ON PLANTS FROM ANNAM. 113 



7. Laxgbian Peaks. 7,500 ft., situated at the north-eastern 

 extremity of the Plateau. The massif is roughly crescentic in form, 

 and the hollow side, facing Dalat, is clothed below the central and 

 higher summits with mixed forest, very open beneath, which be- 

 comes small and dense near the ridges and on the two highest peaks, 

 which are adjacent to each other. The eastern ridges are covered 

 with oaks, while pines and grass-land predominate on the outer 

 slopes and on the western arm of the range. I met in this locality 

 only one species of Rhododendron and one very unornamental 

 Begonia (B. langbianensis Bak. fil., sp. nov.) ; but, unfortunately 

 neither was in flower. (Specimens collected in April). 



The flora was largely new to me, and as I am no botanist but 

 took practically everything I saw in blossom at each p^ace during 

 the periods of my visits, I shall not attempt to record the occurrence 

 at the various collecting stations of species not in flower. Ferns 

 were very scarce. 



The temperatures experienced varied from 65° F. in the early 

 mornings and over 90° in the shade in the afternoons at Tour Cham 

 and Daban to about 52° at sunrise and 65° on dull afternoons in our 

 camp at 6,000 ft. on the Langbian Peaks. The weather was very 

 dry until the third week in April, but subsequently a good deal of 

 rain fell in the hills after midday. 



The rainy season at Dalat is from April to October and this 

 is also the period of most equable temperature. The dry season 

 lasts from mid-November to mid-April, and though the nights are 

 considerably colder than in summer, the days, on the other hand, are 

 hotter. In February three or four degrees of frost sometimes occur, 

 and in that month and March the diurnal range of temperature may 

 be between 30° and 90° F., whereas in August and September it is 

 between 50° and 80'. The winter season is much the pleasanter 

 time for a visit.* 



*For another account of my visit, with a sketch map showing route 

 and localities, and plat s of scenery and vegetation, see "Ihis", July 1919, 

 pp. 392-402, text -figure 3, pis. VII-IX. Note that the upper illustrations 

 on pis. VII and VIII have been misplaced : the upper picture on pi. VIII 

 goes with the upper legend on pi. VII, while the upper picture on pi. VII 

 is a photograph of the Langbian Peaks and Plateau. 



VOL. IV, NO. 3, 1921. 



