The Forests and Waste Lands of Ceylon. 357 



Further from the coast the forest vegetation is composed of the 

 same species as of the forests of the dry zone proper, but the trees 

 are usually smaller and the undergrowth is composed mainly of 

 Memecylon and of Stenosiphonium Rulyselianum. The Palmyra palm 

 {Borassus flabelliformis) is found on sandy soil both in this sub- 

 zone and in the dry zone proper. It is most abundant in the littoral 

 districts, especially in the Jaffna Peninsula. 



The forests of the Dry Zone proper are the most important 

 to the forester, not only because they are the most extensive, but also 

 because they contain most of the valuable timber trees. The most 

 important of these are Satinwood {Chloroxylon Swietenia), found 

 on sandy soils, and attaining its best dimensions in the Puttalam 

 and Batticaloa Districts ; Ebony {Diospyros Ebejium), which prefers 

 rocky, undulating ground, and which, although found occasionally 

 in the wet, low country, is most abundant in the Northern, North 

 Central, and North-western Provinces, and in the Trincomalie and 

 Matale Districts ; Palu {Mimusops hexandra), which is found on 

 more clayey soils from the north to the south of the island. It 

 attains an enormous size, and grows best, if anywhere, in the 

 Northern Province. It is one of the ironwoods of commerce. 

 Trincomalie wood (Berrya Ammonilla) is found in moist but well- 

 drained places. It extends into part of the wet zone, but the 

 trees are usually of small size. The finest trees are found in the 

 eastern portion of the Province of Uva. Milla (Vitex altissima), 

 one of the strongest of Ceylon timbers, extends also into the wet 

 zone, where it is not uncommon ; but, like the Berrya, it is a much 

 finer tree in the dry zone, especially in the Eastern Province. The 

 same may be said of Ranai (Alseodaphne semecarpifolia), although it 

 is not so common in the wet zone as Milla. The Ebenacese are 

 (apart from Ebony) represented in this zone chiefly by D. ovalifolia, 

 while D. crumenata, D. oocarpa, D. Embryopteris, and D. montana 

 are also found abundant in certain localities ; and Maba buxifolia is 

 a small tree which is by no means uncommon even in the arid zone. 

 Of the Guttifera; we have chiefly Garcinia spicata, Calophyllum 

 Burmani, and, near streams or in groves, planted before the memory 

 of man, Mesua ferrea. The Dipterocarps, which are so characteristic 

 of the Low Country wet zone, are almost absent, being only repre- 

 sented by Vatica obscura in moist soils in the Eastern Province, 

 and by Hopea cordifolia along streams in Southern Uva and Saba- 

 ragamuwa. Among trees which are characteristic of this zone 

 the most common are Polyalthia longifolia, P. cojf&oides, Crateeva 

 Roxburghii, Pterospermum suberi folium, Sterculia fcetida, Azadirachta 

 indica, Walsura Piscidia, Pleuroslylia Wightii, Sehleichera trijuga, 

 Nephelium Longana, Odina Wodier, Cassia Fistula, C. marginata, 

 Bauhinia tomentosa, Acacia leucophlcea, Acacia ferruginea, Gyrocarpus 

 Jacquini, Eugenia Jambolana, Barringtonia acutangula, Adina cordi- 

 folia, Canthium didymum, Bassia longifolia, Termi?ialia glabra (near 

 streams and tanks), Strychnos Nux vomica, Cordia Rothii, Stereo- 



