INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 



183 



2770 species of flowering plants and 150 ferns, of which the 

 majority inhabit the temperate zone; fewer are tropical, and 

 still fewer alpine. The prevailing natural orders are : — 



Eammculaceae . . . . 55 



Papaverace8B .... 25 



PumariaceEB 16 



Magnoliacese .... 7 



Malvaceae 



Bombacese 



TiliacesB 



Byttneriacese 



Ternstroemiacese . . .11 



AurantiacesB .... 12 



CaryophyllesB .... 30 



Cruciferfe 30 



VitacesB 20 



BalsaminesB ..... 18 



AcerineED 6 



LeguminossB .... 100 



Eosaceae 80 



UmbelliferaB . . . . 50 



Araliacese 26 



MelastomacesB .... 10 



Cucurbitaceae .... 20 



EubiacesB 80 



CrassulacesB .... 16 



Compositse 110 



Ericese 1 o^. 

 Vacciniese J 



GentianesB . 



Asclepiadeae 1 



Apocyneae J 



Scrophularinesa 



Labiatee . 



Cyrtandrese 



Myrsinesa 



PrimulacesB 



Boragineffi 



Acanthacsffi 



Polygoneae 



EuphorbiacesD 



TJrticese . 



AmentacesB 



Coniferse 



Laurinese 



Aroideae . 



Orcbidese . 



ScitamineaB 



PalmeaB . 



Smilaceae"! 



Liliaceae J 



Jimceae . 



Grramineae 



CyperacesB 



38 



45 



70 

 90 

 27 

 12 

 36 

 18 

 35 

 45 

 35 



110 

 15 

 10 

 30 

 16 



150 

 24 

 10 



40 



25 

 180 

 106 



Central Himalaya, or Nipal. 



The kingdom of Nipal extends for 500 miles along the 

 Himalaya, from the western extremity of Sikkim to the east- 

 ern border of Kumaon, from which it is separated by the river 

 Kali. The jealous policy of the Nipalese government has pre- 

 vented otir acquiring an intimate knowledge of this country, 

 the only part to which Europeans have been allowed access 



