IN CEYLON. 
481 
former division. Endemic species belonging to the second 
division are such as Sterculia Thwaitesii, Mast., and Sapindus 
erectus, Hiern. One tree of Sterculia Thwaitesii, along the 
Museum road, Peradeniya, commenced to drop its discoloured 
leaves on the 16th January and continued to do so until the 
beginning of the following month ; during that time a few 
new leaves appeared and the dropping of old and production 
of new leaves continued, until by the 7th February the tree 
had put on a complete outfit of new leaves. 
This entire repletion of leaf is effected within two to three 
weeks without the tree ever becoming leafless. 
The third class includes trees which like Artocarpus 
nobilis, Thw., are never leafless, but produce large quantities 
of new leaf and become partially leafless at certain times of 
the year. This group borders on the evergreens. 
This classification only holds good in a general way, and it 
must be recognized that the periodicity may vary during 
certain years and so make it possible to include the same 
species in more than one group. 
Bange in time of Foliar Periodicity. 
The total range or period of time during which the deci¬ 
duous endemics undergo foliar depletion and renewal is 
fairly wide, and extends from January to October. The 
endemic deciduous forms mainly recognize one dry hot 
period—January to March. Nine of the species undergo 
their change from January to March, one during March and 
April, one from February to April, one from April to June, 
one from August to September, and one from September 
to October. It is to be noticed that nearly all those species 
which are the most conspicuous and which become absolutely 
leafless at some time or other do so from January to April ; 
whereas those which are less conspicuous, such as Sapindus 
erectus, drop their leaves at a later date, and the species 
which is least conspicuous from a deciduous point of view 
and which has previously been referred to as bordering on 
