708 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



That the woody plants in the tropics are flowering during a longer 

 period in the tropics than in the temperate zones, needs no further proof, 

 and we might, therefore, restrict the statement, that the flowering 

 periods of the individual plants are longer in the tropics, to the woody 

 plants, while the herbaceous plants are in bloom during a more or less 

 equal period in both the regions. Our table, of course, is not decisive 

 on account of the limited number of orders we examined, but it shows 

 at least that too general statements are not always reliable. 



In our previous investigation we paid special attention to the 

 minima and maxima of the flowering times in the different regions, 

 and, so far, we did not find the slightest difficulty in explaining their 

 relation to the minima and maxima of the climatic factors. Thus, v.g. 

 it is not surprising, that the woody plants reach the maximum of their 

 flowering periods during the dry season, but I am not able to explain 

 adequately the comparatively great number of flowering times during 

 the rainy season. Partially, no doubt, it is due to the change in the 

 climatic conditions, and, for the rest, we might say, that the presence 

 of certain insects during the rainy season caused various adaptations, 

 the effects of which are shown in the apparent lawlessness of the 

 flowering seasons. 



This, however, as well as the other questions, we touched above, 

 need further investigation, and satisfactory results can be achieved 

 by prolonged local observations only. I noticed repeatedly that 

 a certain plant was in full bloom at Khandala at a given time, 

 whilst the same plant was flowering in Bombay a month or two later. 

 Even a very limited area, as, v.g., Khandala, exhibits differences as 

 regards the flowering period of the same plant, when growing at the 

 bottom or on the margin of a ravine. Similar differences may be 

 noted in two spacimens of the same plant, but of different age, and, 

 again, between individuals of the same species, but growing on different 

 soil, under different surroundings, and in different illumination. Before 

 all these circumstances are registered and taken into account, it is 

 impossible to form any precise opinion as to the various and complicated 

 relations between the climate and the flowering season. 



