18 
WILLIS ; OBYLON AS A 
are characteristically equatorial — a damp hot climate, very 
equable, with rain at all times of year, and with the rank 
luxuriance of vegetation that such conditions favour. Though 
a large part of this region is now cultivated, there still remain 
magnificent pieces of high forest ” into which botanical 
excursions can be made. The north and east, on the other 
hand, show a completely different climate and vegetation — 
that of Peninsular India. The climate is dry for about nine 
months of the year, and the forests show a totally different 
composition and character. In the extreme south-east and 
north-west, in the neighbourhoods of Hambantota and Man- 
nar respectively, the drought is so extreme that the climate 
and flora may be described as “ desert,” and very fairly com- 
pared with those of parts of the Mediterranean region. In 
the mountain ranges that occupy the centre of the Island 
may be found every variety of climate and of flora from 
tropical through sub-tropical and temperate almost to sub- 
alpine, and both forest and grass land, both Avet districts and 
dry, each with their characteristic peculiarities of flora. On 
the southern and western shores of the Island may be seen 
the characteristic Indo-Malayan shore flora, — the mangroves, 
the beach-jungle (Barringtonia formation of Schimper), the 
Ipomœa and the Nipa formations, &c. To the north the flora 
of the coast changes to a more Indian type, and in the far 
north may be found magnificent salt-lagoon floras. Water 
plants abound in the coast lagoons, in the paddy fields, and 
in the great irrigation lakes of the dry country, Podostemaceæ 
in the mountain streams; sea-weeds are plentiful on the south 
coast and in the great harbour of Trincomalee ; ferns, mosses, 
liverworts, and fungi in the mountains and in the south- 
western plains. Besides the rich flora of the Island itself 
(over 3,300 species of flowering plants and ferns), the visitor 
can in a very short time reach from Colombo any part of 
India or the Malay Peninsula. The splendid jungles of the 
Anamalais and other southern Indian mountains have been 
but little explored, and can be reached in two or three days 
from Colombo ; Assam, Burmah, and Malaya in a week. 
