276 N. ANNANDALE. 



Comparison between the Flora and Vegetation of Barkuda and 

 those of other islands and headlands in the lake. 



Very little detailed information is available about the flora of the shores and 

 islands of the Chilka Lake and all I can do here is to give a few facts and 

 impressions. The islands of the lake are of several kinds, differing greatly in forma- 

 tion and vegetation. Among them it is possible to distinguish at least five types, 

 one of which exists more frequently as a headland or peninsula than as a complete 

 island. These five types of island and peninsula may be considered separately. 

 Between most of them and Barkuda no real comparison is possible, the contrast 

 is so great. 



In the outer channel of the lake-system the islands are mere sandbanks often 

 submerged, completely or in part, in the flood season. Their vegetation is composed 

 of a few species of low sedges and grasses, which sometimes form a coarse turf, and 

 occasionaUy of small thickets of dw^arfed Crataeva religiosa only a few feet high. 



The largest island in the main area, Nalbano b}^ name, is a flat mud-bank 

 entirely covered by a phragmitetum of Phragmites Karka, the roots of which are 

 submerged in the flood-season. In the dry weather a few small herbaceous plants 

 spring up as the mud is exposed with the retreat of the waters, but the flora is a 

 scanty one. 



The third type of island, also in this area, is low or undulating, though always 

 higher than Nalbano, and consists mainly of alluvium. It always lies close to the 

 shore and frequently becomes a peninsula as the waters of the channel that separate 

 it from the mainland dry up. The vegetation is that of a meadow with clumps of 

 large trees, mostl}^ figs of various species and tamarinds. The flora is much richer 

 than that of Barkuda, especially in herbaceous plants, and many herbs, bushes and 

 herbaceous creepers abound that do not occur on that island, or are represented there 

 only by occasional plants. Among the more conspicuous of such species I may 

 mention the following : — Helictres isora, Mavtynia diandra, Barleria prionitis, Mucuna 

 pruriens, Cipadessa frnticosa. 



A characteristic feature of the scenery of the Chilka Lake is the presence of 

 small conical hills that appear to be much higher than they are on account 

 of their regularity of shape and of the way in which they stand out from their 

 surroundings. vSeveral of these hills jut out into the lake and form conspicuous 

 landmarks, while others, all of a smaller size, are completely surrounded by its 

 waters. They have the appearance of being composed of irregular masses of large 

 stones piled up one upon another. According to Blanford they are formed of 

 gneiss and their peculiar structure is due to the weathering away of the softer parts 

 of the original rock and the persistence of harder blocks. The mo.st conspicuous of 

 these headlands at the south-western end of the lake is named Ganta Sila. It lies 

 only about four miles south-west from Barkuda and might be expected a priori 

 to have a rather close affinity in vegetation. I made collections of plants upon it 

 on several occasions and though my time was too limited to permit of attention to 



