1S36.} 



Remarks en the Vegetation, §c. 



V. — Remarks on the Vegetation of the Neilgherries. — By Captain James 

 Allardyce, of the 23c? Regiment Madras Light Infantry* 



The object of the following remarks, is rather to offer a few general 

 observations on the hill vegetation, than to give a systematic descrip- 

 tion of the Flora. 



The climate of the Neilgherries has been often described, and 

 nothing need be mentioned on that head, further than to notice that 

 the theory, by which it is maintained that isolated hills are cooler than 

 table-lands of like elevation, is to be adopted with certain limitation^ 

 for many hills on the skirts of the Neilgherries, higher than Qotaca- 

 mund, are yet not so cool by many degrees. The accession of warm 

 air, from the plains, seems to be the cause of this : it affects the tempe- 

 rature for some distance round the margin of the plateau, while Ootaca- 

 mund, being near the centre, is protected from it, by an intervening 

 space of several miles. This, however, has its limit, and, if the Neil- 

 gherries were considerably more extensive, the causes would come into 

 operation, that affect the temperature of entire countries highly elevat- 

 ed above the level of the sea, such as the plains of Tartary. Table 

 lands, therefore, when of a limited extent, appear to be cooler than 

 isolated peaks of equal height. 



The appearance of the Neilgherry thickets must surprise every one, 

 who visits the hills for the first time, composed, as they are, of trees 

 densely covered with permanent foliage, and of an outline so even, as 

 to suggest the idea of its having been artificially produced. These, 

 and the smooth dome-shaped hills, are the two principal features of the 

 Neilgherry landscape. Singular as the vegetation may appear, it is 

 still not unique, or confined to that particular locality— indeed, it would 

 be contrary to analogy and all experience, to infer that a separate Flora 

 could have its limits within so short a space. From an enumeration of 

 the species, we are led to suppose that many of the plants are the same 

 as those of Europe ; but this is not so much the case, as would at first 

 appear. Many species are referable to genera common in Europe, 

 which still have characters peculiar to the Asiatic species of the genus. 

 There are, however, a few plants quite identical with those of Europe ; 

 among which may be mentioned a few Cruciferce, and one or two 

 grasses, such as the Festuca rubra, the common English grass, but it 

 occurs only as a domestic plant, in the vicinity of the villages, where it 

 is fast gaining ground, and has already displaced the indigenous 

 grass. 



Although many plants may be found on the Hills, that are also com- 

 mon to the mountains of the north of India, still the absence of 

 Conifer<s, Amentctcea*, and deciduous trees in general, separate the 

 Flora at once from that of Nepal, or the Himalayan mountains. 



