6 o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1890 . 
tifia names and descriptions and consequently when 
our Oeylon Flora is botanically named, we shall 
without difficu'ty avail ourselves of the experience 
thus to be acquired. The greatest exactness is 
often requisite in describing plants of common occur- 
ance to prevent error. For instance much of the 
native steel of India is smelted by the use of a 
species of Mudar plant, the Calotropis gigantea 
(a common plant in Ceylonl and its root and bark 
is said by Lindley to be a powerful alterative and 
purgative and of importance in oases of leprosy 
and elephantiasis — but later researches prove the 
Mudar plant to be a different plant viz. the Calo- 
tropis procera which is not known in this Island 
and it seems very doubtful how far the Calotropis 
gigantea (or Curl tlower) may share the qualities 
of the real Mudar plant, I think it was Dr. 
WaUich who published remarks on the real Mudar 
plant being the Calotropis procera. On the other 
hand Mr. Wilkinson in Feby. 1839 made known 
the native method of smelting steel, the ore used 
was magnetic oxide of iron 52 to 48 of quartz 
and was reduced in four hours by a furnace, to 
which was used charcoal fuel. Afterwards being 
placed in a crucible with dried wood of the Cassia 
auriculata and green leaves of the (Asclepias) 
Calotropis gigantea and a certain process used 
excellent steel is produced. If Mr. Wilkinson has 
made no mistake in this plant there seems no 
reason why the natives here should not convert 
old iron into steel with facility, both plants being 
of common occurrence on the Coast. It is not the 
intention of this paper to enter into the economi- 
cal uses of the vegetable Kingdom of the Island. 
A very bulky volume might be produced on the 
many valuable resources that exist and that are 
known and made use of by the natives of other 
countries. I restrict myself to the botany with casual 
remarks to shew to how many objects of interest, 
use, or curiosity it will lead. Passing from Table 
I. we come to the plants of the Maritime Provinces 
or sea coast of Ceylon. It seems to have been 
partially explored at Trincomalee, and Mr. Moon 
has visited Negombo, Putlam and .Jaffna, but so 
very little is known respecting their Floras, that 
we are really inclined to look upon them as un- 
explored botanically, so that in reality Table 2 is 
merely that part of the coast extending from 
Colombo towards Galle, and it is supposed that the 
general features will extend to the whole coast of 
Ceylon, but will vary in certain localities. Putlam 
for instance having saltwater lakes will have its 
peculiar characteristics in such localities, and Jaffna 
seems to differ considerablj in climate and pro- 
ductions from the southern portions of the coast. 
In the neighbourhood of large rivers, it is possible 
that the productions of a more hilly country may 
casually occur, as transported in their seed vessels 
during floods and the monsoon season. However 
theoretical this view may at first appear it is known 
to be practically correct to a small extent and that in 
this way volcanic Islands and Coral reefs become 
vegetated in the Ocean and Islands thrown up 
by the embankment of sand in rivers. In con- 
nection wilh this subject, Lyell mentions Geology 
vol. II “ Fruits indigenous to America and the 
West Indies, such as Mimosa scandens, the Cashew- 
nut and others ” (all natives of Ceylon,)* have been 
known to be drifted across the Atlantic by the 
Gulph stream, on the western Coast of Europe, 
in such a state that they might have vegetated 
had the climate and soil been favorable, among 
* If “ native ", is used in the sense of indigenous, 
then the cashew is certainly not native. It cameto 
Ceylon and India, like the pineapple, chilli and so 
much else, from the western hemiephere.-'-ED. T, A> 
these the Guilandina Bonduc, a leguminous plant, 
is particularly mentioned, as having been raised 
from a seed found in the West Coast of Ireland.” 
The Guilandina Bonduc is very common all over 
the interior of this Island. But altho’ this is a 
proof of the very great distance that seeds may be 
floated wnthout destroying in every instance the 
vegetating powers, it does not seeni sufficient for 
our purpose, and so I shall quote Mr. Darwin's 
description of the Keeling Lagoon Islands. He eays 
“ I will now give a description of the Natural His- 
tory of these Islands which from its very jsaucity, 
possesses a peculiar interest. The Coconut tree 
at the first glance seems to compose the whole 
wood; there are however, five or six other kinds, 
one of these grows to a very large size but, from 
the extreme softness of its wood is useless ; another 
sort affords excellent timber for shipbuilding. 
Besides the trees the number of plants is exceed- 
iugly limited and consists of insignificant weeds. 
In my collection, which includes I believe nearly 
the perfect Flora, there are twenty species, without 
mentioning a Moss lichen and fungus. To this 
number two trees must be added; one of which 
was not in flower and the other I only heard of. 
The latter is a solitary tree of its kind in the 
whole group and grows near the beach, where, 
without doubt, the one seed was thrown up by the 
waves. I do not include in the above list the 
Sugar Cane, Banana, some other vegetables, fruit 
trees and imported grasses. As these Islands 
consist entirely of coral and at one time probably 
existed as a mere water-washed reef, all the pro- 
ductions now living here must have been trans- 
ported by the waves of the sea. In accordance to 
thi,s the Flora has quite the character of a refuge 
for the destitute. Prof. Henslow informs me that 
of the twenty species, nineteen belong to different 
genera and these again to no less than s:xteen 
orders.” Darwin also mentions again respecting 
another of these Islands. “• The following seeds are 
su^iposed to be driven by the N. W. Monsoon to 
New Holland and from it to the Island by the S. 
E. trade wind. The Kimiri of Sumatra and Malacca, 
the Coconut of Balei, the Dadap of the Malays, 
also masses of Java Teak and yellow-wood and red 
and white Cedar and the blue Gum tree of New 
Holland. All creepers retain their vegetating powers, 
softer productions as the Mango,steen do not ger- 
minate.” In the tropics where certain trees and 
plants grow over the margin of the Ocean and 
the young saplings often vegetate in the sand and 
mud both of it and of rivers many may be sup- 
posed to be floated after storms far from their 
place of birth, whilst more inland productions are 
frequently transported by the agency of birds, or 
such as have winged seeds by the power of the 
winds. I can myself give what I believe to be an 
example of the agency of the Mahavillaganga, On 
the top of Adam’s Peak and about Nuwera Ellia 
is found in abundance the gigantic Lobelia excelsa, 
a very handsome plant attaining the height of 12 
to 15 feet. It is a mountain plant, excluded from 
the jungles, but delighting in bare elevations and 
the sides of rooky streams. Its nearest approach 
to the low country is I believe Pusilawe and Ambe- 
gammie, growing in the latter country in great 
abundance on the banks of the Biver. A few 
months ago in passing the Trincomale ferry I 
observed this plant on the steep) bank overhanging 
the river and I have little doubt but that the seed 
had been laid after one of the monsoons when 
the river is much swoln and the plant in seed. 
After some experience of the Kandyan country I 
ain able to say it is the only plant of this Lo- 
belia growing in the neighbourhood. Upon the 
whole it seems probable that several plants and 
