INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 231 



racteristic trees. Liquidambar is also common, and parasitical 

 Orchideae and ferns are extremely abundant. A plant closely 

 allied to Rafflesia (Sapria Griffithii), which was discovered in 

 these mountains by Griffith, is the most remarkable form 

 known to occur there. 



The upper valley of the Brahmaputra is more open, and is 

 richly cultivated, rice being the chief crop, and oranges the 



most abundant fruit-tree. 



Higher up, the mountain-slopes are clad with pines of an 



undetermined species in great abundance. Rhododendron ar- 

 boreum is also of frequent occurrence, and the temperate flora, 

 so far as it is known, closely resembles that of Khasia. 



The alpine flora is quite unknown ; but we learn from Wil- 

 cox, who crossed a pass elevated 12,800 feet above the level of 

 the sea*", on his journey to the Irawadi, that stunted Rho- 

 dodendrons were common, and that a species of Juniper oc- 

 curred on the crest of the pass, together with Coptis Teeta, a 

 remarkable Ranuneulaceous genus, which is not found in the 

 Himalaya. 



Though so luxuriant and tropical, the flora of the Mishmi 

 hills below 6000 feet elevation did not yield Griffith a rich 

 harvest, — he did not obtain a thousand species during his re- 

 sidence there. These consisted chiefly of tropical orders, 

 amongst which the following are the most numerous in spe- 



cies : 



Composite ..... 80 



GraminesB ..... 73 



Labiata) 50 



Orchidese 43 



EubiacesB ..... 42 



AcanthacesB 38 



Leguminosse .... 31 



Cyperacese ..... 22 



besides 200 Ferns. 



These numbers are taken from his published journals ; but, 

 from our examination of the materials from which they were 

 computed, they must be considerably reduced, especially the 

 Ferns. 



* Asiat. Res. xvii. 451. 



