Aspects of the Phaenogamic Vegetation of Rodriguez, with Descriptions of new Plants from the Island.

Abstract

As regards the history of its flora, the island of Rodriguez bears a striking resemblance to St. Helena. We read of the latter island that fire, goats, and finally introduced foreign plants well nigh exterminated the indigenous flora; and the same causes have operated and, I regret to say, are still operating in Rodriguez. The result is that the primitive vegetation has been in great part destroyed, leaving the island a field for the rank and rapid growth of common tropical weeds. The old and luxuriant vegetation of two hundred years ago—thus quaintly described by Leguat*, “We could hardly take our eyes off from the little mountains of which the island entirely consists; they are so richly spread with great and tall trees,” and, again, “‘Tis as I have hinted, composed of lovely hills covered all with fine trees whose perpetual verdure is entirely charming”—has now, to a large extent, disappeared, and is represented by only a few species, many of which are confined to the more unfrequented and less accessible places. It is indeed difficult to recognize in the barren and arid Rodriguez of the present day the “little Eden,”“lovely isle,”“earthly paradise” of Leguat. The flora, as it now exists, is an exceedingly fragmentary one; it is therefore a matter of some difficulty to determine its exact limits and to draw conclusions as to its affinities with the floras of other oceanic islands and of adjacent continents. This is the more to be regretted, as, from the geographical position of the island and the physical condition of climate to which it is subject, its flora might be expected, whether taken singly or as part of that of the Mascarene group, to contribute very important data towards the solution of the problem of the distribution of plant-life in that region. The following general statements may, however, be made:—