IN CEYLON. 
487 
introduced from other countries. The genus Ficus, how¬ 
ever, contains a large number of deciduous species which 
possess well-developed latex tubes. 
The natural orders which possess the largest proportion of 
deciduous species are the Urticaceæ and Leguminosæ 
respectively. The genus Ficus is remarkable for the high 
percentage of deciduous trees, the laticiferous system, and 
the leathery leaves of its species. 
The annual periodicity of most of the indigenous plants 
here described is fairly constant from year to year. Obser¬ 
vations upon plants which were hitherto regarded as being 
of the same species have shown a great variation in the 
manner and time of defoliation, and have led me to doubt 
whether the trees concerned are really of the same species. 
With the object of giving a systematic importance to the 
phenomenon of defoliation in the tropics, the following list 
has been compiled. It shows the distribution of the 
deciduous indigenous species in the Ceylon flora. 
Anonaceœ. 
Polyalthia coffeoides, Benth. 
and Hk. 
Capparideoe. 
Cratæva Roxburghii, Br. 
Bixaceœ. 
Flacourtia Ramontchi, 
L’Herit. 
Malvaceœ. 
Thespesia populnea, Sol. 
Bombax malabaricum, D. C. 
Eriodendron anfractuosum, 
D. C. 
Sterculiacece. 
Sterculia fœtida, L. 
Sterculia Balanghas, L. 
Sterculia colorata, Roxb. 
Tiliacece . 
Berrya Ammonilla, Roxb. 
Rutacece . 
Zanthoxylum Rhetsa, D. C. 
Meliacece . 
Melia dubia, Cav. 
Dysoxylum binectariferum, 
Hk. f. 
Chickrassia tabularis, A. Juss. 
Chloroxylon Swietenia,D. C. 
Sapindacece. 
Schleichera trijuga, Willd. 
Sapindus laurifolius, Vahl. 
Sabiacece. 
Meliosma Arnottiana, Walp. 
