14 KKi.ATioN hktwek.n climvtk am> vegetation 



nuiny hcrbactK>us plants; of which hitter, except Arums, few had 

 yet appearetl alH)vt' grovind. The peiiduK)us mosses are chiefly 

 s^Hvies of ffi/pnum, JVeckera, &.c. ; the lichens, £orrera and 

 Us/tta. Of Arums, Arisicma s/H-ciosum particularly att'ects 

 this level, with some green spotted compound-leavtHl kinds, and 

 tlie small Kemusutia {riripam /) on the rocks and trunks of 

 trees. Iseither /*<>//i(V {SrimfufK^t/s) ojfiri/ialis, decursiru,* nor 

 sca/iiU'Hs are fouuil higher up the moutitain ; Arum curvatum, 

 Koxb., and otlier species of Aris(cma, are very frequent. Calla, 

 Cohwasia, ami Lasia are contine«i to lower levels. Peppers 

 retu'h this elevation, but no higher ; whilst very prevalent shrubs 

 are Aiiamia ci/anea, Pittosfnyrum ; J£urt/a and Camellia in drier 

 placid ; Ifi/pt-ricum ; some species of 17/ iV ; and several Cucur- 

 bitnct'tr, Zanlhoxylon and SapindareiC. 



Still ascending along very slippery { aths, a considerable change 

 is found in the vegetation of tiie following thousiind feet, from 8000 

 to 9(XK). In the forest two gigantic species of Jluff/iolia replace 

 the Michflias, and were just past tlowering. The Qucrcus annu- 

 Inta is less abundant. Cliesnut dis;\ppeivrs, with several Lauri ; 

 other kintls of maple are seen, and the Khcuio<lemlron arboreum 

 is replacetl by a much handsomer species, with capitula of very 

 large white tlowers and nuisjinficent foliage, 1(5 inches long 

 (^R. argenteum). Cornett, I'iOurnum, jLoniccra, and Aucuha 

 are frtx^uent, with two or thrt^ Hydrangeas, many Laurime, 

 and some new oaks. Hehcingia is still more abundant as a bush, 

 with climbing and shrubby Smilacinete, epipliytical and other 

 Vaccinia, and Gualtheriie. Stauntonia forms a handsome 

 climber, with beautiful pendent clusters of lilac blossoms. The 

 Araliacete are chietly scandent si^>ecies, and herbaceous, as 

 pseudo-ginseng. Sgmplocos, I^imonia, and Celastrus are com- 

 mon shrubs, and small trees. Cissus capreolata clothes the 

 trees up to tliis height. 



At 9000 feet we arrived on a long Hat spur or shelf of the 

 mountain, coverevi with lofty trees, and a dense jungle of small 

 Iximbixi. Magnolias here formetl the majority of the trees, with 

 a few oaks {annulaia very rare). Great Pt/ri and two other 

 spt.H?ies of Khodcxlendron. both attaining tiie height of 30 to 

 40 ftH?t, Ji. Inirbatum. Wall., and li. arboreutn. Wall., var. 

 rctseum, De C. ; Sphu nistem ma, a scandent Araliacea, and a 

 Saurauja climb the loftiest trees : Stauntonia crawls round their 

 biise, or over lower bushes. Limonia and Si/mploi'os are the 

 common shrubs. A beautiful orchideous plant, with pale purple 



• The juice of this or a nearly allied species is used by Lepchas and 



Bhoteas for fixing the poisou of Aconitum and other plants on their arrow- 

 heads. It is said to increase the effect of the poison. 



