( 20 ) 



Tn A floworinff tin-wa (Schizonlaclii/iim prrgraci/r) jungle, I met not a few tin-wa plants 

 hardly half a foot to one foot high, all flowering profusely. They appeared to me, at first sight, 

 seedlings, hut on digging them up, I found a greatly developed stock, so that there remained 

 no doulit that they had been often, probably annually, burnt down, and were thus suppressed 

 in their upward growth, like some of those curious dwarf bamboos which tlie skilful Japanese 

 produce. Such is also the case with teak and other trees. Their seedlings are burat down 

 to the ground almost yearly, wliile their subterranean stock grows every year more and more 

 developed and vigorous, until the yearly shoots from it become strong enough to withstand 

 the fires and to grow up to become trees.* Often, however, two or more shoots emerge, and 

 hence are formed those double and triple stems, so often seen in these forests. 



(7.) Influence of (jcrminating power of itecch vpon prevalence of fored-trees. The germi- 

 nating of seeds is a chemieo-physiological process, which goes on if certain conditions of 

 warmth, moisture and light are given. The plants which, like some fungi, can grow 

 in perfect darkness are few in number. 



I distinguish quick germinators and slow germinators. Under quick germinators I in- 

 clude such seeds as either germinate immediately after they have been shed, or at least 

 during the course of the same year of shedding. Some, like mangroves, germinate while still 

 on their parent tree. All such seeds usually ripen very shortly after flowering, and perish 

 very soon after their proper period of germinating has passed away. Slow germinators 

 seldom germinate freely, but remain slumbering often for long years, until certain conditions 

 favourable for their germination set in. Many of them require a long period for their per- 

 fection after fecundation, sometimes they ripen not before the next following year. They 

 may be caused to germinate by artificial means, such as dipping into hot water, etc., but 

 they are often difficult to raise. There are many gradations between quick and slow ger- 

 minators, but such are of no material importance in the present question. 



Unimportant as the vitality of seeds may appear at first sight, it is not so when the 

 matter is carefully inquired into, and the relationship between trees producing quick and 

 slow germinating seeds is more closely studied. 



If we examine any forest in Burma, and select from it the prevailing types, we shall 

 find to our surprise, that nearly all the prevailing trees are quick germinators, while the 

 slow germinators form only a very subordinate part Unfortunately my knowledge of the 

 germinating power of tlie seeds of Indian plants is very limited, but it is sufficient to support 

 these inferences of a general character. It would far exceed the purpose I have in view, 

 were I specially to enumerate all the principal trees of the different forests and to discuss 

 separately the nature of their seeds. It is sufficient to treat the matter here en gros, and to 

 exhibit only the results drawn from a general treatment. Those families of Indian plants 

 that are characterized by quick germinating members are chiefly : Capparideae, Guttiferae 

 Ternstroemiaceae, Dipterocarpeae, liomlaceae, Malpitjhiaceae, Aurantiaceae, Biirseraceae, Meli- 

 aceae, Sapindnceae, Anacardwceae, Mimoseac, Caesalpinieae, Rhizophoreae, Combretaceae, Myrta- 

 ceae, Melmtomaceae, Lythrarieae, Artocarpeae, Acanthaceae, Verbenaceae, Cordiaceae, Labiatae, 

 Latirineae, Cupuliferae, Juglandeae, and some others. At the same time the seeds of these 

 families are for a great part also of a perishable nature, and more especially so the Guttiferae, 

 Dipterocarpeae, Sterculiactae, Aurantiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rhizophoreae, Myrtaceae, Laurineae, 

 Cupuliferae, and partly Artocarpeae : and these families include the trees most common and 

 abundant. In how far the perishable nature and quick germination stand in relation 

 to the absencef of albumen, or to the nature of the albumen itself, whether mealy, 

 fleshy or oily, I am not prepared now to say. If we compare the prevailing types of the Pegu 

 (and also of the Malayan) forests, it is striking indeed that nearly all come to range with 

 one or other of the above named families. 



But there are not only some very common trees which do not come within these 

 families, but also some important exceptions, which require special consideration. 



Of the former class I may mention Xantliophyllum, Heritiera, Pterospermum, Grewia 

 Buettneria, Luphopetalum, Connarus, Celtideae, Ilolarrhena, Jasminum, Chionanthus, Aegiceras 

 and Orchideae, all these having very little or no albumen, although some of their congeners 

 possess plenty of albumen. 



Some of the more important and direct exceptions that deserve to be named are 

 uphorbiaceae, Eydnocarpus, Coniferae, Gompodtae, and Bassia with oily albumen ; further 

 Billeuiaceae, many Meni-spermnceac, Flacourtia, Eiaeocarpua, Toddalia, many Leguminome, 

 such as Cassia and Bouhinia, Cascaria, Uomalium, Araliaceae, many Urticaceae, Antidemieae, 

 Hi/niplocos, most oiRubiaccae, a,nd Loganiaceae, Apocyneae, Sulaneae, Gnetum,Myrsiiie,Ebenaceae, 

 all Palmac, Ericineae and others ; also such important families as Cyperaceae and Gramineae, 



The number of plants which do thus withstand the fires and ultimately becrane trees is very small indeed 

 the vast majority perisb miserably. Memark by Br. G. King. ' 



t Teak lias no albumen as sUted by Schauer, but large oily cotyledons, and, therefore, offers no exception 

 to the above remark. 



