FLOWERING SEASON AND CLIMATE. 



701 



of Simla were at our disposal. But that is not the case, and we have 

 to be satisfied with those of Simla : — 



Mean rainfall 



Mean humidity 



Mean cloud proportion .. 



Mean temperature .. 



Flowering times of the woody 

 pianos .. .. .. 



Flowering times of the herba- 

 ceous plants 



11 



47 

 3-5 

 45 



13 



10 



For the graphic representation, vide Plate V. 



As is shown by these curves, the maximum of flowering limes of woody 

 plants falls, compared with our former tables, very late in the month 

 of May ; whilst the flowering times of the herbaceous plants reach 

 their maximum very early, in August already. After August" a rapid 

 decrease in the number of flowering times takes place, and in November 

 the sexual processes come nearly to a stillstand. Though the maxima 

 of the flowering times of the woody plants as well as of the herbaceous 

 plants are confined to the period of four months, and, as it were, con- 

 centrated towards the middle of the year, their respective dependence 

 upon rainfall, clouds and humidity are clearly shown, nevertheless. 



Before we are going to examine the flora of Ceylon, 1 should like 

 to turn to another part of Peninsular India, to Northern Ganjam. 

 Fischer has given a valuable catalogue of the plants of that region in 

 the "Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society," 1 which will 

 soon, as we hope, be followed by a complete flora. The notes as to the 

 flowering season are scanty, and probably, in most cases, only that 

 month is given during which a plant was seen flowering when collected. 

 The catalogue refers " only to the two northern taluqs of the plains — the 

 Berhampur taluq near the coast and the Gumsur taluq from SO to 70 

 miles from the sea. The elevation of this tract is from to 3,000 feet." 2 

 Of Ganjam itself no meteorological statistics were available. I made 

 therefore, use of the observations made in Cuttack, as there is not a 

 very great difference in the climatic conditions between this station 

 and Ganjam. 



* Journal B. N. H. S-, Vol. XV, 4, page 587. Vol. XVI, 3, page 473. 

 2 Journal B. N. H. S., Vol. XY, 4,'page 537. 



