TORREYA 



Vol. i6 



January, 1916. 



No. I 



BOTANICAL SKETCHES FROM THE ASIATIC 

 TROPICS 



By Henry Allan Gleason 



IV. CEYLON 



{Continued from November, 1015, Torreya) 



On the afternoon of February 28, 1914, the highest mountain 

 peak of Ceylon broke into our view over the mists northwest 

 across the Indian Ocean. That evening our boat skirted the 

 well-Hghted south shore of the island, and before daybreak lay 

 at anchor in the harbor of Colombo. The mountainous char- 

 acter of the interior of the island was visible even from the shore, 

 and the sun rose behind the sharply pyramidal summit of the 

 sacred mountain, Adam's Peak. 



Colombo offers no attraction to the botanist, other than the 

 two public parks, Victoria Gardens and Cinnamon Gardens. 

 The latter occupies the site of an old cinnamon plantation. 

 These parks have a fair representation of the more important 

 ornamental species of the tropics, and some of them are labelled 

 with their scientific names. The following morning, March 2, 

 we took the train inland to Peradeniya, the site of the Royal 

 Botanical Gardens. 



The first part of the 72 -mile ride was not particularly interest- 

 ing. It is over flat ground, only a few feet above sea level, with 

 a good deal of brackish water, lined with tall grasses and 

 Pandanus. Then one reaches low hills, with many rock out- 

 crops and frequent dikes, indicating volcanic activity. We 

 saw one field of rubber and one of cacao, but the commonest 



[No. 12, Vol. IS of Torreya comprising pp. 251-281 was issued 30 Dec. 1915]. 



