Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 86.djvu/206

202 occur, even at sea-level, and in the higher mountains are a number of coniferous trees, mostly, however, of genera which do not occur in America.

The most characteristic genera of conifers in the Malayan region are Agathis, to which belongs also the Kauri pine of New Zealand, and Podocarpus, also well represented in the latter country. Another Malayan coniferous type is Dacrydium, which also extends to the Australasian region.

Borneo, probably, has more species of palms than any other area of like extent in the world; but these are often small and quite inconspicuous forms nor else they are climbing species, rattans, which are quite different in appearance from the typical palms. There are, it is true, a good many large and striking palms, but as a rule they do not dominate the vegetation to the same extent as in equatorial America.

The screw pines, or pandans, have already been referred to, and these very peculiar plants are a most striking feature of the eastern tropics and one quite absent from the New World. They may attain the dimensions of trees, and there are numerous species occurring from sea level to a height of four thousand to five thousand feet. The strange pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes constitute another peculiarly Old World type, and these attain the greatest development in Borneo where they are very common and occur at all elevations up to eight thousand feet or more. These interesting plants, which one may occasionally see in hothouses, differ a good deal in the structure of their pitchers from our American pitcher-plants; but, like the latter, these pitchers are insect traps. The pitchers in Nepenthes are borne on tendrils at the tip of the leaf, and are often of very graceful form and beautifully colored.

As in all wet tropical countries, Borneo has a great many species of Araceæ, some with gigantic leaves five or six feet long, looking like huge callas. Others, e. g., species of Amorphophallus, have enormous leaves much divided and produce immense flowers with a most evil scent. Others, again, are climbers and clothe the trunks of trees in a luxuriant drapery of bright glossy leaves.

One naturally looks for many orchids in such a country as Borneo, and in fact the number of species is very large; but, as every collector knows who has visited the. tropics, it is only rarely that showy orchids are abundant enough to make a striking display. The great majority of orchids are small plants with insignificant flowers which would be quite overlooked by any one but the botanist. There are, it is true, a great many orchids of extraordinary beauty in Borneo, but these are for the most part rare and are only occasionally met with in flower. Two handsome orchids are common in the gardens about Kuching, Vanda teres and Arundina speciosa, both of which flower freely. Another