THE GESNERACE^ OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 7 



They inhabit dense forests often forming large patches 

 on the ground. A few are however epiphytic. 



Summary of Distribution. 



There are at present known 121 species of the order in 

 the Peninsula, belonging to 18 general. Of these 95 are 

 endemic, 7 occur also in Burma and Siam, 17 occur also 

 in Sumatra and 9 in Borneo, 5 only in Java, only a single 

 species occurs in India beyond Burma, and only 4 in the 

 islands further east than Java. 



Habitats. The greater number of species are hill plants grow- 

 ing on rocks or banks at an altitude of from 1 to 6000 

 feet elevation. The species occurring in the low-lying 

 country are few, one or two species of Didymocarpas 

 chiefly of the Heteroboea section and some Cyrtandras and 

 Stauranthera. Besides which are several of the epiphytic 

 Aeschynanthi. All these lowland plants disappear as one 

 ascends the hills and are replaced by a different series. 

 The limestone rocks are very prolific in species and 

 several genera are quite peculiar to them. Such are Boea, 

 Monophylloea, Epithema, Phylloboea. 



R. A. Soc. No. 43 1905. 



