The Forests and Waste Lands of Ceylon. 359 



•'{Imperata arundinaced). Near water-courses the flora is that of the 

 ^ordinary dry zone type. 



The Wet Zone includes the Western Province, the Province of 

 Sabaragamuwa excluding the Kolonna Korale, the Galle and Matara 

 Districts of the Southern Province, the Hill Districts of the Central 

 and Uva Provinces and about one-half of the Kurunegala and Chilaw 

 Districts of the North-western Province, or, in a few words, the 

 South-western and South Central portions of the island. It is the 

 portion which receives the full force of the South-west monsoon, and 

 includes the higher lands affected by the North-east monsoon. The 

 'rainfall usually ranges from 80 to 200 inches, but it exceeds even 

 this in some places, and rumour has it that in Eratne, to the South- 

 west of Adam's Peak, it actually does not fall far short of 400 inches. 



The Low-country "Wet Zone is the country par excellence of 

 the Dipterocarps. In the Chilaw and Kurunegala Districts, and in 

 the Northern portion of the Colombo District, they are represented 

 only by Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, but further South and East they 

 increase in number and species until, in many cases, they form 

 almost the entire forest. No doubt, several new species will have to 

 he added, and even since the first volume of Trimen's Flora has 

 been published fresh discoveries have been made, a case in point 

 feeing the Stemonoporus (? Vatica) Lewisi, which was found by Mr. F. 

 Lewis of the Forest Department at about 1000' altitude above 

 Pelmadulla. The curious almost wingless fruit of Shorea lissophylla 

 was also found near the Bentote river in the Western Province. The 

 forests of this zone, where they have been saved, are to the eye the 

 most magnificent of the whole island, the trees often reaching a 

 height of too feet to the first branch. On this account the trees 

 are often difficult to identify, and it is probable that many are still 

 unnamed, especially as it is not always possible to hit on new species 

 at the time when they are in flower or fruit. The most beautiful of 

 these forests is probably the forest of the Hinidun Pattu, in the 

 Southern Province ; in it the most important Dipterocarps are 

 Dipterocarpus kispidus, which in the South almost replaces D. zey- 

 lanicus, D. glandulosus, Shorea oblongifolia, Doona trapezifolia, which 

 extends up to about 3000' above sea level, D. cordifolia, D. macro- 

 phylla, D. congestiflora, which produces a valuable timber, Hopea 

 discolor and Vatica affinis. 



Vatica Roxburghiana is found near streams and in lands subject 

 to inundation in the Western Province and in Sabaragamuwa, while 

 Valeria acuminata, which also loves the neighbourhood of water, is 

 found on more rocky ground. The Dipterocarps which are able to 

 ascend to an elevation of 4000' are Doona zeylanica and D. Gardneri, 

 .and Stemonoporus Gardneri, which has been found up to nearly 

 5000 feet. 



Among the natural orders, which are also widely represented, are 

 the Guttifercz, the Ebenacece, and the Sapotacece. The first-named is 

 represented chiefly by the iron wood Mesuaferrea and M. Thwaitesii, 



