MS ASIA. 



and the north of Arabia. It might almost be called a Southern Tar- 

 tarian region, for it* peculiar appearance it caused by aridity and heat, 

 a* >K * t of the real Tartarian region is caused by aridity and cold. At 

 ita weatorn extremity the Syrian region resembles the north of Africa 

 and the south of Europe in many of it* plant* ; on the east it is occu- 

 pied by specie* having a certain degree of relation to the others, but 

 more Indian in their character ; for instanoe, it appears from Dr. 

 Boyle'* li*t that near Delhi such plant* as specie* of Ftaeoon 

 Irunn, Ofcenlia, and LejMagatku, which consist principally of Indian 

 apeotet, are intermixed with fagonias, grewia*, capers, camera-thorn 

 (AUtoyi), eruaa, and scrubby heliotropes, which are truly Syrian. 

 Desolation i* the characteristic of a very huge part of this region ; 

 destitute of water, and scorched by a fen-id sun, it is physically impos- 

 sible for the vegetation to consist of any but stunted shrubs or starred 

 and withering herbs. The tree* are few and thorny, and scantily 

 clothed with foliage j the very herbs are spiny from want of power to 

 develop the soft green parenchyma of the leaf between their rigid 

 vein* ; and they are shaggy with long hairs which nature gives them 

 a* a feeble means of sucking up the scanty moisture of the atmosphere. 

 If among this barren region uases are found shaded with date-trees, 

 and mountains rich with verdure, they only form a sad contrast with 

 the dreariness of the scene beyond them, and by no means diminish 

 the truth of the picture we have drawn. Sindo may be considered 

 the most south-eastern point of the Syrian region ; here the vegetation 

 of uncultivated tract* is described as of a miserable description. 

 Great quantities of a sort of tamarisk, intermixed with thorny 

 acacias, a deformed euphorbia, the flowers of wh'ich ore still more 

 uninviting than its bloated leafless steins, neein trees (Mrlin). and 

 (ivepuU (Ficut rdiffiota), constitute the principal features of the 

 scenery. 



V. From countries like these we turn to the rich and varied aides 

 of that stupendous mountain ridge which, under the name of the 

 Himalaya, forma a barrier between Tartary and Hindustan. Of this 

 fine region, which may hence be called the Himalayan, an invaluable 

 account is given by Dr. Koyle in his ' Illustrations of the Botany of 

 the Himalayan Mountains,' to which we are indebted for the principal 

 part of our data regarding the vegetation of India. In consequence 

 of the rich and humid plains that lie at its feet, and its great elevation, 

 it is characterised by an intermixture of tropical and temperate plants, 

 the former of which ascend the sides of the hills till they lose them- 

 selves among the latter, which in their turn give way as the snow is 

 approached to truly alpine vegetation. In the Himalayan region 

 may also be comprehended the whole of the north of China and Japan 

 and the higher ranges of the Nilgherries, so strong is the resemblance 

 between the plant* of these countries and the north of India in their 

 l^i"g feature*. A* the Himalayas are ascended from the plains, the 

 pine-apple i* found no longer to flourish ; mangoes and custard-apples 

 softer from cold ; the plantain is only able to exist in consequence of 

 the numerous coverings formed by the sheaths of its leaves. The 

 tree* are nearly the same .at those of the plains of Upper India, " con- 

 sisting almost entirely of dicotyledonous species, which lose their 

 leave* in the cold weather a* completely as trees in more northern 

 climates." Two species of /'Amur, or date, form the only palms that 

 are met with ; and bamboos become few and weak, lint within the 

 Himalayas, at elevations of 2000 feet and more, ore valleys which, 

 " **g within the influence of the tropical rains have a peculiarity of 

 pherio phenomena which favours the existence of a series of 

 not otherwise to be expected in a climate of which the mean 

 mrture in so low." Hen accordingly are found oranges in a wild 

 , arboreacent plant* related to the cashew-nut, cassia*, bauhinias, 

 . gigantic cotton-tree*, great forests of saul-trees (Shorea robutta), 

 and ahrubby euphorbia* ; among which are found abundance of scita- 

 omeoui plants and many epiphytal OrrJiiekte. Cane-palms (Calamut) 

 reach thaaa valley*, but ascend no higher ; and are met by a pine 

 (Pixm tony./o/ia) which deacendt from the mountains till it loses 

 iUelf ami'tst tropical form* and a few strangling elms, willows, roses, 

 violets, and other European-looking plant*. Dr. Roylo mentions 

 4000 or (000 feet at the average height at which tropical tree* entirely 

 disappear. 



