50 



THYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



[PART I. 



the roots of which are the Indian Madder (in which, 

 under the Dutch Government, some tribes in the Wanny 

 paid their tribute) ; the gorgeous Gloriosa superba, 

 the beautiful Vistnu-karandi 1 with its profusion of 

 blue flowers, that remind one of the English "Forget- 

 me-not," and the thickly-matted verdure of the Hir- 

 amana-doetta 2 , so well adapted for imparting con- 

 sistency to the soil. In the next stage low shrubs 

 make their appearance, their seeds being drifted by the 

 waves and wind, and taking ready root wherever they 

 happen to rest. The foremost of these are the Sca> 

 volas 3 and Screw Pines 4 , which grow luxuriantly 

 within the actual wash of the tide, while behind them 

 rises a dense growth of peculiar plants, each distin- 

 guished by the Singhalese by the prefix of " moodu" to 

 indicate its partiality for the sea. 5 



Where the sand in the lagoons and estuaries is more 

 or less mingled with the alluvium brought down by 

 the rivers, there are plants of another class that are 

 equally characteristic. Amongst these the Mangroves 6 

 take the first place in respect to their mass of vege- 

 tation ; then follow the Belli-patta 7 and Suriya- 

 gaha 8 , with their large hibiscus-like flowers ; the Ta- 

 marisks 9 ; the Acanthus 10 , with its beautiful blue 

 petals and holly-like leaves ; the Water Coco-nut u ; 

 the ^Egiceras and Hernandia 12 , with its sonorous 

 fruits ; while the dry sands above are taken possession 

 of by the Acacias, Salvador a Persica (the true mus- 



1 Eyolvulus alsinoides. 

 3 Lippia nodiflora. 



3 Sctevola takkada and S. Kcenigii. 



4 Pandanus odoratissimus. 



& Moodu-kaduru (Ochrosiaparvijlo- 

 ra) ; Moodu-cobbe (Ornitrojjhc ser- 

 rata) ; Moodu-murimga (Sophora to- 

 mentosa), &c. &c. Amongst these 

 marine shrubs the Nil-picha (Guet.- 

 tarda spcciosa), with its white and 

 delightfully fragrant flowers, is a con- 



spicuous object on some parts of the 

 sea -shore between Colombo and 

 Point-de-Galle. 



6 Two species of HhisopJtora, two 

 of Itruguiera, and one of Ccriops. 



1 Paritium tiliaceum. 



9 Tamarix Indica. 

 10 Dilivaria ilicifolin, 

 1 ' Nipa fruticans. 

 12 Hernandia sonora. 



