84- 



FLOKA INDICA. 



of the Botany of the British Possessions in India, we cannot 



without 



our 



Flora 



geographical limits to our labours, been guided as well by cir- 

 cumstances of botanical importance, as by natural and poli- 

 tical boundaries. We shall therefore include, — to the north, 

 the whole Himalaya, and as much of Tibet as is known, — to 

 the west, Afghanistan and Beluehistan, — to the east, all the 

 countries to the west of the chain which divides Ava from 

 Siam, and the whole of the Malayan peninsula, — and to the 

 south, the island of Ceylon. It is obviously impossible, even 

 were it necessary, to define these boundaries more rigidly. 



point of the greatest 



illustratin 



Egypt 



rope, to the west,— of Siberia to the north,— of China to the 

 east, — and of the Malayan Archipelago to the south-east ; ot 

 the union of the species, genera, or orders of which floras, 

 that of India is mainly composed. 



Lest, however, we should be thought too arbitrary in push- 



boundari 



which will explain 



tives more fully. Till very recent _, 

 belonged to the British Government, 



maon (between the Ganges and Kali, ,- . 



later events have added the whole mountain region between 

 the Ran and Satlej, and placed the remainder of the North- 

 west Himalaya, including Kashmir, so much under British 



province of ^- u " 

 alone excepted; but 



India 



Flor 



tish 



possessions. The Tibetan provinces of Ladak and Balti, 

 winch continue, as formerly, appanages of Kashmir, have re- 

 <*a% been very completely explored botanically by several 

 travellers, wh< - labours cannot be overlooked, because their 

 ho*M» contain many plants which will hereafter l)c found 



