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In the mixed forests along the base of the Tomah, around swamps or rather nconmulations 

 of rain water in depressed localities, a limited number of trees, peculiar to swamp iorests, 

 make their appearance. 



We may distinguish developed or true swamp forests, and riparian or bordering swamp 

 forests. 



A. True Swamp forest. The true swamp forests are restricted to deep alluvia, where they 

 appear especially along courses of streamlets, and in depressions covered by water up to four or 

 five feet (sometimes six or seven feet) during the rainy season. As in evergreen tropical forests, 

 four stratas of vegetation can easily be distinguished, viz., the lofty trees, the smaller trees, and 

 finally, the shrubs and soil-clothing. The lofty trees, about 60 to 70 feet high, are chiefly a 

 variety oiAnogeisiiisaciiminatinijMaiigi/era /oni/ipcs and XanthophyUmn glaucum. Of smaller trees 

 are chiefly seen 3 femecy Ion He//eri,E/aeocarpi(sp/iotiniac/'olia ? Pavetta parvijiora, and P. tiigrkam, 

 Gonocari/iim Lobhianiim, Sijmplocos leucantha, Glochidion sp. HcmicycUa Sumatrana, a species of 

 Flacourtia, Cas-siii fi.siu!a, a Itandia with very small leaves, two species of Eugenia, two small 

 leaved species of Aporosa, Garcinia succifoUa, Barringtonia aciifangit/a, Dalberqia flexuom, and 

 many others not yet determined. The shrubbery consists olten of Gli/cosmis pentaphylla, 

 Capparis didicha, Hymenocardia WalUchii, Greuia sinuata, a new species of Psilohium with glossy 

 leathery leaves, Crataeva /lygrophila, Combrefiim trifoliatum, a small new Gardenia with shining 

 dark green leaves. Climbers are rather plentiful, and some of them very curious, having very 

 short stems of only a few feet high, (usually as high as the water level, during the rains), 

 sending out disproportionately long flexuose and arched branches, forming a complete entangle- 

 ment, through which it is almost impossible to penetrate. The most common ones are a 

 species of Jasmintmi, Gmelina Asiatica, Pachygone odorifera, Sphenodesma erycihoides, a new 

 large-leaved Tctracera, A cacia pennata ? Ancistrocladtts Griffithii, Combrefiim tetragonocarpiim, 

 Poydma ohtusi/oUa, Derris scundens, D. elcgans and D. uliginosa, etc, etc. The herbage on the 

 grey muddy ground is poor and scattered, consisting chiefly of a species of Curex (0. Walli- 

 cliiana), that forms sometimes small patches of meadows along the borders of swamps, but 

 is never touched by cattle, Maranfa in abundance, Polygonum, Lasia aciileata, a probably new 

 species of Cypertis (near C. moestus), Fimbristylis etc, etc. 



Orchids are here very common, covering in masses the branches and stems of trees, 

 especially around lakes. They afe usually accompanied by such ferns as Asplenium nidus, 

 Polypodium qnercifolium, Drynwglossiim piloselloides, etc., along with an abundance of Macro- 

 mitrium and other mosses and Hepaticce. 



The water in the lakes and swamps is usually very discoloured and dirty, and is there- 

 fore very poor in plants, but, when clear, an enormous amount of water plants appear, floating 

 as well as submerged. Their constituents will be recorded in the sequel along with the 

 vegetation of sweet waters. 



B. Riparian Swamp forests. The other swamp forests which I distinguish under the name 

 of riparian or bordering swamp-forests, are strictly not forests. They are mere patches of 

 certain swamp forest trees, wliich occur usually around lakes and swamps in the midst of other 

 forests, or along the muddy borders of choungs in alluvial soil ; hence the name riparian. 



Only a few species of the true swamp forest trees appear, but these in such a large number 

 of individuals, as to cause a peculiar darkness and shade, which expel a great number of tlie light- 

 loving plants of the surrounding (usually mixed) forests. They are marked also by numerous 

 pendulous mosses (Mefeoriiim chiefly) that hang down from the branches, indicating a much 

 greater dampness of atmosphere, than exists in the mixed-forests around them, which are often 

 not more than 20 to 50 paces off. The principal tree is Xantliopliyllum glaucum, often accompani- 

 ed by Barringtonia acutangula. Mangifera longipes and Anogeissus acuminatus are usually not far 

 oif in such places, and in more favoured spots several of tlie trees, shrubs, etc. already indicated 

 under the true swamp-forests, associate themselves, but always in small numbers. Combretum 

 trifoliatum, lioydsia obtusifolia, Aporosa, Ixora nigricans are such as are frequently seen. 



In such swampy places some of the water-loving palms are sometimes met with in large 

 numbers, especially Arcca, of which Maranta dichotoma may be considered a regular companion. 



The water in these periodical swamps is usually very clear, and generally quite free 

 from other water plants, except a few duck-weeds. When they are deeper and of a more per- 

 manent nature, they appear more open, and, therefore, access is given to a greater amount of 

 light, allowing the usual water-plants to grow. Orchids, and other epiphytes are here as 

 plentiful, as in the true swamp-forests. 



I have been unable to attend to these swamp-forests as carefully as they deserve. During 

 my short stay in them, a few only of the plants were in flower or fruit. I can find in the Cal- 

 cutta Herbarium hardly any specimens agreeing with the leafy branches I brought home from 

 these forests : a certain sign of their peculiarity. 



3. Tropical Forests. 

 The evergreen tropical forests owe their origin to a damp equable climate, without shewing 

 any predilection to suLfctratum, lor we find (under certain conditions) tropical forests as well on 



