re671 TIAWKES:NICARAGUA 99 Malaysia in 1963, plans to reach the There is an interesting story con- Langkawi Islands off the west coast of nected with the name for this species, Malaya, where this palm grows, did not for it was independentlytreated by two materialize. Thus it was an exciting day botanists during the year 1940 when when Dr. Benjamin Stone of the Uni- war had disrupted communication. Dr. versity of Malaya in Kuala Lampur for- Max Burret in Berlin described the warded photographsof the rare species. getus Syrnphyogyne to include two spe- "These cies, S. gracilis Burret and S. rupicola Dr. Stone writes as follows: (Ridley) Burret. Five months later, photos, which I took on May I0, 1967, Dr. C. X. Furtado placed the same two on the north-central limestone face of species iri separate genera as Liber- Pulau (Island) Dayan-Bunting, in the baileya lankawi.ensisFurtado and,Max- Pulau Langkawi group, off the west burretia rupicola (Ridley) Furtado. ioast of Perlis, Malaya, show some of proved to duplicate an these palms in their native haunts. They Symphyogyne genus of liverworts are often on very steep slopes or cliffs earlier name for a Burret and Potz- and mostly quite inaccessible. In so cannot be used, as tal showed in 1956 (Willdenowia l: one photo you will see the figure of 530). These botanists accepted Fur- Inche Mahmud bin Sidek, our herbar- tado's two genera. Thus Liberbaileya ium technician, who did the collecting 'oscale" is a legitimate name even though pub- proper and gives a convenient lished later but its species must be to the photo. Incidentally, I used Tri-X called Liberbaileya gracilis, using the film exposed at ASA 400, a Pentax earlier published epithet, nol L lanka- camera with a 35 mm. f. 3.5 Takumar wiensis. lens, and exposedior I/I25 at f. ll. Furtado, Bulle- "Some LresneA.rlpvl Gardens' of the palms reacheda height tin, Singapore11: 238. 30 Aug. 1940. of perhaps25-30 ft.; the stemsin these Symphyogyne Burret, Notizblatt des were somewhat arched, by no means Botanischen Gartens und Museums straight or erect. On very steep exposed zu Berlin-Dahlem15: 316. 30 Mar. cliff-faces some trunks formed a U- 1940 not Symphyogyna Nees & shaped figure, that is, bending down- Montagne (1836). ward from the rooted base, then up- LrnBneA.rr-svA,cRAcILIS (Burret) Bur- curved to the crown and apex. The ret & Potztal. Willdenowia l: 530. leaves are a medium green, not espe- 1956. cially dark and not glaucous." Symphyogyne gracilis Burret, Notiz- An inhabitant of limestone areas, blatt des Botanischen Gartens und Liberbaileya gracilis would seemto have Museums zu Berlin- Dahlem 15: potential as a plant for cultivation in 317. 30 Mar. 1940. southern Florida as might its equally Liberbaileya lankawiensis Furtado, problematical relative Maxburretia ru- Gardens' Bulletin, Singapore 11: picola from limestone hills near Kuala 238. 30 Aug. 1940. Lumpur. Hlnorp E. Moone, Jn. SomePalms of Nicaragua Ar.rx D. Hlwrrs On several occasions in recent years, amazing country of Nicaragua, princi- I have visited .the marvelous and truly pally in continuing pursuit of my stud- 100 PRINCIPES lVol. ll ies of orchids. My botanical interests Socratea durissima (Oerst.) Wendl. also take in the palms, and during Nicaragua is an extremely diversified orchidological explorations, I have land physically. The western quarter or quite naturally paid some attention to so, where by far the bulk of the popula- these princes of the vegetable kingdom. tion exists, is characterizedby a longi- The flora of Nicaragua is as yet very tudinal line of volcanic mountains, sev- incompletely known. Though this is the eral of which are persistently active, largest of the Central American coun- with fertile hilly lowlands extending to tries, scientific investigation has been the Pacific. A distinct and protracted remarkably scanty through the years. dry season occurs here. In the west- An indication of the wealth of plants central quarter, northward towards the to be locatedin Nicaragua is seenin the border of Honduras, we find the highest results of my work with orchids there, mountainsof the country, thesecarpeted in closecollaboration with A. H. Heller, with densehardwood forests, with scat- of Monte Fresco,near Managua. When tered stands of pines (Pinus oocarpa), our study of the Nicaraguan Orchida- and some excellent and spectacular ex- oocloud ceae was commencedin 1956, a total amples of forests" on the tallest of I39 species and variants was re- peaks. corded from the republic. At the end of The eastern half of Nicaragua is a L966, a total of authenticatedindigen- complex array of mountain ranges, ous representativesof the Orchid Fam- draining toward the Caribbean, and ily of 552 was arrived at, and additional tremendous expanses of lowland rain records are being added with extra- forests which are very sparselyinhabit- ordinary frequency. ed, essentially impenetrable by car, and The only published roster of Nicara- to a large extent unexplored. The dry