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settled, and one sees frequent instances in Ceylon of piles of 

 rubbish and masonry overgrown with one of these sacred figs, 

 very likely marking the spot where some building formerly stood. 

 We did not see the famous sacred fig tree of Anuradhapura. 

 This tree was planted according to reliable historical evidence 

 in 288 B.C. It is, therefore, now well over 2,000 years old and 

 is one of the oldest trees whose age is accurately known in the 

 world. 



The highway near the Botanical Garden is lined by a double 

 row of large Bombax trees. They have an appearance not 

 unlike our American ash trees. At the time of our visit they 

 were completely leafless, but they followed the general plan of 

 many other trees of Ceylon and were in full bloom during the 

 month of March. Numerous large crimson flowers four or five 

 inches in diameter appear on the branches and ovoid pods of 

 last year's crop of fruit were still persistent. 



The collection of screw pines is interesting and includes several 

 different species. This display seems to be much better than 

 the corresponding one at Buitenzorg. In one species the prop 

 roots make a labyrinthine tangle, as much as fifteen feet high. 

 The dead leaves which seem to fall at regular intervals become 

 tangled among these roots, forming an opaque thatch and 

 shutting off all light from the base of the tree. 



There are various trees of the Bignoniaceae planted in the 

 Garden and many of these also bloom at the close of the dry 

 season. In front of the rest house was a small tree of Jacarandra 

 mimosaefolia. As the name indicates, its foliage resembles that 

 of the mimosa and before the flowers appeared we considered 

 it related to that plant. Its flowers appear close to the branches 

 and give the tree an aspect not unlike the American red bud. An 

 unnamed species of Bignoniaceae, leafless at ther time of our visit, 

 produces huge flat pods up to a yard in length and four inches 

 wide. These pods generally fell to the ground before discharging 

 the flat-winged seeds. Two species of Legumes were also inter- 

 esting because of their winged pods. The first of these, Ptero- 

 spermum, has the wing at one side only, but the curving of the 

 pod produces a wing which is almost circular. 



