40 



RELATION BETWEEN CLIMATE AND VEGETATION. 



winkle (Vinca rosea), which has so completely overrun the Cin- 

 namon gardens at Colombo, and other similar localities, is a 

 native of the island of IMadagascar, though it has now perfectly 

 established itself in nearly all tropical countries. The climbing 

 Allamanda cathartica, with its dark green leaves and golden 

 bell-sliaped blossoms, is a native of tlie Guianas, and was no 

 doubt introduced by the Dutch. Tlie Lantanas, which are to 

 be met with almost everywhere in busiiy places and in iiedges, 

 are natives of the West Indies ; and such also is the case with 

 the yellow-flowered Turnera ulmifolia, wiiich is common by road- 

 sides about Colombo. Tlie Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peru- 

 viana), now so common about Rambodde and Newera-Ellia, is a 

 native of the mountains of Pern. The Four o'clock Plant 

 (Mirabilis Jalapa), common about Candy, is a native of Mexico 

 and the West Indies ; and the Ipecacuanha plant, as it is erro- 

 neously called (Asclepias Curassavica), witli its orange blossoms, 

 and seeds with long silky tails, is a South American. Most of 

 these must have been long established before the English took 

 possession of th.e country ; but the following are well known to 

 have escaped from the botanical gardens at Colombo or Peradenia 

 during the last twenty-five years. The small \Ahite-flowered 

 Passiflora foetida, now so connnon a weed everywhere, is a native 

 of the AYest Indies and Brazil, and was only introduced to the 

 island, by Mr. IMoon, so short a time ago as 1824. Two species 

 of Crotalaria — C. Brownei, a native of Jamaica, and C. incana, 

 a native of the Cape of Good Hope ; the Mexican Coreopsis-like 

 Cosmos caudatus ; the Peruvian blue-flowered Nicandra physa- 

 loides ; and tlie South American Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pu- 

 dica), are now not only common weeds about Peradenia and 

 Kandy, but are fast extending themselves in all directions, the 

 first mentioned species having now nearly reached as far as 

 Eambodde on the Newera-Ellia road. Brucea Sumatrana, a 

 shrubby native of the Eastern islands, and an escape from the 

 Peradenia gardens, now forms part of the low jungle on the 

 neiglibouring Hantane range, and Buddlea madagascariensis, a 

 native of Madagas^car, and two small kinds of Passion-flower 

 (P. suberosaand glauca), both natives of the West Indies, are fast 

 following. Ageratum conyzoides, everywhere a connnon weed, 

 and one of the great p^sts of the Coifee Planter, is of American 

 origin, tliough now thorougldy naturalized in all tropical countries. 

 Ihe above, though only a rapid sketch of the more prominent 

 features of the vegetation of the island of Ceylon, is sufficient to 

 show the great interest and variety of the materials of Avhich it 

 is composed, and of the relation which it holds to that of other 

 {)arts of the globe. IMuch, however, still remains to be done 

 before a detailed exposition of it can be offered to the world. — 

 From Ribeh(i''s History of Ceylon. 



