HOLE : SOME INDIAN GRASSES AND THEIR CECOLOGY. 



27 



Type of Vegetation. 



A. Xerophilous — contd. 



B. Mesophilous 



Types of Communities. 



Open grasslands composed of such species as Aristida cyan- 

 antha and Triraphis also probably come here, although 

 when densely stocked such types must be perhaps consi- 

 dered mesophilous. 



Woodland. — This is also characterised by a short period of 

 vegetative activity, or by a longer period with more or 

 less marked xerophilous adaptations. 



The dry open deciduous woodlands formed of such species as 

 Cocklospermum Gossypium, Sterculia urens, Boswellia 

 serrata, Euphorbia sp. and others come here, also many 

 woodlands of Acacia Catechu, the scrub or bush-growth 

 composed largely of such species as Nyctanthes, Zizyphus 

 and Acacia and the desert communities of Tamarix, 

 Prosopis spicigera, Capparis, Salvadora, Ephedra, Orthan- 

 thera and others. 



It will be noticed that only the poorest type of evergreen 

 woodland comes here, consisting of such species as Salva- 

 dora oleoides and Tamarix while Zizyphus Jujuba is also 

 practically evergreen. 



Shrubby growth of temperate species such as Arundinaria, 

 Rhododendron lepidotum and R. Anthopogon also comes 

 here, while among Conifers some Juniper forests, or 

 bushland, and possibly also some forests of Pinus, e.g. of 

 Pinus Gerardiana, should probably be included in this 

 group. 



Grassland ( = Meadow or Moist Savannah). — This group in- 

 cludes the Meadovjs of the Himalayas and of the so-called 

 Hill-Forests of India generally. Of these Duthie writes : 

 ' The vast stretches of undulating meadows, known as 

 ' maidans,' and which extend from the upper limits of 

 the forests to the snow line, are composed of many of the 

 most nutritious grasses of the world, some of them belong- 

 ing to species well known in Europe for their good grazing 

 qualities." 1 Here also come the best fodder-yielding 

 grasslands of the deciduous forest areas, while the highest 

 development is probably attained in the Moist Savannah 

 formed of such species as Saccharum Munja and Saccha- 

 rum Narenga. 



Woodland. — The majority of the so-called " Deciduous-" and 

 "Hill-" Forests of India fall into this group, including 

 most of the Coniferous Forests and most of the Bamboo 

 areas composed of such species as Dendrocalamus strictus. 



1 Fodder Grasses of Northern India by J. F. Duthie, 1888, p.ii. 



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