236 Dr. H. F. C. Cleghorn on the Hedge Plants of India. 



The Cacti, Agavea and Euphorbice are adapted to the arid 

 districts, their structure enabling them to exist, when refreshed 

 with only occasional showers ; the Mimosea and Casalpinea seem 

 to enjoy the somewhat more cold and moist climate of the Bala- 

 ghaut districts ; while the Bambusece and Pandanets luxuriate 

 in the rich loamy soil of the Mulnad {i. e. Rain country). 

 Hence, were a railway* to cross the Peninsula, the fences 

 ought to dififer as the line is continued through various districts, 

 in accordance with the conditions under which particular plants 

 thrive best between certain limits of temperature and moisture. 

 The great prevalence of spiny shrubs and prickly bushes all over 

 India is remarkable to every one ; they are a continual source of 

 annoyance to the traveller, and a fruitful cause of admission into 

 hospital, as every regimental surgeon can testify. 



Scutia indica (Brong.), Zizyphus (four species), Solarium indi- 

 cum (L.) and trilobatum (L.), Toddalea aculeata (Pers.), Pterolo- 

 bium lacerans (R. Br.), Carissa carandas (L.), C. diffusa (Rox.), 

 Azima tetracantha (Lam.), Smilax ovalifolia (Rox.), Acaciaf, 

 Mimosa, many species, and other armed climbing plants, are 

 widely diffused. These often grow interlaced in thickets, or 

 surround the clumps of jungle like a fringe — presenting a 

 rampart which is almost impenetrable, especially when forest 

 conflagrations have occurred and a dense tangled underwood has 

 succeeded. The long flexuous stems of several species of Cala- 

 mus are particularly troublesome, obstructing all passage through 

 the unfrequented forests of the Malabar Ghauts, and even when 

 the path has been cleared with a bill-hook, the graceful tendrils 

 unobserved frequently trip the most cautious traveller, and the 

 recurved prickles are with difficulty unhooked from his clothes. 



Again on the open ground the traveller's progress is impeded 

 by Echinops echinatus (Rox.) with its globular spinous heads, 

 Pribulus lanuginosus (L.) with its hairy pointed fruit, Solanum 

 Tacquini (Willd.), completely armed with prickles, Barleria prio- 

 nitis (L.) and buxifolia (Rox.), spreading everywhere in Mysore, 

 Asteracantha longifolia (Nees) on the margins of ditches and 

 tanks, which has six to eight spines at each verticil, Lepidagathis 

 (two species), with spinous pointed leaves. 



The prickles and spines of these plants wound the barefooted 

 pilgrim, especially during the hot months, when the leaves having 



* Whilst writing these pages, Dr. Royle, the E.I. Company's botanist, 

 informed me that an official reference had been made to him concerning 

 the plants best adapted for hedging the Indian railways, now in progress. 



t One of the most remarkable is Acacia latronum, W., common in the 

 barren tracts, armed with large white stipulary thorns united at the base. 

 Linnaeus designated it " Frutex horridissimus, ramosissimus : " it is entitled 

 to this distinction. 



