26 . FLORA INDICA. 



enabled 



fects of local circumstances and temporary associations, ivhic 

 give a foreign colouring to everything surrounding them. 



The following remarks on the relation between climate and 

 the development of species in India, though crude, may prove 



to pursue this subject. AlU*og 



India presents greater contrasts of climate than any other 

 of equal size in the world, we do not find that those genera an 

 species, which prevail over all its parts, are so variable in an 

 respect as are the plants of some countries which enjoy a mo 

 uniform climate ; as an example, we may say that the spec 

 forming the flora of New Zealand are, as a whole (proportion- 

 ately to the extent of the floral . far more variable than those 



mountains or nlains of India 



fact be 



'& 



mled, and, being- confirmed in a wider survey, be proved o 



„ on, it would be one of the most import!* 



lata to start from in the investigation of those laws that regn- 

 ate the development of varieties ; but we are not prepared 

 vy that a comparison of the species which inhabit the e* 

 uve climates of different parts of India with those that inha » 

 the uniform climates, supports this view : for instance, 

 central or temperate regions of the Himalaya, where perem* 

 humidity and coolness prevail, are not peopled by very vana 

 genera and pecies, whilst the alpine regions that are charaf 



terized by an excessive climate are so, and the annuals of tDf 

 hot plains arc peculiarly sportive in stature, habit, hairine* 

 foliage, and Bomber and form of their smaller organ- 



Another point, intimately connected with the question <* 



i atc in producing change in species, is l 

 relation that exists between the climate of an area, and the 



number oi mp ies 4 inhabit it ; and this affords a fc^ 



ml most mttm ing Held of inquiry in India, where so many 

 climat I urn h met with in a comparatively limited area. A 



few facts have appeared to us worth v of uoti. hough a* J** 



far from well established as that the equable climate met*** 



.Ml par of the Khasia mounta.us and temperate n 

 gn.nsot he Himalaya, and on the hot humid coasts of Iten** 1 



po 



