50 AN ACCOUNT OF A BOTANICAL EXPEDITION 



contrived to push down as far South, and a few Australian 

 types which had crept along the coasts of the islands westward. 



We explored this heathy district several times, and 

 obtained a great variety of plants from it. 



The characteristic trees of it are Eugenia grandis, the 

 Jambu Ayer Laut, a typical sandshore tree further south. 

 Dillenia aurea, with its beautiful large yellow flowers, and 

 Melaleuca leucadendron the Gelam. This latter grows abund- 

 antly along the swampy peaty parts of the heath fringing the 

 river. It was often said 'that the Gelam tree only occurred 

 in the Malay Peninsula near old Dutch Settlements as at 

 Malacca, and that it was introduced by the Dutch from the 

 islands further East. Near Malacca it grows in the same 

 kind of woods as in Setul, somewhat peaty soil with much 

 standing water, and I have little doubt is indigenous there. 

 In Singapore a portion of the town is still known as Kampong 

 Gelam there are no Gelam trees there now, but it is probable 

 that it got its name in the early days when the tree grew 

 there. I have also seen One tree of large size at Changi, in 

 a spot which certainly was never under Dutch control and 

 where it is highly improbable that any one else planted it. 

 I have not seen it except where obviously planted any where 

 else except the places mentioned, either on the East or West 

 coast. It grows in great abundance on the Setul heath, and 

 also I was told in similar spots near Kanga in Perlis. 



Among the more interesting of the plants of the heath 

 were a species of Thysanotus one of the Liliaceae a typically 

 Australian genus, the only other outlier of which occurs in 

 Hongkong and the Philippine islands. It is described below. 

 With it grew a pretty terrestrial orchid Pachtjstoma with 

 nodding pink flowers, numerous sedges, Fimbristylis, etc., 

 sundews, many Convolvulaceae, and Scrophularineae. Orchids 

 were scarce the most showy epiphytic ones being Dendrobium 

 secundum with its bright pink flowers, Bromheadia palustris 

 and the pretty rose pink Habenaria roseata, of which only 

 one could be found in flower, a single plant in flower of 

 the leafless Vanilla, and a few others were all seen. 



Jour, Straits Branch 



