144 ‘ SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
few solitary examples of S. urens, but I feel confident that 
this last is an introduction. Pterospermum suberifolium—the 
Welanga of the Sinhalese—is very abundant. 
The young straight shoots of this plant supplied the Vedda 
arrow, while the wood was employed by them for the 
manufacture of ‘‘ fire drills.” 
The distribution of Helicteres isora is curiously restricted 
to what might be turned “ patches,” the largest of which I 
found at Etmole. Heritiera littoralis—the Chomanturai of the 
Tamils—is searce, but occurs near Panawa and Pottuvil. 
Of the Tiliaceze, I noticed that the distribution of Halmilla 
(Berrya ammonilla) was not very general, while its abundance 
or scarcity appeared to be a matter of its easy access or the 
reverse. This is to be expected of so valuable a timber tree. 
“ Vidpam”’ (Tamil) (Pityranthe verrucosa), so plentiful in 
the Trincomalee District, is comparatively scarce in the Vedda 
country. Of the Grewias, G. lilizfolia, G. microcos, and G. 
polygama are the commonest, but the first of these is not so 
abundant here as in the dry zone of the Ratnapura District. 
As representing the Linacie, Hrythroxylon monogynum 
may be taken as an abundant typical example. It is alleged 
in the Panawa Pattu that meat hung in the smoke from 
burning wood of this plant, if eaten produces a purgative 
action. 
Both Hiptage madablota and H. parvifolia of the Malpighiacez 
occur in the Vedda country, but in no abundance. 
The bright, but pestiferous, T'ribulus terrestris, is to be 
found near Pottuvil and at Panawa, in places where the soil 
is not too dry, but its distribution does not spread far inland. 
Of the Geraniaceze I found very few examples. In some 
slightly moist spots, west of ‘‘ Westminster Abbey,” I observed 
Biophytum sensitivum, and in some of the tanks I got Hydrocera 
iriflora, but in other respects, except the introduced Averrhoa 
bilimbi and A. carambola—common in gardens—this order 
is poorly represented. The Rutacez is not well represented in 
wild species, if we except the well-known Feronia elephantum, 
Murraya kenigii, and Toddalia aculeata. In the gardens 
oranges, lime, and pummalo have been introduced, but with 
no marked success either in the matter of quality or quantity 
