422 Notes, chiefly Botanical, made during an [May, 



not a very large species, climbs lofty trees, and extends some 40 yards 

 through the forest ; 6500 feet is the upper limit of palms in the Sikkim 

 Himalaya, and one species alone attains so great an elevation. Four 

 other Calami range between 1000 and 6000 feet, on the outer hills, 

 some of which are found 40 miles distant from the plains. The other 

 Palms of Sikkim are, " Simong" — a species of Caryota, which I have 

 not procured flower or fruit ; it is rare, and ascends to nearly 6000 feet. 

 Phoenix * a small stemless species, probably P. acaulis, Buch. (P. 

 humilis, Royle ?) which grows on the driest soil in the deep valleys 

 (Schaap of the Lepchas). Wallichiaf caryotoides, apparently the 

 plant described by Roxburgh, J and if so, having a very wide range 

 (Assam and Chittagong). It is the " Ooh" of the Lepchas, who make 

 no use of it. — Dr. Campbell and myself, during a recent journey in 

 Sikkim, found that it is an admirable fodder for horses, who prefer it 

 to any other green food to be had in these mountains. A species of 

 Areca unknown to me, is the 8th and only other Palm of these moun- 

 tains, but a Cycas (C. pectinata) occurs in the deepest and hottest val- 

 leys, with the India-rubber fig, — the western limits of both these in- 

 teresting plants. Of Pandanus there is one graceful species at elevations 

 of 1000 to 4000 feet, ("Borr," Lepcha.) 



3. The third striking feature in the vegetation in descending from 

 7000 feet, is a wild plantain, which ascends to above 6000 feet ; (" Lukh- 

 lo," Lepcha.) This is replaced by another and rather larger species at 

 lower elevations ; both of them ripen their austere and small fruits, 

 which are full of seed and quite uneatable ; good specific characters are 

 to be drawn both from the male flowers, and the size, form and color of 

 the seeds. The commonly cultivated plantain of Sikkim is, I am always 

 assured, an introduced stock, (nor have the wild species been ever cul- 

 tivated,) it is very large, but poor in flavor and does not bear seeds. 



The zones of these three conspicuous plants are very clearly defined in 

 descending any where from Darjiling, and especially if the traveller, 

 standing on one of the innumerable spurs which project from the ridge, 



* The feathery fronds of the Phoenix are used as screens in hunting, no other use 

 is made of any part of the plant except the young seeds being eaten. 



f Von Martins in a forthcoming part of his superb work, retains Roxburgh's 

 generic name of Wallichia for this palm. 



% Roxb. Fl. Ind. v. 3. p. 621, (Wright ea). 



