September i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
173 
Cocos nucifera, Oreodoxa oleracea, Plicmix dacUjli, 
fcra, and Ph fariniferu, a fine unnamed Malayan 
palm, two species of Calamus, and very large speci- 
mens nf Cycas circinalis. Some of these are twenty, 
some forty, some sixty feet high ; some have fan- 
shaped, some pinnate, and some much divided fronds: 
and being brought together into a definite clump 
of gigantic foliage, forcibly arrest the stranger’s 
attention, particularly when his glance also falls 
on the beds at either side, where large Scitaminece 
and Yuccte are overtopped by two huge traveller’s 
trees (Bavenala speciosa) with palm-like trunks at 
least 35 feet to the base of the leaves and fully 
50 feet to the extreme top. The specimens of this 
noble plant in English stoves, where the caudex 
is either not at all, or scarcely formed, give no 
adequate idea of the port of a full grown plant, 
with its fan of 40 or 50 distichous leaves, each 
leaf 12 to 15 feet long, mounted on a column 30 
to 40 feet high, as formally as if the whole had 
been cast in bronze, I can think of no better com- 
parison for this grotesque, and yet ncble object, 
than the great fans of peacock’s feathers which 
are borne on each side of the Pope on festival 
days. The leaves, like those of the banana, are 
usually torn to ribbons, which makes them look 
still more like feathers as they wave to and fro 
in the wind. 
On passing the group of palms you enter a 
straight road, running through the garden to another 
palm-circle recently planted at the farther end. 
This road has wide side-borders well furnished in 
front with flowers and small flowering shrubs, and 
in the rear with larger shrubs and trees, among 
which, here and there, are scattered palms and 
Pandani, the latter conspicuous for their snake- 
like stems and branches, terminal screw-like tufts 
of sword-shaped leaves, and abundant ropes and 
cables. These borders are at all times gay with 
bright-leaved plants and flowers. Among the former, 
Draca-na ferrea and Poinoettia pulchcrrima supply 
the brilliant pinks and crimsons, and a variegated 
form of the mop shaped Crotoiilonyifolium, the bright 
yellows. The flowering shrubs and trees are much 
too numerous to mention ; a few, now in flower, 
must suftioe. Many fine species of Cassia, parti- 
cularly one. recently imported from Trinidad, 
every branch of which bears a panicle of bright 
golden flowers at least 15 inches in diameter, and 
C. alata, with its large fern-like foliage, dense, 
erect racemes, and orange bracts ; Allainanda cathar- 
tica and A. Schottii, ever displaying a profusion 
of golden bells ; Ixora coecinea and I rosea Plihis- 
cus rosa-sinensis, Plumbagos, several Clerodcndrons, 
Bauhinias, Oardenia jiorida, Crossandra, Eranthe- 
mum, and other Acanthacece ; Bignonia stans and 
Tccoma capeiisis, several Ardisice, more remarkable 
for handsome foliage and fruit than for showy 
flowers ; these, and many others, with abundance 
of roses and small flowers, keep the borders per- 
petually sweet and gay, Lagerstroamia Eegina, here 
a tree, bearing superb panicles of purple flowers 
has ju-t shed its leafy honours ; Barriugtonia race- 
mosa still displays a few of its pendent crimson 
tassels, DiUcnias and Wormias 20 to 30 feet high, 
with dark plaited leaves and white flowers; Astonias, 
Poinciana, pulchcy rima and P. regia, the um- 
brageous Bolavum macranthiim ; Jonesia Asoca, laden 
with rich bunches of orange flowers ; Ilumboldtia 
lauri folia, Calosanthes indica, now hung with great 
sword shaped pods, &c. are among the larger border 
shrubs and sm.all trees. Beaumontia grandiffora 
climbs the tallest trees, flowering among the upper 
branches ; and ( apparis Mooni, a fine Ceylon creeper, 
almost covers one largo tree with its glossy leaves 
and white flowers. Two tine trees of Pkyilanthus 
Madagascaricmis, planted at a crossing, diffuse the 
smell (rather than the fragrance) of boiled potato- 
skins, while well grown cinnamon and camphor 
trees, not far distant, remind you that you are in 
the land of sweet spices and gums. 
There is no Banyan tree in the garden ; but 
there are several fine examples of the larger spe- 
cies of Ficus, particularly of the epiphytic fig trees 
which abound in the lower jungles of the Island. 
These species, though not necessarily epiphytic, 
often vegetate either at the base or in the crevices 
or hollows of old or half decayed trees ; and in 
either ease, the fig, growing rapidly, adheres to 
the supporting tree, at first modestly, like an ivy, 
but at length completely encloses the trunk and 
larger branches in a thick wooden coffin. The 
attacked tree, now hidden under a dense conglo- 
meration of adnate branches and aduate a 3 rial roots, 
which compose the false trunk of the fig, languishes’ 
while the fig grows proportionably luxuriant, and 
at length far exceeds in size the tree, to which, as 
an humble parasite, it had at first affixed itself.* 
But perhaps the most remarkable isolated figs 
in the garden are two fine India-rubber trees (Ficus 
elastica) at least 80 feet high, planted apart, one 
on each side of one of the walks. The girth of 
the largest is nearly 30 feet at the base, but it 
soon divides into three trunks, each 10 feet round. 
Its most remarkable feature, however, is not the 
height or girth of the stem, but the grand display 
of exposed roots which radiate from its base, 
stretching, like the spokes of a wheel, ten or 
twelve yards in every direction. Where they issue 
from the base of the trunk they form vertical 
plates, from 2 to 3 feet high, and from 3 to 6 
inches in thickness, but they gradually diminish 
in height to the extremities. They are connected, 
here ai d there, by cross plates, which anasto- 
mose in a tolerably regular manner ; and the whole 
display of roots reminds you (comparing great things 
with small) of the under surface of the leaf of 
the Victoria regia, if you take the trunk of the 
tree for the leafstalk, and the radiating and anasto- 
mosing roots for the ribs and veins. 
Among the ornamental or remarkable trees the 
various species of Artocarpus deserve particular- 
notice. A. incisa (bread-fruit) is sufficiently known 
in England by the fine specimen at Kew, which 
imagination may easily carry into a tree 40 to 50 
feet high. A. intcgrifolia (the jack,) a tail-forest 
tree, 60 to 80 feet high, with excellent wood re- 
sembling coarse mahogany, dark polished oval 
leaves, dense well-covered branches, and large fruits 
hanging on short shoots, from the truuk or principal 
limbs; and A. pubescens (wild bread-fruit,) with 
plaited leaves of large size, are very handsome. 
A native species of Antixris (or upas) from whose 
tough inner bark excellent sacks are made, has 
rtcfntly been introduced into the garden. Other 
ornamerital trees are — ScMeichcra trijuga (Ceylon 
oak,) which at a little distance strikingly resembles 
Quercus Ilex ; Carallia ceylanica, Caretja arborea, 
Kleinhovia ceylanica, Michelia champaca, &c. • but 
none exceed in beauty the fern-leaved 
and the Hhus decipiens. 
In a country where few trees are deciduous, 
a sameness of tint in the forest is to be expected • 
and to a considerable extent this is the case in 
Ceylon, if we confine ourselves to the fully formed 
leaves. But though distinct seasons, affecting all 
nature at once and strongly, are here wanting, the 
change of leaf often exhibits colours as bright as 
those which tinge the autumnal woods of America 
* Professor Harvey forgot to add that the parasite, 
grimly iiame.i m Ceylon “ the Colombo A cut •’ ulti- 
lUiUely exhMsts the life out of the supporting tree 
