68 - 6g
Each region being divided into several formations according to
circumstances.
1. Vegetation of the Coast region.. — The shore of the island is generally
andy or rocky or sometimes muddy as in the lagoon of Takaw and in the
vicinity of kelung. In muddy parts in the above two places there are
mangrove formation where the following plants are generally to be found.
Kandelia Rheedii Wight.
Bruguiera cylindrica Bl.
Rhizophora mucronata Lam.
Lumnitzera racemosa Willd.
Avicennia officinalis L.
It is very interesting to notice that these mangrove formations occur
in the two extremities of the island, but not in the intervening parts. It
extends through the Loochoo islands as far as the southern coast of
Kiushiu (Japan). It may be considered that the sea-current is the cause of this
curious distribution of the formation. It is very beautifully represented in
Takaw where it is found fringing almost all sides of the lagoon. Plates 12 and
13 give a fair idea of this vegetation. The ground is here very muddy, and
negative geotropic roots are seen in profusion. On the western side of the
lagoon (PI. 12) there are seen many beautiful trees of Avicennia officinalis
attaining the height of nearly 30 ft, with dark green foliage and densely
intervening branches s tretching downwards. On the eastern side of the lagoon,
as seen in PI. 13, there are many t rees of Rhizophora mucronata of nearly
6 ft. high, with br ight green leaves, sending their branches upwards and
their roots down from the middle of the stem. On this side of the lagoon,
there may be found some Najas and Zostera.
On the sandy shore, the most cmmon plants, which form the littoral
vegetation in the island, are as fol lows :
Hibiscus liliaceus L.
Heritiera littoralis Ait.
Canavalia obtusifolia DC.
Derris uliginosa Benth.
Tephrosia purpurea Pers.
Pongamia glabra Vent.
Sophora tomenlosa L.
Caesalpinia Bonducella Bl.
Barringtonia racemosa Poxb.
Pemphis acidula Forst.
Tetragonia expansa Murr.
Sesuvium Portulacastrum L.
I.:
II
i
ii
Wedelia biflora DC.
Scaevola Koenigii Vahl.
Tournefortia argentea L.
Tournefortia sarmentosa Lam.
Ipomoea biloba Forsk.
Ipomoea carnosa P. Br.
Myoporum bontloides A. Gray.
Clerodendron inerme Gaertn.
Euphorbia atoto Forst.
Excoecaria Agallocha L.
Pandanus odoratissimus Linn.
Freycinetia formosana Hemsl
Pycreus polystachyus Beauv.
Spinifex squarrosus L.
Dactyloctenium aegypliacum Willd.
Zoysia pungens Willd.
Ipomoea biloba is one af the most plentiful of flowers on the shore
vegetation. The plant seems to thrive on ground composed of sand and
mud. In PI. 14, this Ipomoea is found plentifully in flower intermixed with
some gramineous plants. Here, in this region, we see many trees of
Scaevola Koenigii just in flower, with climbing Abrus precatorias and
Tephrosia purpurea. Pandanus odoratissimus is another plant which is commonly
met with in the littoral vegetation. As is shown in P. 15, the plant
thrives very well on the seashore, especially on sundy ground. Besides this
species, there is another plant belonging to the same order namely Freycinetia
formosana which is rather small and of creeping habit. The plant
is limited in the nor thern part of the island, where it is found most
abundantly.
In Takaw, especially on the hill of the coral formation on the sea side
coast of the lagoon, there is found very peculiar vegeta tion of Euphorbia
Tirucalli with greenish terete aphyllous branches, and forming very dense
bushes. The plant is generally ten ft. high, but sometimes it attains a height
of more than 20 ft., an example of which is shown in PI. 16. The plant is
regarded to vahe been introduced from Afrika. Curious to say, the plant is
limited in the environment of Takaw. It is observed by Dr. A. Henry that
the littoral flora of . the island is richer than that of the whole coast of
China.
2. The vegetation of the Plain regions. — The vegeta tion in this region
is very variable. The lands in the plain are almost entirely cultivated. Sugar
cane, rice, and tea are the plants mos t widely cultivated. In the plains, there
are many woods of Acacia Richii. The plant thrives very well in this island.