( 47 ) 



7. Dry-Forents* 



We have now to examine the last class of forests that I have found advisable to treat 

 under a separate name. These are the dry-forests, restricted to the formation of compact 

 calcareous sandstone and to shallow alluvium, resting on such, or on diluvium. 



Unfortunately I travelled in the Prome district at the heiglit of the hot season, when 

 everything had been burnt down, and the trees even completely leafless as to make it extremely 

 diihcult to recognise them, especially as a great many of these trees were quite new to me. 



When better known and explored in a more favourable season, they will probably 

 become still more interesting on account of the large perceutage of Hindustani plants that 

 are found in them. The transitions between the open forests and these dry-forests 

 also require careful study to settle the question, wliether these forests might not rather 

 be associated with the open forests as modified varieties, produced by a different soil 

 and climate. The trees here are generally middle sized, of an average height from 50 to 

 70 feet, but on the higher Yomah ridges, under favourable conditions, they grow up to about 

 100 feet in height, Carbonate of lime appears to be the principal cause of the modification of 

 vegetation hero. 



The forest is very open, but looks rather uninviting owing to the prevalence of thorny 

 trees and shrubs. Jungle-fires are here more frequent than in any other forests in Burmah, 

 and, when myinwa has died off, they become destructive. 



For the present I distinguish the following 3 varieties only : 



A. Mixed dry forests. 



B. Sha-forests. 



C Upper dry forests. 



A. Mixed dry forests. These forests veiy much resemble in external aspect those 

 forests in Behar, which grow on the lower stony hills. The chief trees are here, besides 

 teak (which is also here frequent but of very inferior growth), Balbergia cuUrata, 

 Pentacme Siamensis Bipterocnrpus fubercidritus locally, Bio.ipi/ros Birmanicus, and cordi- 

 folitts ?, Bticlianania latifolia, Cratacia religiosa, Cochlospermum Gossypium passim, Hip- 

 tage arborea, Harrisonia Bennetii frequent, Biilaiiites Roxbimjhii, here and there, Melici Aze- 

 darach and azadiraclda, Chickrassia vcintina, Zizyphus Jujuha, Gombretum apetalum, Sldero- 

 xylon tomcntosHin, Bcilbergia purpurea (thitpoh) ; Calosanthes Indica, Microptelea parvifolia, Pte- 

 rocarpus Lidicus ?, Premna pyramidata, Alhizzia lebbek, Grafoxylon neriifolium, Tectona IlamiU 

 tonii\oca&Y , Alblzzia lucida frequent, Ilymenodictyon tliyrsiflorum ?, Ilolarrhena antidysenterica, 

 Strychnos nux vomica, aA potatorum, Bauhlnta racemosa, and varlegata ?, Flaeourtia sapida, Ehretia 

 laecis ^ , Acacia FarnesMita rare, li/uis paniculata, Morinda tomentosa, Anogeissus acuminatus, 

 Albizzia odoratissima, Odina icodier, Emblica officinalis, Hiptage arborea, Bombax, Gariiga 

 pinnaia, Flaeourtia sp., Eugenia Jambolana, Vitcx alata and canesccns, Acacia leucophloea (dha 

 nouiig), Capparis grandis, Premna riburnoides, Shorea obtusa, Schleichera trijuga, Billenia 

 pulckerima, Xylia dolnbriformis, Natielea Brunonis, Cordia grandis, Spathodea Rheedei ?, 

 Hollarhenn pubcscens, Cassia jtstul t, Lngerstrocmia tomentosa, &c. 



Of shrubs and little shrub-like trees deserving mention are, Thespesia Lampas, Barleria 

 cristata and dichotona, Besmodium pulchcllum, Curissa carandas?, Azimatetracantha, Posoqueria 

 spinosa and pubescens, Calotropis gigantea, Woodfordia fruticosa, Tephrosia purpurea, Flemmingia 

 Zmea^a and two or three other species. Cassia absus, Clerodendron infortunatum, Oollaea lutea, etc. 



The only palms here are an erect Calamus (Kanega C.fasciculatus) and the stemless 

 Phoenix acaulis. 



The more conspicuous climber-vegetation consists of Bauhinia diphylla, Hymenopyramis 

 brnchiata, Capparis liorrida, crassi/oUa and pohjmorpha, sometimes Zanonia sarcophylla, and 

 Vitis quadrangularis, Sp/iaenodesma, Waitakaka tiridiflora, Holmskioldia sanguinen, Iclmocurpus 

 frutescens ?, Iloya orbiculntn and another species, Opdia amentaceri, Hemidesmus Wullichii, Sp t- 

 tholobus Roxburghii, Congea, Cocadus Leaebi, Bryonia laciniosa, Mczoneuron eiDieaphyUum, 

 Caesalpiniu 1 or 2 species, Aristolochia Indict, Vallaris dichotom't, Scindupsus officinalis, etc. 



B imbusa stricta {tnyinioa) is here the chief bamboo, besides which only Bambusa tulda 

 (teiwa) is found, the latter chiefly along choungs. 



Most of the herbs and perennials are such as are found also in the mixed and open forests, 

 like Sidn rhombifolin , acuta and humilis, Barleria poiytricha, Neuractnthus tetragonostachyus, 

 Justicia decmsata, Mitreolu up., Eragrostis several species, Besmodium triquetriim, Urena lobcita, 

 Lepidugathis incurva, Blumenflavu, racemosa, etc., Lygodium biinnnatum, Knoxia lasiocarpa, Gostm 

 spcciosus, Scleria, Tephrosin purpurea, Rhynchosia sp.,Ceph(dostigma, StemonaGriffithii, Urginea 

 Indica, Mitreola ptniculata, Clirysopogon Gryllus, Anthistyria, and others. But not a few 

 appear here for the first, being nowhere else found in Pegu as Abutilon Indicum, Blepharis 

 Maderaspafana, Andrognphis tenera, Justicia Betonica, Tephrosia tinctoria var, etc. 



* The natural position of these forests in my scheme is between the open and the mixed forests. When I 

 wrote the description of these forests in 1871, I had not yet worked up my Burmese plants : hence the 

 misplacement. 



