BOTANICAL TOUR IN CHA^:£A AND KANGRA. 
184 
A variety of ferns grow on shady banks in woods and along 
watercourses. Polypodium lachnopus and P, lineare thrive on the 
trunks and branches of trees and their occurrence draws the observer's 
attention to the fact that, excepting themselves, mosses and lichens, 
and occasionally mistletoe, other epiphytic and parasitical forms of 
vegetation are markedly absent from the flora of this region. 
The third march was from Dalhousie to*the town of Chamba, a 
distance of seventeen miles. For some miles the roi.te luns at. and 
also above, the level of Dalhousie through magnihcent for*»-ts of 
deodar and other conifers ; and these forests, together with gigantic 
rocks and shady ravines, all yield an interesting series of plants. 
At Kajiar the conifers become rarer and a mixed growth of oaks, 
rhododendrons, laurels, maples, walnut, RhuSy etc., replace them. 
At a considerable distance lower down these woods come to an end 
and the remainder of the steep ascent is through cultivated slopes, 
consisting of fields of excellent maize, various millets, and Amaran- 
The last with its ample red and yellow panicles 
brightens the Iandscape,''sr^«fts fields of vivid hue serve to mark the 
positions of wic .!y scattered hamlets among the valleys, miles aw^ay 
from the traveller’s standpoint. The town of Chamba lies at an 
elevation of 3,000 feet above the sea, but many plants ascending to 
a similar height on the southern face of the range are absent here, 
while plants hitherto confined to higher levels descend to the banks 
of the Ravi on this side. A marked diminution of the rainfall, due 
10 ibe interposition of the lofty southern range ; and a milder sum- 
mer ciiroaie and severer wnnter, depending on the proximity in 
almost all directions of enormous snowy mountains, must be the 
true causes for the decided change in the facies of the vegetation. 
Side by side with su&h distinctly tropical plants as Bauhinia 
purpureUy Solatium verbatcifolium^ Ficus religiosay Lippia nodi^ 
floray Lantana crenulatay Vitex trifoliay Sapindus Mukorossiy 
Dalbergia Sissoo, Solarium xanthocarpuMy Melia Asederachy 
Phyllanthus Urinariay Lageritrs>-mia indica-y Adiantum cauaatumy 
Heliotropium strigosuMy etc., miy be found Anemone vitifoliay 
Clematis gratay Thalictrum fdiolosum, Origanum vulgar Cy 
Roy lea elegans^ Cotoneaster microihyllay Micromeria bifloray 
Astragalus chlorostachysy Platanus crientaliSy Juglans regia^ 
Pyrus armeniacay Indigofera Gp.rardianci. Desmodium tilisefoliumy 
and many others. 
From Chamba I travelled on the western side as far as the Sach 
Pass which crosses the second range into Pangi. The first march 
was to Musroond. For some miles after leaving Chamba the road is 
