NEW YORK BOTANICAL 



GARDEN, LIBRARY, 

 Given by N. L. BRITTON, 



INTRODUCTION 



Area. — ^The Malay Peninsula as understood in this work com- 

 prises the whole area of mainland south of Lat. 7° N. to the island of 

 Singapore, and the small islands within twelve miles of it in Lat. 1° 

 N. Included in it are also the islands of Penang, Lankawi, 

 Terutau and the Pulau Adang group on the west coast and the 

 numerous small islands adjacent to the coasts both east and west. 

 The whole area is approximately 52,820 square miles. 



Climate. — Lying so near the equator, the climate is hot and very 

 wet. The average maximum temperature throughout the penin- 

 sula is 90° Fahr., the average minimum (just before sunrise) is 

 70° Fahr. The variation in temperature in Singapore is between 

 minimum 71° and maximum 87°. At each rise of 1000 feet elevation 

 there is roughly a decrease of 3°, and at 7000 feet the maximum is 

 about 70°, the minimum 50°. However, as much as 93° has been 

 recorded at a height of 6335 feet. 



Rainfall. — Taking the rainfall for nine years, the highest average 

 at Thaiping was 163-53 inches per annum, the lowest average 70-22. 

 In Singapore the rainfall varies from 82 inches to 123 inches in the 

 year, and in the low country in the Federated Malay Straits it is 

 about 90 inches. The North-East Monsoon commences about 

 November, the South-East in the end of April or May. Rain falls 

 on most days of the year, and in the south of the Malay Peninsula 

 south of 6° N. there is no dry season, the only variation being that 

 the heaviest rainfalls take place in December to the first fortnight 

 of February, and in May there is often a short dry spell. 



The air in the very dense and lofty forests which cover the centre 

 of the Malay Peninsula is very humid at all times, the sun hardly 

 penetrating the thick foliage. 



North of Lat. 6° there is a considerable change of climate and a 



marked dry period occurs. I have seen the herbaceous plants in 



^ the rice-fields of Alor Sta quite dried up in February, but at present 



^lere have been no records kept of temperature or rainfall in this 



:;^art of the peninsula. 



j^ Geology. — The Geology of the Malay Peninsula is as yet very 

 (3jicompletely known, but some valuable papers on it have been 



— ' ix 



ro 



