408 : BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
It would be a most ornamental tree for an English lawn, 
from. its size, large dark green leaves, and dense fascicles of 
long spikes of yellow flowers and blue berries, if hardy 
enough, which, unfortunately, is not the case, to stand the 
climate of England. The lower jungle in the same situation 
consists of several species of shrubby Composite, three kinds 
of Rubus, a new Coffea (C. alpina, R.W.) with highly 
odoriferous flowers, two or three kinds of Leucas, Osyris 
Wightiana, Hedyotis stylosa, and Lawsonie, Mephitidia venu- 
losa, (Sautia venulosa W. & A.), Jasminum aureum, Osbeckia 
Gardneriana, a new species, one of the most beautiful of 
the Peninsular Melastomacee ; Lonicera ligustrina, a very 
pretty plant, used on the hills for garden hedges, much 
resembling those of Privet, and a very fine Euphorbiaceous 
shrub constituting a new genus nearly allied to Buzus. 
In the flower garden 1 found many common English plants 
growing most luxuriantly, such as Wallflowers, Larkspurs, 
Scabiosas, Lupines, Roses, Pinks, Carnations, Dahlias, and 
several beautiful kinds of Pelargoniums. So well does the 
climate suit the latter, that in many places they are appa- 
rently wild, and this also is the case with an ris, Œnothera 
biennis, Melianthus major, Capsella Bursa Pastoris, Achillea 
Ptarmica, &c. All European vegetables flourish, but the 
only fruit tree which bears well is the Peach. Strawberries 
are in season nearly all the year round, but they require 
to be fresh planted every six months, as they are found 
not to yield a second crop. When we were there in Feb- 
ruary, one of the coldest months of the year, we had straw- 
berries on the table nearly every other day. In January the 
nights were so cold that pools of water were frozen. To 
give you some idea of the Meteorology of the hills, I 
copy the following tables from a little work lately published — 
in Madras entitled, “Report on the Medical Topography —— 
and Statistics of the Neelgherry Hills.” 
