FLOEA OF JAVA. 165 



thunderstorm. The mean annual rainfall, as deduced from the records of a 

 hundred meteorological stations for the last eight or nine years, would appear to 

 vary from a little over 40 to nearly 200 inches.* 



Flora. 



The Javanese flora, as described by Miguel, comprises altogether over nine 

 thousand phanerogams, of which three thousand have native names, a strong 

 proof of the remarkable power of observation of the inhabitants. Thanks to its 

 numerous volcanoes, following each other like islands in the sea, Java presents an 

 endless variety of vertical vegetable zones, ranging from the perennial summer of 

 the lower slopes and plains to the wintery, or at least autumnal upland regions. 

 As a rule, the strictly tropical zone scarcely rises above the 2,000 feet line, 

 beyond which few palms are met. Nevertheless the areng [hormsus gomutus), 

 which yields a fermented drink, sugar, cordage, foliage for thatching, and many 

 other useful articles, is everywhere found in the interior as high as 4,600 feet. 

 The finest trees flourish between 2,000 and 6,500 feet, their aspect becoming more 

 European the higher they ascend. Here such western species as the oak, maple, 

 and chestnut, are found associated with the lakka {myristica iners) and the 

 rasamala {liquidamhar alUngiana), giant of the west Javanese woodlands. 



In the higher regions the vigour of the vegetation is gradually diminished, 

 .the thickets consisting for the most part of shrubs and small plants, such as the 

 myrtle, acacia, thorn, elder, woodbine, and especially the woody gnaphalium and 

 the agapetes, a species of heath. Several of the volcanic crests, even when 

 emitting no gaseous exhalations, are completely bare ; yet some ancient travellers 

 attributed the noxious emanations to the presence of trees, such as the antyiar, 

 to approach which was supposed to be fatal. But this plant {antiaris toxicaria) is 

 in itself in no Avay dangerous, although it yields a ujms, or poisonous sap. It is 

 met in all parts of Java, as well as of other Indonesian regions, where it is used 

 for poisoning arrow and spear heads ; it kills by paralysing the action of the heart. 



Next to the cocoanut, the areng and bamboos, one of the most valuable indigenous 

 plants is the jati or teak (tedonia grandis), which is not found in many other parts 

 of the Eastern Archipelago, and the range of which even in Java has much 

 diminished during the historic period. It is comparatively rare in the western 

 provinces, and its true home lies between the Japara headland and Madura, in the 

 Rembang residency, where it occupies more especially the drier districts on the 

 plains and the slopes of the hills to a height of over 800 feet. But extensive 

 teak forests also occur everywhere in the central and eastern provinces, and this 

 valuable tree has been planted along the highways and in unoccupied spaces. 



Fauna. 

 Like Sumatra and Borneo, Java also presents some distinct animal species. Of 



* Mean rainfall of Situbondo, East Java, between 1879-86, 46 inches ; of Buitenzorg, West Java, 

 195 inches. 