It is in the mid-region of the Himalaya* between 5000 and 0000 

 feet of elevation that its most lovely features are to be seen. Here in 

 many place* occur in the rainy teaion a few lingering tropical herbs, 

 which are protected from the cold in winter by the earth in which 

 they grow ; neveral eHaminea), begoniai, osbeckias, and jimticia* are 

 found among quantities of balsam* ; while the tree* are oak*, syca- 

 mores, elms, hornbeam, and pine-tree*, and the ahrubs berberries, 

 roues, and honeytuckle*, all of Indian specie* but European form- : in 

 tU* favoured spot are also found numerous saxifrages, crowfoot*, 

 geranium*, and violet*, with gentians, primroses, and labiate 

 It ii this belt that i* inhabited by the scarlet rhododendron, and on 

 it* lower edge by those wild camellias and tea-like plant* which 

 probaMy induced the government of India to cultivate the tea plant 

 Mf on the slope* of the western Himalaya*. At 9000 feet elevation 

 ia found taw curiou* Roteota alpt*n of Dr. Koyle, which to a Mn*t 

 remarkable instanoe of an alpine specie* of a tribe almost every other 

 peoie* of which i* tropical 



The third and upper belt only ceane* with vegetation, which on the 

 Himalaya* ia protected to an elevation unknown in any other part of 



ASIA. CM 



the globe. A* we ascend from the second belt trees of rhododendron 

 and Qutrcvt lanata are first passed through ; to them succeed pines 

 and fin of various kinds, of which ths most remarkable 

 I'inta e.rcdf, and Abin Wcbbiona, firodant, and Morinda, which 

 exist in a splendid state at 11,000 and 11,600 feet of elevation 

 in great variety, yews, birches, sycamores, and poplars, together with 

 Rhododendron rampaxtdalvm, roees, viburnums, and honeysuckles; 

 after which follow patches of snow, with the Himalayan bamboo (a 

 very curious circumstance) levelled with the ground. To these suc- 

 ceed forests of (Jittrcat innirarjrifoHa : and finally the limits of vegeta- 

 tion are marked by a few starved yews and junipers, with primroses 

 pressing up in the warmer situations, dwarf species of Rkododmdron, 

 Andromrda fattigiata (the heather of Mr. Frazer), and 5 

 Ityana. It is curious to find on these mountains some plair 

 general conformation of which i8 first Chinese and then American, 

 instances of which occur in the genera Tricyrtit, A Mia, f ' 

 many others which are Chinese, and in TVtwfenm, which is com; 

 American. 



The agriculture of this region in as singular as the other ports of the 

 vegetation ; wheat is sometimes cut at the top of a uiountai < 

 rice at ita foot. Maize, millet, and many small grains con 

 'the rain crop;' capsicums, turmeric, and ginger are grown as 

 high as 4000 feet ; cotton succeeds even in Kumaon ; wheat in culti- 

 vated as high at 10,000 feet, nnd even 12,000 feet according to Captain 

 Webb. 



Notwithstanding the difference in the aspect of the countries and 

 the want of the mountains that constitute the great features of t Ill- 

 Himalayas, the plants of the north nf 1'hinn unit Japan are undoubtedly 

 of a nature sufficiently similar to be included in the Himalayan r- 

 and if we were also to comprehend the mountain Floras of Java and 

 other Malayan Islands, we should probably be correct. At p 

 however the data regarding these places are not sufficiently exact to 

 enable us to separate them from the Malayan region in which they ore 

 found. 



VI. In the Indian region should be comprehended all those countries 

 which like Hindustan are capable of bearing coffee, indio, 

 canes, palms, and other ordinary product* of a tropical il 

 without excessive humidity existing at all periods of the year. In 

 this view it would include Arabia I a, Siam, Cochin i 



and the continental lands connected with these count IN . \\ 

 called jungle is met with in most parts of this region. In the 

 of Dr. Koyle, " tracts of this kind are low, and boin^ hum i i 

 the rainy season, as well as by the hill-streams frequently 

 their banks, are generally in a moist state, and have hence been 

 the Turrai, or moist land. The powerful rays of a n 

 beating upon this, and a dense mass of vegetation v. I 

 circulation of air, produce a heated ami moist .-. ' ; 'gh.ly 



favourable to the production of tropical plant*." Frnm ' ' 

 and eastern parts of this tract, or the confines of Silhet ami ( 'hittngoug, 

 Drs. Roxburgh and Wollich obtained their plcndid specimens of tree- 

 



In these damp and swampy forests continued pestilence reigns; BO 

 that the nati m unable to remain hither 



than a few dny.-i at a tim . fevers and bowel 

 attacking them afi their baneful ii. 



is here hoy, , -yer that some of the most remarkable ami valuable of thr 

 vegetable productions of continental India are to be nn t with : it i 



found the sapiMi-trors. w> important for their el 

 hardness teak, and many of the finest of the In 'trees ; and 



atidft the vapours arising from the beds of the mountain torrents 

 which often tear a wax "Ives through the fon 



numerous species of ferns, together with those singular p: 

 by botanist* Orchideoua Epiphytes, which clinr rial root* to 



the branches of trees, and astonish t)i< ! >v their brilliant 



and ip-otcsijup forms. 



In the cleared ground where the soil is exposed to the rays 

 sun, and the earth is dried b; 



trees of remarkable kinds an Mangoes 



the village*, Pal inyrn- trees (Rorattnujla! 



extremely << -f nnd <!' (An-nyn t 



rifrra) are of frop: \ coarse grass overruns the \ 



except in th ' y rice, >c ani'im, 



hemp, sugar-cane*, yn; 

 pepper'. In p!a< . the branches of trees are 



Ii parasitical loranlhi, which, absorbing the; 

 the inside of the treea thai bear th> to set at < 



dry atmosphere with which at one season of the year tie 

 luirco arrives in some place!-. 



llmce as to rival that of Khiraz, and to render it a subject 

 leiuH n i hnve been an article of export. Add to 



'in-, imil banana", ja 



Kiiavas, ami jamrosode-trees, and n "tioti will I 



of the ordinary appearan. "f the tin. Indian ivyion. The Flora of 



o vast that no general description can v 

 idea of it ri. ' ariety. Among the n 



"f India is the Banyan-tree (/'!' 



of which i-mlt roots which descend to the earth, where they fix 

 selves, and become in time large trunks. 



