NOTE ON THE FLORA OF MAHABLESHWAR AND MATHERAN. 135 



may be found, will be useful to collectors. Neither of the Orders 

 Burseracejs nor Meliace^e are represented on Mahableshwar. 



The Mappia foetida is a very remarkable as well as common tree 

 at Mahableshwar. I. do not think it occurs at Matheran. The odour 

 of its yellowish flowers, which appear in October, is most offensive, 

 savouriug of carrion. Visitors to the hill are often puzzled by the 

 strange odour, and unable to account for it. There is a tree in 

 the Superintendent's compound, at the side nearest the Club, and 

 several trees may be found close to the road, just below the Bund. 

 Z'kyphus rugosa is common both at Mathei'an and Mahableshwar, and 

 its white berries are ediblo, though not very palatable. Zizyphus 

 xtjlopyrus does not occur at Mahableshwar, while the Scutia indica 

 is only fouud on the higher Ghats, and does not desceud to the level 

 of Matheran. It is known at Mahableshwar as the "Wait-a-bit 

 thorn," as when its hooked-thorns catch the clothes of a rambler 

 through the woods, there is no going forward till the thorns are 

 unhooked, — often a difficult process. It may be easily identified by 

 its native name " Chimat." 



Hemigyrosa canescens does not ascend to Mahableshwar, nor does 

 Sch leichera trijuga, but the Order (Sapindaceje) is abundantly repre- 

 sented by the shrub Allophylus Coble, which, with its soft, trifolate 

 leaves and long racemes of small, white flowers, is scattered every- 

 where over the hill top. The Leguminos^; are largely represented 

 on both hills, but it is a remarkable fact that, while in Matheran, 

 there are several trees belonging to the Order, there is not a single 

 tree on Mahableshwar belonging to it. The Grotolarias, Smithias, 

 Desmodiurn, Phaseolus, Vigna, Atylosia, Cylista, and Flemingia 

 are common to both hills ; but the only Acacia on the summit of 

 Mahableshwar is Acacia Intsia. 



Of the Rosacea, the Bub us lasiocarpus or Mahableshwar Raspberry 

 is very common and well-known. This plant is indigenous here 

 and to the highest Ghats to the Southward. Bubus rnoluccanus 

 has been found at Mahableshwar, but it is very rare. It may be 

 found in a ravine on the road to old Mahableshwar. I found it 

 very abundantly on the high land (Newera Eliya) in Ceylon. 



Of the Rubiaceje, neither Aclina nor IStephegyne occur at 

 Mahableshwar, the Wendlandia notoniana does not occur at 

 Matheran; and I have only seen it in Mahableshwar, near the banks 

 of the stream (Yenna) below Lingmala. Psychotria truncata is a 

 rare plant, occurring as far a3 I know, at Mahableshwar, in a single 



