234 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



us instantly of mountains and lofty Alpine regions, 

 where snow-covered summits mingle with the white 

 clouds. For the rhododendron marks the zones 

 where the vegetation ceases and perpetual snow com- 

 mences ; hence it does not flourish in the warm plain, 

 and the Rhododendron ponticum cannot endure the 

 rays of the sun. 



The largest of all known flowers is one discovered 

 in 1818, by Dr. Joseph Arnold, and described by Sir 

 Stamford Kaffles, then agent of the East India Com- 

 pany at Sumatra. 



The first communication relative to this remarkable 

 flower was addressed to the Linnaean Society of Lon- 

 don, which immediately directed careful research to 

 be made upon the subject and published the interest- 

 ing results in its transactions. 



This gigantic flower, surpassing all other par- 

 asites in size, was discovered during the first expedi- 

 tion of Sir Stamford into the interior of the province, 

 an expedition in which he was accompanied by Dr. 

 Arnold, member of the Linnsean Society, who would, 

 no doubt, have realized the high hopes entertained of 

 him had not death cut him off at the very beginning 

 of his career. 



Of this event Sir Stamford says in a letter : " I 

 am pained to have to report the death of Dr. Arnold. 

 I had hoped, instead of sending yen such sad news, 

 to give you an account of the discoveries made by this 

 youthful savant, and especially of the discovery of a 

 gigantic flower, the largest, without doubt, that has 

 ever been seen to the present day." 



