Botanical Notices from Java. 469 LVI. — Journey through Java, descriptive of its Topography and Natural History, By Dr. Fr. Junghuhn*. [Continued from p. 48.] This same species of tree {Thihaudia varingieefolia), but decreasing more and more in size, accompanied us to the highest summit, which we reached by climbing along a rocky wall, descending perpendicu-larly in a westerly direction, and extending for about 500 feet at a height of not more than thirty to forty feet; but a cleft overgrown with shrubs extends at its base far lower down the mountain. On this jour-ney the author also saw, amongst other gigantic fig-trees, one of fifty feet in circumference. They have not however the imposing appear-ance of other gigantic trees, as their short trunks are soon lost in thick branches, not of compact masses, but made up of a thousand single stems and air roots, forming a kind of trellis-M'ork, or an ag-glomeration of columns. The author likewise saw, upon the Unga-rang, another gigantic tree, apparently also belonging to the genus Ficus, with a trunk of about forty feet in height, and thirty to thirty-five feet in circumference, with immense polyp-like branches. The author observes, with respect to the richness of the flora of this mountain, that it would require at least two months to examine a space of 300 square feet ; whereas he could only remain two days. A single tree, with its hundreds of parasitic plants, of the most varied families, would alone require a longer time. Upon the Lawu were Casuarina forests at a height of 4200 Paris feet. They consisted of Casuarina equisetifolia, and formed, in iso-lated groups, small woods with sharply defined limits, which scattered here and there rise upon the grassy slopes, and alternate with more shady, dark green woods. From the extremities of their boughs hang down, yards long, the articulated sheathed branches, floating in the wind. They thus give to the locality a peculiarly lovely and beautiful physiognomy, such as the author had not before seen in Java, and which reminded him of the pine-forests of the north f. The ground in these forests is only occasionally barren, and covered with the fallen dry branches, just as in a larch-wood. It is also covered with species of Rubus, Viburnum, Gnaphalium, and masses of lofty AUang. At the same time the author found a Casuarina-tree, built in so as to form a kind of temple in the ruins of Bundentjeddo. The building-stones consisted of trachytic lava, and inclosed the tree closely. The trunk was three feet in diameter and about ninety feet in height. The author reckoned that these ruins must have existed before a.d. 1400, as Mohamedanism was introduced into Java shortly after that period, and he conjectures that the tree must now be above 600 years old. Upon another spot were Casuarina-trees, sur-rounded by the darkest and most shady oak-forests, whose fresh * Translated from the ' Botanische Zeitung' for Sept. 29, Oct. 3, 10, 17 and 24, 1845. t M. Junghuhn is a German, and comes from the Hartz.
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