164 POPULAR GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



the Himalayas have a gay appearance, occasioned by crops 

 of a species of the plant commonly called the Prince's Fea- 

 ther (Amaranthus frnmentaceus) , which clothes them with 

 waving plumes of yellow and vivid crimson. It is exten- 

 sively grown as a staple grain, and the bread made from its 

 seed is the common food of the people." Travellers tell us 

 also of " Red Currants high up the mountains, and of abun- 

 dance of Raspberries, Strawberries, and Black Currants in 

 the forests." Amongst the water-plants there are likewise 

 many of our common species, such as Arrow-head (Sagit- 

 taria), the Flowering Rush (Butomus), White Water-lilies 

 (Nympkaa)) Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis], and 

 others ; and even among the tropical water-plants there is 

 one very much like our Arrow-head, called Pontederia. 

 But amongst them all none perhaps is so beautiful as the 

 Lotus (Nelumbium speciosum), with large rose-tinted blos- 

 soms, shaded into white towards the centre, about half a 

 foot in diameter, and shaped very much like a Pseony ; they 

 stand out of the water on long stalks, sometimes as much 

 as five feet in height, and contrast well with the large cool 

 green leaves, which are almost circular (with the stalk in 

 the centre), and sometimes measure more than a foot in dia- 

 meter, some floating, some on long stalks like the flowers. 



