TRE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 935 



Irrawaddy, there are immense groves of this Pabn. From Ava 

 the line should pass down south-east, through the Malayan 

 Peninsula and the Indian Archipelago, including Sumatra, Borneo, 

 Celebes, I'lores, and the Molucca Isles. 



The Palmyra Palm is found in various parts of the mountain 

 district of Ceylon, including the vicinity of Kandy and of Badulla 

 at elevations of 1,680 and 2,450 feet respectively, having a mean 

 annual temperature of about 74° at the former and 71^° at the 

 latter. 



Although immense groves are found on the banks of the 

 Irrawaddy, from the sea coast up to nearly as far as Ava or Amara- 

 pura in Burma, and as far inland as Gya in Bengal, and in isolated 

 patches all round and through Ceylon, still the most congenial 

 places for their favourable development will be found in low sandy 

 plains scarcely elevated above the level of the sea, and where they 

 are exposed to the burning sun, and the force of at least one of 

 the monsoons. Such are Jaffna, with the surrounding islands, and 

 other portions of the northern province of Ceylon, the district of 

 Tinnevelly, with portions of the Madura CoUectorate, portions of 

 the Madras and Bombay Presidencies and of the Indian Archi- 

 pelago.^ 



Flowers. — In March and April ; fruit ripens in April and May 

 and is matured in Juty and August. 



The Palmyra Palm and its guests. — The tree is well adapted 

 for sheltering animals and hence they are resorted to by birds at 

 night, and by rats, squirrels, mungooses, monkeys, etc., during 

 the day time. When the leaves of a tree are undisturbed, the 

 number of bats sometimes occupying it is incredibly great. 



A great number of epiphytical plants find support and nourish- 

 ment in the axils of the leaves. A very interesting union is that 

 formed by the Palmyra and several species of Ficus. The birds 

 which feed upon the fruit of Fig trees " drop the seeds in the 

 .alee (axils^ of the leaves, where they grow and extend their roots, 

 ■etc., so as in time to embrace the parent Palmyra, except its upper 



^ Ferguson, W., Dascription of the Palmyra Palm of Ceylon. Colombo 1888, 

 p. 11. 



