PREFACE 



SiKCE the publication of Liniisous's ^ Flora Zeylanica' and Bur- 

 niann's ^Thesaurus Zeylanicus,' no work has .appeared, with the 

 exception of Moon's * Catalogue/ professing to give a list of the 

 plants indigenous to Ceylon, 



Several species of Ceylon plants have been figured and described 

 by Sir "William Hooker in his ' Icones Plantarum ' and other ya- 

 luable publications, from specimens collected by the late Colonel 

 and Mrs, Walker; and a good many Ceylon plants have been 

 figured by Dr. Wight in his excellent ' Icones Plantarum Indite 

 Orientalis.' Dr. AYalker-Arnott has published descriptions of 

 several kinds in his ' Pugillus' and elsewhere- 

 Most of the OrchidacecB of Ceylon have been described by 

 Dr, Lindley from specimens and drawings sent to him by Mr. 



Macrae, 



My predecessor, Dr. Gardner, contributed to the ^Calcutta 



Journal of Natui'al History ' descriptions of several interesting 



r 



Ceylon plants. 



References throughout the present work indicate where and by 

 whom other species have been described. 



Owing to the physical conformation of the island, which geolo- 

 gically belongs to the Metamorphic system, there is great diver- 

 sity of climate. 



The hills of the Central Province rise to an elevation of 830d*^^ 

 feet, with an annual rainfall of about 100 inches. 



The low country of the south of the island possesses a humid 

 climate, with a very equable temperature, and the rainfall is con- 

 siderable, but not equal to that on the hills. 



