribed in books and he who will may read the story. The ma¬ 
jor trees have the usual gigantic trunks often buttressed at the 
base and bear aloft wide-spreading crowns. Huge climbers 
interlace them into one vast canopy and the branches are laden 
with multitudinous variety of epiphytic growths. From the 
trees dangle the rope-like stems of huge climbers; there is an 
understory of Palms, Tree-ferns and other shade-loving plants, 
and the forest floor is similar to that of the forests of the Old 
World tropics. In general character and luxuriance the vege¬ 
table growth of the tropics of the two hemispheres is singu¬ 
larly alike. The aspect of the forests and forest scenery present 
no striking contrasts though the forest elements are specifically 
distinct and as a rule the genera are also different. 
Of plants of economic importance the tropics of the New 
World have given a goodly quota to the world. They include 
the indispensable drug, quinine, obtained from the bark of cer¬ 
tain species of Cinchona; Para Rubber ( Hevea brasiliensis) now 
abundantly planted in Malaysia and elsewhere and the rubber 
producing tree above all others; the Avocado Pear {Persea 
gratissima ); the Brazil-nut {Bertholletia excelsa) most familiar of 
tropical nuts; the Pineapple {Ananas sativa ); Cassava {Manibot 
utilissima) from which is obtained, by special preparation, 
tapioca, the well-known foodstuff; and also the Potato, Sweet- 
potato and Maize. 
Though the land area is so much less, the American tropics 
have contributed largely to our hothouses and to the parks and 
botanic gardens of the tropics in general. One American tree, 
Jacaranda mimosifolia, has been planted in great plenty through¬ 
out the warmer parts of the world. It is a rather small tree 
with finely divided Mimosa-like leaves and terminal panicles 
of violet-blue, foxglove-like flowers. In South Africa and 
Australia it is much used as a street tree and is entitled to rank 
in the forefront of the world’s most lovely trees. 
Of Palms and Flowering Climbers 
HE Cocoanut Palm {Cocos nucifera), universally found gracing 
tropic strands, is considered to be of American origin, having 
spread over the world through its fruit being floated by ocean currents. 
Among all the great Palm family there is none so useful to mankind 
nor more beautiful than the sea-loving Cocoanut, the king of the 
Palms. Moreover, it is the only Palm whose edible fruit is known to 
the multitudes who live in temperate lands. Another American 
Palm {Oreodoxa regia), the Royal Palm, is everywhere to be seen 
planted in the tropics. This noble, rapidly growing Palm with its 
stout, smooth, gray trunks and long, dark green, plume-like leaves is 
a wonderful avenue tree and is much used for this purpose in many 
lands. (See page 378 of the August Garden Magazine, for an avenue 
of Royal Palms at Honolulu). One of the finest avenues I have seen of 
this Palm is in the Botanic Gardens, Calcutta. The Coquito Palm of 
Chile {Jubaea spectabilis), which will grow in quite cool lands, is also 
much planted. This Palm has a massive trunk and fine crown of 
pinnate leaves. Though the American tropics are rich in Palms of 
great variety very few are familiar tenants of our greenhouses. One, 
however, Cocos IVedelliana, with its slender stem and finely pinnate 
leaves is a popular favorite, though less so to-day than formerly. 
Of climbing plants the American tropics have been generous to our 
greenhouses. The most commonly and widely cultivated are Bou¬ 
gainvillea glabra, B. lateritia, and B. spectabilis, though the last two are 
seldom seen flowering in northern gardens. The first-named, of which 
there are several forms,'is in spite of its harsh-colored bracts a popu¬ 
lar plant with our florists and their customers. Allamanda with its 
gaudy yellow flowers is much planted all over the world, especially 
varieties of A. cathartica. These handsome plants are found in green¬ 
houses undersuch names as A. Schottii,A. Hendersonii and A. Williamsii. 
Less frequently seen is A. violacea, well distinguished by its 
reddish purple flowers. Another favorite climber is Solarium IVend- 
landii with dark green pinnate leaves and large clusters of blue flowers. 
This plant is native of Costa Rica and was introduced into cultivation 
in 1882. A very pleasing yellow-flowered climber is Stigmaphyllum 
heterophyllum, native of Brazil, and sent to Europe from Buenos 
Ayres in 1841. The foliage is bronzy green and the genus derives its 
name from a curious green appendage to the stigma. 
Planted almost everywhere in the tropics is the lovely Bignonia 
venusta whose wealth of orange colored flowers presents a never-to- 
be-forgotten sight. It is fairly vigorous-growing and loves to ramble 
over fences, buildings, and old trees draping them with green foliage, 
and, in season, with gorgeous trumpet-shape blossoms. As it thrives 
in Honolulu, Hongkong, and elsewhere, there is no more lovely climbing 
plant. It is native of Brazil and has been known in gardens since 1813. 
Very pretty and pleasing is Antigonum leptopus with festoons of pink 
or white blossoms wreathing buildings or fences. This is also a favor¬ 
ite plant in tropical gardens where it is often known as the Honolulu 
Creeper. Wayward in habit under our northern skies it is the prin¬ 
cess of its family, that of the lowly Polygonum and Rumex. 
Old favorites inourstove-houses and whosesuccessfulculture is looked 
upon as a test of the gardener’s skill are the various species of Dipla- 
denia which hail from Brazil, Bolivia, and other parts of South Amer¬ 
ica. One of the finest species is the white suffused with pink flowered 
D. splendens introduced in 1841. Others are D. acuminata with large, 
deep rose-colored flowers, D. boliviensis with white yellow-throated 
flowers, D. airopurpurea, and the salmon to purple flowered D. urophylla. 
The curious genus Aristolochia is wide-spread in both hemispheres and 
includes many tropical species with large and remarkable flowers. 
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