41 6 



herbaceous plants and half-woody shrubs, which there is reason 

 to believe have been introduced from various parts of the world 

 and which have thoroughly established themselves. These plants 

 are commonly known as weeds and in many cases their place of 

 origin is entirely unknown, and can only be guessed at, from the 

 known habitats of allied species which have not succeeded in 

 establishing themselves. In the large orders Composite and 

 Gramineoe the greater part of the species here are undoubtedly 

 introduced. 



The Composites in the Malay Peninsula which are thoroughly 

 established or indigenous number about 40, of these one tree, 

 two shrubs and three or four herbs are undoubtedly indigenous. 

 The remainder are almost certainly introduced, only occurring in 

 cultivated ground. In grasses the number of really indigenous 

 species is also small compared with the number of recorded species, 

 and these are nearly all sea-shore plants or inhabitants of the sandy 

 wastes of the old river beds. The grasses which form the turf 

 of the gardens and fields, are almost all exotics, such as Paspalutn 

 conjugation or sea-shore plants, Zoysia and Ischoemum muticum. 



The greater part of these weeds occur all over the tropics now 

 and follow man wherever he goes, and it is most probable that 

 all were originally natives of sea-shores in other parts of the world. 

 They acclimatize themselves readily in almost any cultivated 

 ground throughout the tropics. 



Besides these accidentally introduced weeds, a very large number 

 of useful or ornamental plants have been introduced intentionally 

 by man at various dates, and plants from all parts of the world 

 have been introduced into the Botanic Gardens by way of experi- 

 ment, and some notes on the acclimatization of these may be of 



The adaptability of plants to abnormal surroundings varies very 

 much. One would not expect xerophilous, dry country desert 

 plants or plants from cold countries to acclimatize or even^ to 

 go on growing in a hot wet equatorial region, at the same time 

 occasionally plants from such places thrive in a very unexpected 

 manner. To begin with plants from exceptional habitats such as 

 the sea-shore, sand or mud to the stiff dry clay of the inland 

 region. 



Scoevola koenigii.—A sea-shore shrub, is never found wild except 

 on the actual sand of the sea-shore. Plants transferred to the 

 Botanic Gardens thrive well, flower 'and fruit, growing in stiff clay. 



Crinum asiaticum.—K sea sand, and rock plant grows readily, 

 and reproduces itself freely in all parts of the garden, both in 

 full sun and in shade. Plants grown in shade are very robust, and 

 flower and fruit well. As its seeds are large and adapted for sea- 

 dispersal they generally germinate close to the plant where they 

 fall, and most thus perish. The seed seems to possess a very great 

 amount of vitality. Two seeds were fastened to a card in August, 



