Remarks on the Flora of Ceylon. 231 



There is much here to remind the European of his native country. 

 Different species of Rubus and a Barberry abound along the wooded 

 margins of the plains, as well as two species of Viburnum or Guelder 

 Rose, and a shrubby St. John's wort (Hypericum Mysorense), bearing 

 large yellow flowers. The dry open banks are covered with violets 

 and Lysimachia, while in the open plains are to be found two species 

 of Potentilla, an Anemone, a Geranium, two kinds of Ranunculus or 

 butter-cup, a Lady's mantle, not unlike the Alchemilla vulgaris of 

 England, a little blue star-blossomed Gentian, two species of sun-dew 

 or Vrosera, a Campanula, a Valeriana, and in the bogs several kinds 

 of Juncus and Carex. 



At the health station on the plain of Newera-Ellia, which is about 

 6,200 feet above the level of the sea, there are several gardens in 

 which most of the vegetables of Europe grow freely. European fruit 

 trees have also been tried, but no success has attended the experi- 

 ment ; nor was such a thing to be expected, for although during the 

 cold season the thermometer falls occasionally in the morning to 

 nearly the freezing point — the annual range being from 35^° to 80°, 

 with a mean daily variation of 1 1°— the cold is not sufficiently intense 

 nor of long enough continuation to give those trees the period of rest 

 which they require. In place of losing their leaves for nearly six 

 months of the year, the peach and the cherry are here evergreens, 

 and are hence kept in such a continued state of excitement as to 

 prevent their bearing. The peach does, indeed, give a poor crop of 

 fruit of a very inferior quality, but although the cherry blossoms 

 annually, its fruit never comes to perfection. 



Although the Neilgherry range from its near geographical posi- 

 tion, has more species in common with the tracts of a similar eleva- 

 tion in Ceylon than any other part of India, yet these from their 

 small numbers are evidently only stragglers northward, the very 

 great number of species peculiar to the mountains of Ceylon, and to 

 them alone, proves that these mountains form a distinct centre of 

 creation. This I shall illustrate by a few examples from some of 

 the better known natural orders and genera of plants. Beginning 

 with Ranunculacece, we find three species of Ranunculus belonging 

 to the Flora of the Neilgherries, and two to that of the mountains 

 of Ceylon, one species only being common to both countries. Of 



