4G8 Botanical Notes. [No. 5. 



where the stone was hollowed out underneath. In making these 

 remarks, I do not affect any acquaintance with Geology, I only note 

 what I observed. 



I was struck with the wonderful luxuriance of the vegetation of 

 this district. It surpassed anything I had seen within our bounda- 

 ry. At the first village, Waytamaraing, where we halted, it was 

 particularly remarkable. This village lies in a valley enclosed by 

 hills on all sides, and has an elevation above Moulmein of some 

 five hundred feet. A small stream called " Tlioung Kaliya" runs 

 through it, whose waters flowing S. E. eventually fall into the 

 Menam. At this place the rankness of the vegetation, even at this 

 dry season, was surprising. All the plants previously mentioned as 

 growing in damp shady spots grew here, and with increased luxuri- 

 ance. The jungle was impenetrable from the abundance of various 

 species of Bambusa, Calamus, Zalacca, Licuala, Corypha, Caryota, Sfc. 



The trunks of the large trees were clothed to the top with 

 Aroideoe, or the frequent Lomaria scandens. Almost every avail- 

 able fork had Neottopteris nidus seated in it, the fronds of which 

 were six feet long ; while different species of Hoya, Aeschynanthus, 

 Hedycliium, and the larger Orchidece, loaded and festooned the 

 boughs. The undershrubs were covered with small Orchidece, the 

 pendulous Meteorium squarrosum, and Jungermannice ; and the 

 ground, was, in many parts, knee-deep in beautiful Selaginelloe. 

 Two epiphytes, seen here, struck me as new : one, a very graceful 

 Aeschynanthus, with small ovato lanceolate leaves, and pretty pinkish 

 flowers, which hung down from the branches, to the length of three 

 or four feet : the other, a small erect species of Peperomia. I found 

 too a small Tetranthera here, which I had never seen before. 



But that which delighted me most, was a very beautiful tree of 

 middle size in full flower which had not occurred before. I cannot 

 describe it better, in a general way, than by saying that it exceedingly 

 resembles the commou Horsechesnut. No one could see it without 

 being at once struck with the resemblance. It is a dense umbrage- 

 ous tree, about forty feet high. On examination, my surprise 

 equalled my delight ; as it proved to be a true Aesculus.* 



* Mr. Parish's horsechesnut is Aesculus Punchiana, Wall. It extends from the 

 Ivhasia mountains along the tropical belt of the Himalaya as far west as Sikkim 

 and specimens of it occur among Dr. Falconer's Moulmein Collections. T. T. 



