238 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



Climate. — Figures for temperature are only available for Nagpur. 

 The maximum recorded during the hot season of March to June is 

 117'8° F. though as a rule the maximum temperature lies between 

 110° F.-115° F. During the cold weather months of December 

 and January, the temperature in the day varies between 80° F.-90° 

 F. dropping at night to 52° F. and occasionally in January to 48° 

 F. Ramtek being higher than Nagpur is probably slightly colder. 



The average rainfall recorded over the past forty years at Ram- 

 tek is 50-29 inches, mostly received from the middle of June to 

 the end of September. 



General characters of flora. — The heavy rainfall confined in a short 

 period furnishes the climate essentially suited for woodland. The 

 forest belongs to the monsoon type of the tropics and is leafless 

 during the dry months. Thus Sterculia urens is leafless from Nov- 

 ember to June, Boswellia serrata leafless from January or December 

 to June. Chloroxylon 8%vietenm from February, Wrightia tomentosa 

 from March to May. Tectona grandis is leafless from December 

 to June. The leaf fall is preceded by a severe attack of JJncihula 

 tectonce (Teak mildew) and this probably accounts in part for the 

 early leaf fall. Many trees show xerophyllous adaptations in addi- 

 tion to the periodic leaf fall, e.g., the thick almost fleshy leaves of 

 Gymnosporia montana, a plant common throughout the area. The 

 trees are without exception low growing with thick stems and 

 relatively small leaves. In some, e.g., Zizyplius jujuha, an iimbrella 

 shape is well developed while pinnately or bipinnately compound 

 leaves are extremely common. A noticeable feature is the red 

 colouration in the young leaves of manj^ trees and shrubs especially 

 in Woodfordia floribunda and Oomhretum valifolium. A further 

 point of interest is the light position occupied by the young leaves. 

 Practically all hang vertically downwards, exposing only their basal 

 edge to the rays of the mid-day sun. Onljr when the leaf tissues 

 have matiired do the leaves take up a fixed light position. 



Special features. — The most notable absentee from the trees on 

 Eamtek were Acacia ardbica, Acacia leucojpMma, Phoenix sylvestris 

 and Mangifera indica. 



The occurrence of the same herbaceous plants in both situations 

 is accounted for by the fact that these plants are more dependent 

 on climate (rainfall) than edaphic (soil) conditions. The most 

 striking group of plants on the hill was perhaps the flame coloured 

 Gcesalpinia pulcherrima to the N. E. of the temple and the under- 

 growth of Nyctanthes about three-quarters of the distance to the 

 gorge of the Sur river. The undergrowth was confined to the ridge 

 extending only a short distance on the slopes. 



The influence of man is seen on the slopes round the village 

 where the ground is carpeted with Cassia occidentalis. Its fetid 

 leaves are avoided by the village cattle. Bamboos (Dendrocalamus 



