INTEODUCTION xxi 



distribution, and from this list it appears, tliat out of the 60 species 11 are 

 found in the Deccan and 8 are distributed from Africa to India, while the rest 

 are^ endemic in Burma, are distributed over other parts of India, over Mala^^a, 

 China and Australia, or are found in a large portion of the tropical zone. Of 

 the^ 19 Deccan and African species most are found in. other parts of India 

 besides the Deccan, and the remark made by Capt. Grage, interesting as it is, 

 does not affect what has here been said regarding the difference in the veget- 

 ation of Western and Eastern India outside the Himalaya. 



The eiifect of the climatic factors which have influenced the character 

 of forest growth in India, the chief being elevation, latitude and moisture, is 

 readily intelligible, while the difference in the vegetation of the Western 

 and Eastern divisions is not so easily explained. It might be supposed 

 that the soil in these two great divisions of India was different, and 

 that this would account for the remarkable facts here mentioned. This 

 view may be supported by the extensive area covered with basaltic i^ocks 

 in the Western peninsula, a formation which, as far as known, is not found in 

 the Eastern division of India. In spite of this fact, however, it cannot in any 

 way be said that the character of the soils is essentially different in these two 

 great divisions of the country. The difference between western and eastern 

 species rather points to changes which in remote ages must have taken place 

 in the configuration and climate of the country, a most interesting subject, 

 which however cannot be discussed here. 



One of the most important steps taken by Dr. Schlich, when organizing the 

 Indian Forest School in connexion with the Cooper's Hill Engineering College, 

 was to arrange, not only for the teaching of systematic botany, but to insist 

 upon the students becoming familiar with the anatomy and physiology of 

 trees, so that they should thoroughly understand the development, nutiition, 

 and propagation of plants. Further, that their attention should be directed to 

 important biological features, which are not generally dealt with in books on 

 systematic botany. Professor Marshall Ward, whom Dr. Schlich fortunately 

 secured to carry out this plan, managed to instil some of his own enthusiasm 

 into his students, and it has often given me intense pleasure to witness the 

 keen interest in general botanical questions on the part of young Indian 

 foresters at home on leave, who had the privilege of his teaching. I feel 

 assured that at the Dehra Dun Forest School also, the necessity of studying 

 the general branches of botany is fully understood. 



Under these circumstances I thought myself justified in introducing here 

 and there a few very brief remarks on such points in regard to the anatomical 

 structure, chiefly of the timber, and on important biological features, which I 

 thought might be useful to foresters. Our knowledge of the structure of the 

 stem, chiefly of climbing shrubs in India, is as yet very incomplete. What I 

 have incidentally mentioned in this book may perhaps induce some, foresters 

 or others, to pay more attention to this subject. Equally important is the 

 study of anomalous wood structure in the case of trees, such as Cocculus 

 laurlfolms^ most OomhretacecB^ Dalhergia paniculata^ Stri/cJinos, the 

 woody species of Flibmhaginacem^ Nyctaginacem^ AmarantacecB and Cheno- 

 podiacece. 



The bright colouring of the young shoots of evergreen trees, which delights 

 the eye in Mesica ferrea, Acer ohlongicm, Amherstia nohilUy Quercus incanaj 

 is well known, but has been fully described in the case of a few species only. 

 The autumn, colouring of deciduous species, which is so marked a feature in 

 the temperate zone and which is not uncommon in the Himalaya {Vitis 

 semicordata^ foi-merly known as F. Mmalayana^ Acer CampbelUi) is rare in. 

 the rest of India, yet there are noteworthy exceptions, such as Terminalia 

 Catappa^ Anogeissios latifolia^ A. pendula and Antidesma diandrum. 

 Doubtless there are others besides. The study of gregarious species and of 

 such as hav^ the tendency to form pure forests naturally interests foresters. 

 The factors, however, which enable Shorea robusta, Dipterocarpus tuber- 