guan palms known to me is that af- seasonin this immense region is very forded by B. E. Dahlgren, in his valu- short, often virtually non-existent. able Ind,ex ol American Palms, pub- Palms are naturally most common, lished by the Field Museum of Natural both in numbers and in kinds, in the History in 1936. This consists of fifteen areas of high annual rainfall. In the species, as follows, using Dahlgren's lowlands extending from around the names, in alphabetical sequence. two huge lakes, Managua and Nicar- A cr oc omia ainil era Oerst. agua, to the Pacific, about the only na- Asterogyne Martiana Wendl. tive species the casual visitor is likely Bactris dianeura Burret to encounter is Acrocomia ainifera, the Bactris horrid,a Oerct country's most widespreadpalm. Hand- Calyptrogyne glauca (Oerst.) Wendl. some stands of it can be seen on the Chamaed,oreagrarninilolia Wendl. grassy hillocks along the highway be- Cham ae d or ea mern b r anaceq, O er st, tween Managua and the picturesque old Chamaed,oreasphaerocarpa Burret city of Le6n, and scattered specimens Cry os ophila War scewiczii ( Wendl. ) still exist in some of the suburban dis- Bartl. tricts of the capital city itself. Dahl- Euserpe macrospadix Oerst. gren notes that this Acrocomia is called Geonornarnicrospadix Wendl. ex palma de uino and corozo in Nicaragua, Spruce but I have found. coyol to be a far bet- Pyrenoglyphis minor (Jacq.) Karst. ter known vernacular in the country- Pyrenoglyphis ouata (Oerst.) Karst. side. Reinhard,tia sirnplex (Wendl. ) Burret In the attractive hills southward from t9671 HAWKES:NICARAGUA 101 Managua, on the Inter-American High- northeastward,toward Granada,yet an' way, especiallynear CasaColorado, and other Charnaedorea occurs on the mar- on towards the often active twin craters gins of clearings,often in company with of Volc5n Masaya- Santiago. a very a splendid big Begonia with erect inflor- pretty cluster-forming Chamaed,oreais escencesfour and more feet in height. rather frequent in moist ravines, grow- This palm is a solitary one, of con- ing with a splendid big spreading tree- siderable charm. Near here, too, I fern (genus Cyathea). And along the found three specimensof a spectacular road extending from this Highway to palm which is highly reminiscent of Granada, a lovely and famous old town Wellia Georgii, known from Costa Rica on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, and Panama. around the base of towering Volc6n Travelling along the Inter'American Mombacho, I have found isolated speci- Highway from Managua eastward and mens of a huge palm which appearsto northward toward Honduras, the clump- be Orbignya Cohune,and which is com- forming Bactris noted previously can mon in the central and eastern depart- be seen near Tipitapa, a quaint town ments. with some famous hot springs. In the Nearer Granada, one sees tattered same district, in open grassy fields tight clustersof a viciously thorny small among deciduoustrees such as the cala- Bactis, growing fully exposed in pas- bash (CrescentiaCujete), severalkinds tures, with towering buttressed ceibas of bull-horn acacias,and the very hand- their only arborescentcompanions. some orange- yellow - flowered coyote This same species(Bactris minor, prob' (Platym.isciurn pinnatum) , there is a ably) is also found along streamsalong stocky Sabal in small numbers. This the road between Managua and Tipi' same palm is also to be found near the tapa, growing almost hidden by great town of Ciudad Dario, further north' ranks of heliconias. ward along the Highway. Mombacho volcano is no longer ac- In the northwestern mountains tive-its entire upper third was blown (reached by taking the road to Mata- out in cataclysmiceruptions agesago- galpa and Jinotega), near the charming and despite the difficulties of scaling rustic hotel at Santa Maria de Ostuma, its wet, precipitous slopes, it offers fabulous montane forests are found. fascinating botanizing. A cloud cap Here some of our most interestingorch- customarily covers the shattered sum- ids have been discovered, and it is a mit, and here we find marvelousforma- botanical showplacewhich every visitor tions of small, gnarled trees so heavily to Nicaragua should not neglect. In- laden with orchids, bromeliads, and digenous palms are infreqiuent,consist' other epiphytes that large branches ing of two or three apparently differ- often break off under their weight. A ent chamaedoreas,one solitary, the oth' small caespitose Chamaedorea occurs ers forming rather open clusters,and an sporadically somewhat lower down on odd dwarf pinnate palm which is much the mountain, in an oddly restricted like a Synechanthus,this growing in belt,extending horizontally around the limited numbers near the rim of the slopes. It grows with a glorious big impressive Guasguali Valley. tree-fern, one with viciously ebony- Returning southward towards Man- thorned frond-bases,and a robust Dief- agua once again, we come [o the new t'enbachiafrequently as tall as a man.