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FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 265 
plant in the island probably possesses so strong or sweet a scent 
as Stenocline incana, one of the shrubs known by the natives as 
“ Rambjazina.” The prettiest flowers found in the eastern forests 
belong probably to species of Rhodolena, Dichetanthera, Impa- 
tiens (especially Z. Zyallii), and various Acanthaceous plants. 
On the east coast there are the Irora odorata, Stephanotis flori- 
bunda, Poinciana regia, Astrapea Wallichii, and Sarcolena 
grandiflora. Hemistemma Aubertii is a shrub with large striking 
yellow flowers, which is found from Eastern Imerina to the east 
coast. In Alaotra Lake the well-known Zotus of the Nile occurs. 
In the western part of the island there exist several species of 
Ipomea, with variously coloured flowers; also Gloriosa virescens, 
Kigelia madagascariensis, a shrub or small tree with large red 
trumpet-shaped flowers, aud Combretum  coccineum, a shrub 
covered in the season with abundant brilliant scarlet flowers. 
Scattered about the country in various places there are several 
species of Crinum; and Buddleia madagascariensis, a beautiful 
shrub with panicles of golden yellow odoriferous flowers, is com- 
mon almost everywhere. This list might of course be considerably 
enlarged. 
A few particulars may now be given with regard to the 
character of the three botanical Regions. 
Tue Eastern REGION. 
The Eastern Region occupies the narrow strip of country lying 
between the Indian Ocean and the great mountain-range which 
runs almost the whole extent of Madagascar, and forms the cbief 
watershed of the island. This strip of territory averages pro- 
bably 60 or 70 miles in width, and is over 800 miles long from 
north to south. It consists, for the most part, of a littoral belt, 
behind which is a tract of hilly country succeeded by several 
mountain-ranges. The littoral belt is not more than a few feet 
above the sea-level, and has doubtless been formed, not by eleva- 
tion of the land, but by the silting up of sand by the sea, aided by 
the wind. It varies much in width, but, I believe, never exceeds 
more than eight or ten miles. It consists of numerous very 
slightly elevated grass-clothed sand dunes parallel with the sea- 
coast, with numerous lagoons and swamps occupying the hollows. 
The tract of country to the west of the littoral belt ranges from 
100 to about 2500 feet above the sea, and consists of innumerable 
rounded hills thrown together in wild confusion, reminding one, 
