142 FLORA INDICA. 



rests are of doubtful accuracy Umerkantak was visited many 

 years ago by Dr. Spilsbury, and it may be gathered from the 

 narrative of his visit that the reports which ascribe to it an 

 elevation of 7-8000 feet are greatly exaggerated. 



The climate of Orissa is peculiar. Influenced by the hot 

 plains of Northern Hindostan, the summer monsoon blows 

 from the south or south-east, as in Bengal, instead of from 

 the south-west, which is its direction in the Carnatic. It is 

 therefore a sea-wind, and brings with it much humidity, which 

 is deposited on the outermost hills. The coast and outer ranges 

 are therefore extremely humid, but the valleys of the interior 

 are much more dry. During the winter monsoon, the great 

 heat of the dry plains of Nagpur and the Dekhan causes a sea- 

 breeze to blow, during the day at least, all along the coast of 

 Orissa. The hills are therefore, at this season also, damp and 

 humid, though the rain-fall is not great in amount. In April 

 and May there are occasional land-winds, before the heating 

 of the great Gangetic plain changes the direction of the south- 

 west monsoon. "We possess no register of the rain-fall on the 

 mountains of Orissa, where it would probably be found very 

 large in amount. Along the coast the fall is much less con- 

 siderable, being 50 inches at Kattak, and gradually diminish- 

 ing to the southward. At Masulipatam it is only 34 inches. 



The forests which cover the slopes of the outer ranges are 

 very dense, and, though not equal in luxuriance or variety to 

 those of Malabar and Malaya, they are richer in forms than 

 those of Mysore, many Malabar plants not found in the 

 Carnatic or on the Eastern Ghats recurring in these more 

 northern jungles. Thus the wild Pepper is found there abun- 

 dantly, with numerous Zingiberacece and Orchids, Arenga 

 saccharifera, and perhaps Caryota, but apparently no other 

 palm. Species of Dillenia, Leea, Mimusops, Bassta, Box- 

 buryhia, etc., also occur. The forests which cover the moun- 

 tains of the interior are much drier, and are separated by 

 open \ alleys, more or less under cultivation. 



The botany of the coast of Orissa, and that of the forests of 



