f 



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and another magnificent speoies {Ph. curviflorm), Justicia flaccida, Peristrophe, Eranthemum 

 datum, Ebermeyera lanceolata, Bragantia lati/olia, Elatostemma sesquifoUum and some other 

 species, Chavica Roxburghii, Siriboa, WalUchii ? and bohmeriaefoUa, Oolocasia fornicata, Agla- 

 onema simplex and oblong ifoliiim, Uomalonema and other Aroideae, Desmodium reiiiforme {?) 

 Geophila renifornm especially under the shade of bamboo, Ophiorrhiza, Pogonia plicatd, Tupia- 

 tra nittans, Monochilus nervosum, Coryinbis disticha, Molineria capitulata, Dianella cmi/olia, Dra- 

 caena teniijlora and ensifo)"niis,{.^) Ophiopogon Wallichii, Meliosanthes violacea, Dkporum sp., Flos- 

 copa paniculata, Pollia Indica and thyraijiora, {?), Carex Tndica, Scleria elata, {?) and pandano- 

 phylla, Cyperm moestus, Panicum plicatum, Centotheca lappacea, along with numerous ScitamU 

 tieae and Maranfaceae. 



If grass-clothing is almost unknown in true tropical forests, (except along the courses of 

 larger choungs exposed to light) the ferns often replace the grass by the density of their growth. 

 Amongst them the following deserve mention : Dacallia strigosa and hirta, Liiukaea emifolia, 

 Pteris cretica, j)e(iata, qiiadri and bi-aiirita, Asplenium reaectum, sylvatictim, pohjpodioidea and 

 esculentum, Nephrodiuin cakaraium, ierminans, extensum, moUe, abniptum, Leuzeanum, decurrens 

 and polymorpimm ; Polypodium multilineatum, tenerifrons, irregulare and pieropiis, Davallia 

 Australia, Acfostichum a2)petuUculatum, variabik,Jlagelli/erum and virens. All these are ter- 

 restrial. On trees or rocks are observed chiefly Hymenophylleae, as Trichomanes Heiizaianum, 

 Filicula, pyxidiferum and Jacanicum, Dacallia bullata, Asplenium nidus and laserpitiifolium, 

 Nephrokpis exaltata, Polypodiun irioides, &nd axillaris. Amongst twiners etc., are chiefly Lygo- 

 dium polystachyum and pinnatijidum, as also Acrostichum scandens. 



A great part of the perennials and sometimes of the annuals nestle on the stems 

 and still more on the upper branches of trees, thus vying for light. These are the aerial 

 or epiphytical plants, of which especially Orchideae and Cyrtandreae deserve mention. A few 

 Scitamincae also grow sometimes on trees. The tropical forests of Pegu proper are compara- 

 tively very poor in epi[)hytical plants, if compared with those of Martaban and Tenasserim. 



The mosses etc. in these forests are but sparingly represented, and are stricted more to 

 the rocky slopes and to boulders in and along choungs, while the tree restems are poorly 

 inhabited by small adpressed kinds, chiefly scale mosses. The green clothing of the trees, 

 caused by mosses, etc. is nearly wanting here, and the stems, though usually embraced by 

 climbing Aroideae, ferns, etc. shew their bark in its natural state, or only sparingly invested 

 by mosses and lichens, the latter being usually surrounded with a peculiar bluish or leaden 

 coloured indistinct thallus. Lichens are still more scanty here, but they reappear in great 

 number on the exposed upper part of trees, and more so on the branches of the loftiel* 

 trees, owing, no doubt, to their light-seeking propensities. Bamboo, however, is frequently 

 seen covered by 3 or 4 very singular lichens with greenish white thallus. 



Of mosse? are chiefly seen several species of Fissidens, Macromitrium, Calymperes, 

 and Hypna ; of scale mosses Leyeimia, Lophocolea, and similar forms. The abundance 

 of ephiphyllic scale mosses, accompanied by some lichens, on leaves of trees, shrubs, etc. is cha- 

 racteristic of evergreen forests. Fungi, of course, find favourable conditions in these forests, 

 and their development is accordingly great, especially during the rains. Sphaerias however, 

 are remarkably rare ; in fact, with the exception of Xylaria, I met with only two or 

 three species. 



An orange-coloured Alga [Chroolepus flavum) is often enough seen on stems and 

 branches, and on living leaves one or two other species of green ^/^ae are not uufrequent 

 (chiefly Scytoncma). 



I may mention also as characteristic of tropical forests, that the foliage of many of the 

 shrubs, etc. show a peculiar more or less distinct metallic steel blue hue ; some of the plants, 

 (like Selaginella,) so much so, that they have become favourites with gardeners. 



C. Open tropical forests. The moist forests, or open tropical forests, difl'er from the for- 

 mer chiefly in their lesser degree of dampness and the reduction of the several vegetative 

 strata to only three or four, as also in the smaller amount of climbers, thus rendering these 

 forests more open and less difficult to penetrate. They are to a certain extent a combination 

 of mixed, and tropical forests. These moist forests are found especially along the eastern 

 base of the Pegu Yomah as far down as Rangoon. In the latter district they occupy 

 the lower and moister parts of the laterite range, that terminates at the confluence of the 

 Pazwoondoung and Ilangoon rivers. But usually they grow on more gravelly soil or on 

 raised shallow alluvium resting on gravel or sandstones. They are often diflicult to 

 distinguish from the former, and merge from one into the other, where the terrain is of a 

 varied character. The shrubbery in them is comparatively scanty, and often enough the 

 herbage on the ground differs in little or nothing from that of the more shady mixed forests. 



The principal trees are such as occur above described in the true tropical forests, but ap- 

 pear to be much more poorly represented in species. Those chiefly seen are Dijjterocarpua laevis 

 and alatuH, Parashorca stcllata, Pentace Birmanica, Antiaria toxivaria (the Javanese upas tree), 

 Eugenia sp. (toung tliabyay), Beilschmiedia sp. ?, Garcinia cowa, Eugenia sp. {thabyay nee), Ca- 

 rallia integetrima, Albizzia tucida, Engelhardtia Itoxburghii, MiUeltia atropurpurea, Baccaurea 



