THE FLORA OF FANCHGANI. 31'a 



different is the pltiteiiu east of Ttible-land. Tlio grass attains a great 

 height; of the small herbaceous plants that characterize the first and 

 second Table-land scarcely any are to be seen, except on the mar- 

 gin of a shallow pond, and the only shrub occurring on the plateau is 

 Lasiosiphon eriocephahs. When coming from Mahableshwar it is inter- 

 esting to notice, how this shrub which sometimes reaches the size of 

 a tree, is covered with a Lichen ( Usnea barbata) to such an extent 

 as to hide the branches entirely, and how this Lichen is getting rarer 

 and rarqr, the nearer we come to Panchgaui, till in Panchgani itsell 

 and its surroundings we very seldom find a specimen of that pretty 

 cryptogam. 



To the second region (cf. No. 2 of Map A) we can assign the 

 rather steep slope on all sides of Table-land, measuring from between 

 0O-I5O yards in breadth. A line drawn from St. Joseph's Convent 

 in a- northern direction below Table-land, leaving the cultivated 

 fields to the left, and in an eastern direction following the path 

 above the cemetry, will indicate the lower boundaries of our region on 

 the north and south of Table-land. On the eastern side of Table- 

 land it is again marked oft' by cultivation. The ground is mostly rocky, 

 boulders of every size lying about ; but the holes and crevices are 

 filled up with lateritic soil. It would be easy to distinguish several 

 sub-regions, e.g., the western slope of Table land which is better 

 protected, richer in soil and water, and, consequently, richer in vege- 

 tation; then the eastern slope where the ground is more rocky and more 

 exposed to the east-wind. Here th» woody vegetation is scantier, 

 and the ferns, especially the Bracken, form quite a feature of the 

 landscape. The following description applies to the western slope 

 only, though in the catalogue which will be given below, a plant 

 entered with " 2 " in the " habitat column " may be found either on 

 the western or eastern slope, or in some other place belonging to 

 the belt encircling the Table-land as defined above. Of trees of some 

 size there are very fnw, shrubs and undershruiis taking their place 

 with many an interesting herbaceous plant which has never travelled 

 up to Table-land, The Jumbul tree {Eugenia jambolana) is common 

 though never so numerous as to forna somethniii similar to those 

 beautiful endless woods of Mahableshwar. D'm&pi) os montana, AUophii- 

 lus cobbe, Soijmidu febnfug'x, Acacia intsia^ Flacourtiu latifolia and 

 some species of Ficus beiong to the arbareous vegetation of this region. 

 5 



