Neilgherry Plants. 18,5 



within the same limits. The paucity of Ranunculacious 

 plants, within the Tropics, may be further shown by compar- 

 ing them with the Flora of the whole world : thus, assuming 

 that there are 600 species of Ranunculaceae, and that there 

 are 80,000 species of flowering Plants, they then stand in 

 proportion of one to every 133 species. 



According to published lists, the Indian peninsula, within 

 an elevation of 500 feet above the sea, can only claim one 

 species {Naravelia Zeylanica) and that of rare occurrence 

 within these limits. This plant, which abounds at the foot of 

 the Hills, is an extensively climbing shrub, so nearly allied to 

 Clematis as almost to require a Botanist to distinguish them. 

 Such being the case, it naturally follows that the next in suc- 

 cession should be a Clematis, and such in fact is the case, 

 Clematis Gouriana (Nos. 1 and 2) being frequent on the table- 

 land of Mysore and also on the eastern slopes of the 

 Neilgherries, at an elevation of between two and three thou- 

 sand feet. None of the other species found on these Hills, 

 except perhaps C. Munronii, which I found in the jungles be- 

 low Sispara, descend much below six thousand feet of actual 

 elevation, though all occur within a few hundred feet above 

 that limit. 



Continuing our ascent of the Neilgherries, the next species 

 that presents itself is the Clematis Wightiana (No. 3) which 

 abounds in the thickets about Kaity, and along the road from 

 thence to Ootacamund. The Anemone Wightiana, begins to 

 show itself occasionally about Coonoor, but is no where fre- 

 quent until we have nearly attained the level of Ootacamund, 

 where in the pastures, especially on moist ground, it becomes 

 most abundant, but still ascends to the highest range of the 

 Hills. The species of Ranunculus are of rarer occurrence, 

 two species being generally met with in clumps of jungle, and 

 the third [Ranunculus reniformis,) is sparingly scattered over 

 the higher pastures on the more elevated hills, and in such 

 situations, is well calculated to remind the European sojour- 



