416 
herbaceous plants and half-woody shrubs, which there is reason 
to believe have been introduced from various parts of the world 
and which have thoroughly established themselves. These plants 
are commonly known as weeds and in many cases their place of 
origin is entirely unknown, and can only be guessed at, from the 
known habitats of allied species which have not succeeded in 
establishing themselves. In the large orders Composite and 
Gramimoe the greater part of the species here are undoubtedly 
introduced. 
The Compositoe in the Malay Peninsula which are thoroughly 
established or indigenous number about 40, of these one tree, 
two shrubs and three or four herbs are undoubtedly indigenous. 
The remainder are almost certainly introduced, only occurring in 
cultivated ground. In grasses the number of really indigenous 
species is also small compared with the number of recorded species, 
and these are nearly all sea-shore plants or inhabitants of the sandy 
wastes of the old river beds. The grasses which form the turf 
of the gardens and fields, are almost all exotics, such as Paspalum 
conjugatum or sea-shore plants, Zoysia and Ischoemum muticum. 
The greater part of these weeds occur all over the tropics now 
and follow man wherever he goes, and it is most probable that 
all were originally natives of sea-shores in other parts of the world. 
They acclimatize themselves readily in almost any cultivated 
ground throughout the tropics. 
Besides these accidentally introduced weeds, a very large number 
of useful or ornamental plants have been introduced intentionally 
by man at various dates, and plants from all parts of the world 
have been introduced into the Botanic Gardens by way of experi- 
ment, and some notes on the acclimatization of these may be of 
some interest. 
The adaptability of plants to abnormal surroundings varies very 
much. One would not expect xerophilous, dry country desert 
plants or plants from cold countries to acclimatize or even to 
go on growing in a hot wet equatorial region, at the same time 
occasionally plants from such places thrive in a very unexpected 
manner. To begin with plants from exceptional habitats such as 
the sea-shore, sand or mud to the stiff dry clay of the inland 
region. 
Scoevol'a koenigii. — A sea-shore shrub, is never found wild except 
on the actual sand of the sea-shore. Plants transferred to the 
Botanic Gardens thrive well, flower and fruit, growing in stiff clay. 
Crinum asiaticum. — A sea sand, and rock plant grows readily, 
and reproduces itself freely in all parts of the garden, both in 
full sun and in shade. Plants grown in shade are very robust, and 
flower and fruit well. As its seeds are large and adapted for sea- 
dispersal they generally germinate close "to the plant where they 
fall, and most thus perish. The seed seems to possess a very great 
amount of vitality. Two seeds were fastened to a card in August, 
