358 The Forests and Waste Lands of Ceylon. 



spermum chelonioides, Euphorbia antiquorum, Sapium insigne, Hemi- 

 cyclia sepiaria, Mischodon zeylanicus, Holoptelea integrifolia, &c. 



The most common shrubs are Polyalthia Korinti, Allophyllus 

 Cobbe, Ochna squarrosa, Cassia auriculata, Alangium Lamarckii, 

 Webera corymbosa, Randia dumetorum, Gmelina asiatica, Memecylon, 

 Glycosmis pentaphylla, and Dimorphocalx glabellus. Creepers and 

 climbers are not so well represented as in the moister zones, the 

 most abundant being Hugonia Mystax, Ventilago maderaspatana, 

 some species of Vitis, Derris scandens, D. sinuata, &c. The most 

 beautiful orchids found in this zone are, without doubt, Saccolabium 

 guttatum, which is found in the Eastern Province, and Vanda Rox- 

 burghii and V. spathulata, which are found chiefly not far from the 

 sea. Vanda parvifiora and Saccolabium Wightianum are not un- 

 common, while a pretty little white-ground orchid, Habenaria ptero- 

 carpa, is found in rocky places. The ferns of this zone are not 

 abundant, the Adiantum caudatum penetrating farther into the dry 

 districts than any other, while Hemionitis arifolia and Gymnopteris 

 querrifolia are found in dark and moist places, while on rocks grow 

 Cheilanthes mysorensis, C. laxa, and the tiny Ophioglossum lusitanicum. 



In the Intermediate Zone trees of both the dry and the low- 

 country moist zone are to be found, such as Berrya Ammonilla, 

 Nephelium Longana, Mesua ferrea, Artocarpus integrifolia, Xylopia 

 parvifiora, Albizzia stipulata, A. odoratissima, A. Lebbek, &c; and 

 there are a few species which, although they are found elsewhere, 

 can be said to be characteristic ; these are Filicium decipiens, Chick- 

 rassia tabularis, and Melia dubia. Terminalia Belerica attains an 

 extraordinary size in this zone, in which are other gigantic trees, 

 like Tetrameles nudiflora and Ailanthus malabarica* Among the 

 shrubs, Vitex Neguudo is probably the most characteristic. Another 

 characteristic feature of this zone is the great abundance of creepers, 

 which cover the tallest trees and render forest operations extremely 

 difficult. Some very handsome ferns grow in this zone, the most 

 noticeable being Aspidium decurrens, A. subtriphyllum, A. cicutarium, 

 and Adiantum lunulalum. 



The Park country of Uva can be included in this zone. It 

 comprises the low lands on the eastern boundary of that province ; 

 and it has a quite characteristic flora, very similar to that of the 

 Sub-Himalayan forests. The trees which are found here are found 

 only on the patanas and occasionally elsewhere, the most noteworthy 

 being Anogeissus latifolia, Butea frondosa, Terminalia Chebula, 

 T. Belerica, Zizyphus xylopyra, Pterocarpus Marsupium, Miliusa 

 indica, Sterculia colorata, Gmelina arborea, and Diospyros melanoxylon. 

 The undergrowth is, as in the sub-Himalayan forests, mostly grass 



* Although Dipterocarpus zeylanicus and Stemonoporus acuminatus 

 extend into this zone, the only characteristic Dipterocarp known, so far, 

 in this zone is the Balanocarpus zeylanicus, which has been found only 

 in the Kurunegala District. 



