THE VEGETATION OF THE FIJI ISLES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2747, 12 January 1882, Page 2

THE VEGETATION OF THE FIJI ISLES.

One unattractive feature of these islands is that they scarcely produce a blossom. I have walked day after day till I was ,weary without fin ling as many flowers as would fill a small vase. But however great may be the shortcoming of Fiji in the matter of flowers, she may safely divide honors with Australia in respect of ferns, which grow in richest profusion, and are of innumerable species.'. Nothing can be more beautiful than a damp ravine in either country, with luxuriant masses of exquisite ferns hanging from every bow of the grey old trees, and here and there the stem of a magnificent tree fern rising 3Q or 40 feet above the sea of greenery below, bearing its noble crown, and having its lower fronds all tangled with glossy-leaved creepers or festoons of the delicate climbing fern, the tender leaves of which hang in mid-air on long hair-like trails. But if Fiji has her lovely tree-ferns she has also her tree nettles, which attain the growths of largo forest trees. Beautiful and treacherous are their large smooth leaves, reined with purple or white, so ■tempting .to, the eye, so cruel to the unwary hand outstretched to gather them; days will pass ere that burning sting subsides. As regards the general foliage it is almost identical 'with that of Ceylon, though perhaps' scarcely so rich. 1 miss the beautiful kittool and Several other palms, and some old friends appear with slight differences, as in the case of the whiteleaved shrub so common in Ceylon, with one pure white leaf on each twig. Here the small plant has a smoother leaf anfl larger blossom. The white-leaved croton tree, which forms so conspicuous a feature in the general colouring of a Ceylon forest, is equally abundant here, where it is known as the candlenut tree, and reigns as monarch over an immense variety of crotons of every shade of eccentricity, both of form and colour. But the most gorgeous varieties are imported from isles nearer the equator. A number of forest trees are pointed out as being essentially Polynesian. Such are the ivi, or Tahitian chestnut; ,the dawa, whose young red leaves glow crimson, and gleam like Jewels in ♦he great expause of green which surrounds us on every side ; the tavola and the tivi, which only put on rich color ere they die. All these are fruit- bearing. Amongst other old friends the papaw grbws abundantly, and is worthy of special note, on account of its multiform uses, its fruit when unripe being so excellent as a vegetable, when ripe so good either raw or preserved ; its leaves have the : precious quality of making any meat tender which is either wrappd up or cooked in them, or even hung up beneath their shadow. They are also saponaceous, and if soaked with soiled clothes save a considerable amount of soap. Moreover, the pungent seeds are useful medicinally and act as a vermifuge.