A BOTANICAL TOUR IN THE TINNEVELLY HILLS. 
107 
Tephrosia tinctoria , Desmodium scalpe, Desmodium latifolium , Rhynchosia 
cana, Rhynchosia rufescens, Wendlandia Notoniana, Hedyotis purpurascens, 
Hedyotis viscida, Mussaenda frondosa, Pavetta indica , Pavelta brevi flora, 
Psychotria congesta, Psychotria elongata, Strobilanthes pulneyensi s, Bar- 
leria nitida, Crossandra undulaefolia , Diotacanthus albiflorus, Diotacanthus 
grandis, as well as a few species belonging to other orders such as Polygala 
arillata, Hypericum mysorense, Chloranthus brachys tacky us several species 
of Cinnamomum, Lasiosiphon eriocephalus, Sauropus albicans, Agrostis- 
tachys indica, Debregeasia velutina. 
The herbaceous vegetation was extremely rich, and consisted chiefly 
of several species in each of Composites, Leguminosce , Rubiaccce , Gramme®, 
Scitaminece and Campanulaceee. Ferns and Selaginellas were quite abun- 
dant in moist hollow's. Parasitic Loranthi and Viscums were noticed on 
several trees. Balanophora indica with its beautiful spike of coral-red male 
flowers was invariably present on the ground near the base of several of the 
tall trees. Plants of economic importance, noticed in these sholas, .were 
cardamoms and turmeric. Fringing the margins of the several small hill 
streams which we crossed are found Impatiens grandis, Impatiens suheor - 
data, two or three small shrubs of Osbeckia, a very small leaved Elatostema , 
Polygonum chincnsc , Arisccma Leschenaultii, Anaphyllum Beddomci and 
several species of sedges and ferns — prominent among the former being Scir~ 
pus mucronatus and Cy perns corymbosuso Within and mixed up with the 
fringe of sedges Viola distans, Laurembergia ( Scrpicula ) hirsuta and an 
Ulricularia occur in great abundance. 
The vegetation on the other side of these slopes towards Kaikad was to 
all inputs the same, except that the forests here are frequentlv broken by 
dense impenetrable stretches of Ochlandra travancorica . 
The down hill journey from Naterikal to Kaikad proved very interest- 
ing as it enabled us to observe the striking transition from a high elevation 
flora to a low elevation one. High elevations contained species of Clematis, 
Begonias on moist rocks, Pouznlzias hanging in clusters above the rocks 
with their long archin/g inflorescences, pretty looking Lobelias , Argyreias 
with white- villous leaves, several Didymocarpi and other gesnerads with 
crumpled velvety leaves, numerous species of Rubus and Anaphalis besides 
a few terrestrial and epiphytic orchids. On gradually going down these 
disappear more or less and Strobilanthes shrubs take their place becoming 
quite abundant, followed by several shrubs belonging to the Natural orders 
Rubiacece and Acanthacew. Finally, around Kaikad in the plains several 
Euphorbias , Helicteres Isora, Grewia spp ., Dioscorea spp., Arisiolochia 
spp. and a host of Leguminous and Compositaceous herbs are noticeable* 
the Palmyra of course occurring everywhere on the plains. 
The second part of our expedition was across what is known as the Papa- 
nasam hills towards Kannikatti, situated in the Ambasamudram Taluk at 
an elevation of 2,500 feet in moist heavy shohi. The vegetation along our 
route up to Mundandurai which stands at an elevation of only about 700 feet, 
presented no remarkable features except thickets of thorny deciduous shrubs 
3 2 
