* 
830 ON THE FLORA OF CEYLON. 
it was the great region for epiphytic Orchids, and is still the special 
district oer by a splendid parila creeper, meee ickia, which 
covers the with masses of large rosy flowers; whilst among 
the aeud fosees ‘benoit low: the great Gloxinia- like flowers of the 
root- 2p cts isonia. 
the m 
height is of course quite oMaees but it fairly well marks the 
lower limit of our specially montane plants; and it is practically 
convenient, as it has been soot as the elevation above which no 
forest-land is now sold by Government. 
With the exception of sailaie: grassy tracts, to be presently 
noticed, all the hills (the highest of which attains to nearly 8400 ft.) 
are forest-clad over their summits. The climate is generally very 
wet, and the forest has special Seema a All the trees are 
evergreen, for the most part rather small, hard-wooded and o 
very slow growth; they stand close dpechnr, and form a very dar. * 
jungle ; their leaves are in very large proportion small, rounded, 
smooth, en and leathery. The number of species is very large, 
and some genera are represented by many species, as saan 
Calophatlatn, neti hone tal Gordonia, Eleocarpus, Symplocos 
&e. 
ragged masses of Usnea and Meteorium hang in ma disorder 
from the branches, whilst the bark is the home of many F ilmy- 
Ferns, Hepatics, and Orchids. Most of the epiphytic Orchids are 
uliar . 
sma. part in eral aspect of vegetation. Ferns are 
abictiinest ¢ in -thols 1ill-foredta and the endemic Alsophila crintta, 
certainly the handsomest tree- fern of the ae is very common, its 
stems attaining 20 or 25 ft. in height, or e more in favourable 
situations. Fine specimen rage this have been successfully intro- 
a 3 nner into England » vam for the first ti 
But the charm 
ill-country to he: English botanist lies 
in the links with nine supplied by the smaller flowers. These 
of belong to familiar English genera, and such ones as 
utte: 
7 iki in any way bovowrnarsAve an Alpine flora ; these 
malo types are the nearest Paratbes to it, and they ; 
