FLORA OF THE SUNDRIBUNS. 
240 
rest of the ceatral Sundribuns and in the northern islands of the 
western Sundribuns the predominant species is Sundri {Heritiera 
minor)— circumstance to which therregion owes its name of Sundri- 
buns. Associated with Sundri are several characteristic species, 
notably Amur {Amoora cucullata), Pussur and Dhundol (two species 
of Carapd) and Bden {Avtcennia), while the river-banks are frimged 
with various species, the most notable being the Keora {Sonneratia 
apetala). Along the banks too climbing species are most in evidence. 
Except along the northern borders of the forests, these islands, whe- 
ther of the Sundri or of the Mangrove class, are remarkably free from 
dense undergrowth. The savannahs of the eastern Sundribuns are 
largely composed of Nal [^Phra^mites though, with this are asso- 
ciated several other grasses and a number of tall sedges. Clearings of 
considerable extent exist throughout the whole of the eastern Sundri- 
buns ; in the central and western Sundribuns these are confined to the 
northern border of the forests^ Besides these existing and slowly but 
steadily advancing clearings there are traces within the forests, and fur- 
ther to the south than any existing cultivation, of former settlements. 
These vestiges of abandoned occupation, marking perhaps the dwelling- 
places of salt-makers and Sundribun pirates, are seen in mounds or 
platforms of higher ground such as may be met with on the left bank of 
the Mandabari river, not far from Kobaduc, where there are old ruins; 
another place of the same kind is to be found at Jatta where there are 
the ruins of an old Hindu temple, Fhe forest in places of this kind 
is interesting as containing some species, such as the Bael {^gle 
Marmelos , the Uriam [Botuea hurmanica)^ the Gab {Diospyros 
Embryopteris)^ the Amaltas [Cassia Fistula)^ that apparently do not 
occur and possibly could not exist in the swamp-forests ; in all pro- 
bability some of them have, in the first instance, been intentionally 
introduced. 
III.— NATURE OF THE VEGETATION. 
When the vegetation of the Sundribuns is considered in more 
detail, it is convenient at the outset to separate the clearings, whether 
existing or abandoned, from the swamp-forests. It is true that in the 
clearings, especially along embankments and on the banks of creeks 
and khals, a number of the species characteristic of the swamp- 
forests still persist. Some of them, like Pluckea indica^ Pandanus 
fascicularis, Tamarix gallica^ Flagellaria indica^ Dalhergia spinosa^ 
Clerodendron inerme^ Premna integrifolia^ Suaeda maritima^ 
Acrostichum aureum are actually more plentiful and luxuriant than 
they ever appear to be in the forests proper. Moreover, there are 
