1849.] excursion from Barjiling to Tonglu. 425 



Himalaya, and universally adopted for ploughshares and other pur- 

 poses requiring a hard wood : it is the " Sing-brang-kun" of the Lep- 

 chas, and ascends 4000 ft. on the mountains. In very dry soils it is 

 replaced by "Sal" (Fateria robusta), and more rarely by the Pinus 

 longi folia. 



"Toon" (Cedrela toona) "Simalkun," Lepcha, and another species, 

 probably C. serrata, Royle, accompany the Gordonia, as does Engle- 

 hardtia, which ascends to 6000 ft. and several leguminous trees, Acacice, 

 Dalbergia, Terminalia and a Sonneratia. Oaks at this elevation occur 

 as solitary trees, of species different from those of Darjiling. There 

 are 3 or 4 with a corn-formed fruit at this elevation, and 3 with spinous 

 cups enclosing the nut, which generally affect a dry clayey soil. 



Phyllanthus emblica, Grislea, Symplocos and other small trees and 

 bushes of the plains, occupy the more open spaces near the streams. 

 Cucurbitacea, Marlea and scandent Leguminosa skirt the forest. Tici 

 and Cloranthus with Ferns inhabit rocky places, and an amaran- 

 thaceous plant (Arrua ?) climbs over the loftiest trees ; its copious 

 inflorescence, like hops, whiten the forest in some places. Sterculice, of 

 2 species, are common, as is Pcederia foetida, which, as well as many 

 Cucurbitacea peppers, Gnetum, Porana, a few Convolvulacece and 

 many Asclepioidece, Hog a, &c. climb high. 



Though the temperature of the air was only 77° at noon, these valleys 

 are close and oppressively hot : the streams small and varying in tem- 

 perature, according to the exposure of their banks ; that of the first 

 we crossed was 70° . 



Some low steep spurs which we crossed, were well cultivated, though 

 the angle of the field was upwards of 25°. The crops, chiefly maize, 

 now sprouting. The maize is occasionally hermaphrodite in Sikkim, 

 the bisexual flowers forming a large drooping panicle and ripening small 

 grains. This is a rare occurrence, and the specimens are highly valued 

 by the people. 



On the ridge a "Semul" tree (Bombax) grows, at upwards of 3000 

 ft. ; it is a very rare tree at this elevation, or any where else within the 

 mountains. Musscenda is conspicuous for its white calycine leaves 

 snowing the tree. A Lysimachia, very like the L. nemorum of Europe, 

 grew near its foot. 



Descending to another stream, the path led through a low dense 



