THE PALAEOTROPICS 189 



southern India, bat there is a pretty large proportion of peculiar 

 species. 



Little forest remains in the lowlands, except in swamp}- regions 

 unfit for cultivation, and such as remains is not particularly 

 luxuriant. In the drier districts are many of the same species 

 of trees and shrubs as in southern India, e. g., species of Acacia, 

 Cassia, Eugenia, and others, but in the more humid districts, like 

 those about Colombo, little is left of the original vegetation, 

 and most of the available ground is occupied by various crops, — 

 rice, sugar, coconuts, and the usual fruit trees: bread-fruit, 

 bananas, papaya, mangoes, etc. Coconuts form one of the most 

 important products of Ceylon, and are planted in enormous 

 numbers, forming almost uninterrupted groves along the shore 

 for many miles. 



Practically all the forest in the humid areas between 2,000 and 

 4,000 feet elevation has been destroyed for the purpose of planting 

 tea. The coffee plantations of an earlier period were destroyed 

 by the ravages of a fungus, and were replaced by tea, which is now 

 the principal product of the island, being cultivated up to 6,000 

 feet elevation. Rubber is also cultivated to some extent but can 

 hardly compete with the plantations of the Malay region. 



Neither in soil nor climate is Ceylon equal to the great Malayan 

 islands, and as the general character of the lowland vegetation 

 of Ceylon is similar to that of the Malayan region, but is less 

 luxuriant and varied, it will not be considered further. 



Some efforts have been made at reafforestation in Ceylon, 

 and teak has been planted with some success in the lowlands. 

 The writer visited the Hanwella forest not far from Colombo, 

 where there are teak plantations. The luxuriance of the vegeta- 

 tion gave evidence of an abundant rainfall, although it was the 

 dry season (Feb.). There were many ferns, including a beautiful 

 climbing species (Lygodium sp.) as well as a good many epiphytic 

 ones, among them the curious giant adder-tongue, Ophioglossum 

 pendulum, whose forked strap-shaped fronds hung down for nearly 

 two yards in length. A number of epiphytic orchids were also 

 noted. Of the terrestrial ferns, the most interesting was Hd- 

 minthostachys Zeylanica, a relative of Ophioglossum, and wide- 

 spread through the eastern tropics. There were a number of 

 showy flowers noted, one a beautiful blue gentian (Exacum sp.) 



