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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [YOL. XI. 



NOTE ON THE BOTANY OF RITIGALA. 

 By Henry Trimen, Esq., m.b., f.r.s., &c. 



{Read December 28, 1888.) 



HE main object of my ascent of Ritigala was to 

 investigate its vegetation and collect specimens 

 of its plants. I had often, during my journeys 

 along the North road, looked with interest at 

 the striking outline of this fine hill, and 

 determined to take the first opportunity that offered of 

 examining its flora, which I knew had never yet been seen 

 by botanically trained eyes, and at length I availed myself 

 of some leisure in July, 1887, and of Mr. Green's companion- 

 ship. Unfortunately, owing to the prolonged drought for 

 several previous months, vegetation was then in a very 

 torpid state. Many trees and shrubs were dried up and 

 nearly bare of leaves, and very few were in flower or seed ; 

 thus some were undeterminable, and the present notes give 

 doubtless but an imperfect account of the flora. Another 

 visit is needed soon after rains to complete our knowledge 

 of the botany of this hill, but so far as it goes the following 

 may be considered to convey an accurate idea of the subject. 



Though actually itself of no great altitude, Ritigala is the 

 highest ground intervening between the central mass of the 

 Ceylon mountain system and the very similar hills of Southern 

 India. From its complete isolation and abrupt rise on all 

 sides, directly from the low-country, it presents a more 

 imposing appearance than would be expected from its real 

 height (2,506 ft.) ; and this is always over-estimated by those 

 endeavouring to fix its altitude by the eye alone. 



The nearest ground of equal height is to the south, about 

 40 miles, in the foot-hills of North Matale, where, howeveiv 



