49 
Flora of Narcondam and Barren Island. 
Tlihiscus tiliaceus, Capparis tenera, Golubrina asiatica and Clerodendron 
inerme. The true beach-forest, here well developed, contains much 
Fisonia excelsa, with a number of trees of the far less common Fisonia alba; 
the other trees of the zone are Terminalia Gatappa, Galophyllum inophyl- 
lum^ Thespesia populnea, Gyrocarpus Jacquinii, Ixora hrunnescens, Ficus 
hrevicuspis, Ficus callosa, Odina Wodier, and Garuga pinnata ; the two last- 
named, though commonest in, are not confined to tliis zone. The single 
coco-nut tree mentioned as occurring here has probably grown from a 
nut drifted round from the other bay ; at Coco Bay, however, it is more 
probable, considering their association with plantains that the trees have 
been introduced intentionally.* The edges and bed of the dry lagoon 
already described were covered with Ipomoea Turpethum. 
Along the edge of the cliff overlooking the west side of Coco Bay 
some species, not seen elsewhere, were met with : Fntada scandens, Acacia 
concinna, a Grewia (in leaf only, perhaps G Icevigata), a Tylopliora (in 
fruit only, perhaps T. globifera), Fcederia foetida, and Dioscorea saliva. 
The steep hill-side overlooking the northern part of Anchorage Bay is 
covered with a scrub-jungle of Fremna, Breynia, and such like shrubs, 
with a good deal of Gapparis sepiaria. All over this hill were seen 
withered leaves of the AmorpJiopliallus The hill-side overlooking the 
southern portion of Anchorage Bay is covered with the same dense 
* These coco-nuts are too old and too numerous to have been introduced of 
recent years; it seems strange, therefore, that they have never before been men¬ 
tioned. The recorded visits to Narcondam are :—(1). That of Messrs. Hume and 
Ball in 1873, when a landing was effected, and no more; (2). that of Messrs. Mallet 
and Hobday in 1884, when four days were spent in investigating its geology and 
topography, and an ascent, probably the first, was made of the peak; (3). the present 
visit, when the peak was again ascended. The account of their landing-place shows 
that it was at Coco Bay that Ball and Hume landed; at no other bay is there shoal 
water. Ball mentions some of the plants noticed by him at this place, but neither 
he nor Hume have recorded the existence of coco-nuts and plantains. Mallet is 
equally silent, his paper being rigidly confined to the topography and geology of the 
island. Though these are the only recorded visits, there have been others paid to 
the island. Hume {Stray Feathers ii, 110) mentions a visit by Col. Tytler. Again, 
Kurz {Report on the Vegetation of the A/ndamans, p. 13.) mentions a deputation that 
visited Barren Island in 1866, in search of pasture-grasses; from specimens in the 
Calcutta Herbarium, however, we learn that this deputation a few days later visited 
Narcondam and the Coco Group. In connection with the systematic list, occasion 
will be taken to refer to the acts of the deputation in question : it is sufficient to 
say here that to its members is probably due the merit of having introduced, at Least 
the plantains, and perhaps also the coco-nuts. This would make it certain that 
both species were present at the time of Hume’s visit. 
f Corms and seeds of this plant were brought to the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Calcutta, where it has sent up leaves and has flowered. 
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