256 Royle's Illustrations of the Himalaya Mountains. 



fully introduced into many other parts of India. The leaves of Calathea are 

 employed in making baskets in Soutli America; so the split stems of Maranta 

 dichotoma, being tough, arc employed in India in making the so much cele- 

 brated siUil-pat, or Calcutta mats (Fl. Inch, i. p. 2.)." (p. 356.) 



Scitdmineee, or Zingiber acecc. — Much interesting matter belonging to this 

 order we must necessarily pass over to the 



Orchidccc. — This order is treated at greater length than any other in the 

 work ; and the growers of this splendid family of plants will find part x. of 

 Royle's Illustrations worth purchasing for this order alone. We can only spare 

 room for the following introductory paragraphs : — 



" The OrchidccSy named from a European genus, are vet most numerous in 

 tropical countries. Allied to the Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae, like them 

 they are remarkable for irregularity, and stdl more for their diversity of form, 

 but are distinguished by their stamen and pistil being united into a column. 

 The peculiar organisation of Orchidea? having been first elucidated by Mr. 

 Brown ; their systematic arrangement into genera and species has only 

 recently been fully accomplished by my friend, Dr. Lindley, to whom I am 

 indebted for the examination and naming of all those in the present collection; 

 and to his work, for many of the facts in the following observations, which are 

 arranged in conformity to his division of the Orchideae into the tribes Malax- 

 ideae, Epidendreae, Vandeae, Ophrydeae, Gastrodiae, Neottieae, Arethuseae, and 

 Cypripedieaa. 



" The Orchideae, whether epiphytal or terrestrial, are found in all parts of the 

 world, which are not very cold nor very dry. Warmth and moisture being 

 most congenial to them, they are necessarily most abundantly diffused within 

 the tropics ; but species extend beyond these limits, as Malaxis paludosa 

 to the north of Europe, and Calypso borealis even to 60° and 68° in both the 

 Old and New World. The most southern stations of the epiphytes are those 

 of Earina mucronata in New Zealand, in lat. 35° S., and of Gunnia australis 

 •in Emu Bay, Van Diemen's Land, lat. 41° S. Though found in greatest 

 numbers in the moist valleys at the foot of mountains, several ascend them 

 to considerable elevations, and were discovered by Baron Humboldt at eleva- 

 tions of 7,000, 8,000, and 9,000 ft., in the Andes of Quito and Granada; 

 while Oncidium nubigenum occurs as high as at 14,000 ft. in the Andes of 

 Peru. So I found Dendrobium alpestre at 7,000 ft., and Coelogyne praecox 

 at 7,500 ft. of elevation on the oaks of Mussoree and Lundour, in 30° of 

 N. latitude. 



" From this extensive distribution it would appear that there was not the 

 same connexion between structure and climate, as we have seen to exist in 

 most other families. But this may be an apparent, rather than a real excep- 

 tion. Many of the Orchideae, being provided with tuberous roots, have these, 

 from their underground situation, protected from the vicissitudes of temper- 

 ature, and, as they often exist in moist situations, and flourish during the 

 summer temperature, a kind of local climate may be supposed to be produced, 

 in which a less degree of temperature appears to be necessary. Thus, on the 

 mountains of hot countries there is constant humidity in the rainy season, 

 ' from the air charged with moisture in the heated valleys, rising and deposit- 

 ing it on the mountains, when it reaches an elevation where it is cooled 

 beyond the point of saturation ; ' and this being accompanied with equability, 

 we have two of the characteristics of a tropical climate, and find a lower 

 degree of temperature fully sufficient for the most luxuriant growth of many 

 tropical genera and families of plants, with numerous terrestrial and the above 

 named epiphytal Orchideae." (p. 362.) 



We conclude for the present with the following note : — 

 " The BromeliacecB, or pine-apple tribe, are so exclusively an American 

 family, that nothing but the extensive diffusion of the pine-apple over India 

 would render advisable their mention here. The introduction into India of 

 the pine-apple is expressly mentioned by Indian authors, as by Abul Fuzl, in 

 the Ayeen Akbcrry, and then by the author of the Dhara Shekoih (Talccf 



