232 FLORA INDICA. 



2. Assam. 



The province of Assam is bounded by the Himalaya and 

 Mishmi mountains on the norths and by the Khasia and Naga 

 hnis on the south. It is a tropical valley continuous at its 

 vrestern extremity with the plains of Bengal, and gradually 

 contracting to the eastward, till the mountains at last ap- 

 proach so close together that no level country remains be- 

 tween them. The width of the lower valley is about thirty 

 miles; it is in general level, but low ranges of hills project 

 occasionally from both sides almost to the Brahmaputra, and 

 isolated hillocks occur scattered here and there over the sur- 

 face. 



The atmosphere is very humid, and dense fogs are frequent 

 in winter. The rainy season lasts from May tiU October, and 

 the rain-fall (about eighty inches at Gowahatti), though much 

 less than on the mountains by which it is surrounded, is con- 

 siderable. The climate is therefore on the whole equable, 

 without excessive summer heat, and without great winter 

 cold. Lower Assam is richly cultivated, but dense forest occu- 

 pies the base of the hills on either side, as weU as the hillocks 

 which advance upon the plain. 



In Upper Assam there is but little cultivation, and much 

 forest, which is often almost impervious from rank under- 

 wood. Along the river the low alluvial plains, which at the 

 junction of the Dihong are scarcely raised 350 feet above the 

 level of the sea, are bare of trees, and covered with dense 

 grass jungle. The mountains display a rich vegetation of the 

 most tropical forms which India produces. Anonacem are 

 numerous, several species of Myristicea occur, and the India- 

 rubber fig forms large forests in some places. Calami and 

 Plectocomia abound in the dense jungles, as well as other 

 rare and interesting palms, belonging to the genera Livistonia, 

 lAcuala, Arenga, Areca, Wallichia, etc. Oaks and chesnuts 

 are also characteristic types, as are Guttifera, Ternstrcemia- 

 cecB, Magnoliacece, Saurauja, and tree-ferns. 



