THE FLORA OF SINGAPORE, 3I 
bave a very different appearance ems those of the more tem- 
perate zones, which frequently consist of but one or two kinds. 
The contrast is well seen in ama the English hig with 
that of Singapore. In Singapore with an are "of s square 
miles we have over 1,900 species of flowering plants, while the 
flora of the British Isles with an area of 115 square miles 
produces but 1,200 species, while of ferns we have e over 
130 species, nearly double the number in Europe, and more than 
three times the number in the British Isles. 
Seasons, There is no great amount of difference in the 
rainfall throughout the year, although as a rule heavier falls 
occur in December and January than at other Mini so that 
plants here have no definite resting periods and are nearly all 
A unm cus hpc ui ван however, such as Cratorylon 
"o 
the young eric Ses to той апа n a few days they are 
quite leafy again. This change is often but not always follow- 
не —á by the appearance of the flowers, and often the 
s thus produced are of a brighter green, or brilliant 
ee н: пем кие е ог blue. This cane takes place usually 
we get north of Penang that we find a detinite period of rest in 
which all or arg all plants shed their leaves altogether aud 
become quite | ar A good series of obse rvations on these 
phenological iei din. would probably throw light on the 
causes = these irregular seasons. 
y few plants have a definite flowering month. А large 
жй. ame more or less steadily throughout the year. 
Others flower at regular periods tines or four times a 
the district. This is best known in the case of the Pigeon orchid, 
Dendrobium RE In this plant the flowers are produced 
at periods of a little over a month, or two months. "The exact 
day differs in ‘differ ent parts of the peninsula, but in each district 
they all appear in the same day, and it is remarkable that plants 
brought to Singapore even from as far north as Siam open their 
flowers on the day for Singapore, and not on that for Siam. 16 
