H. H. W. PEARSON, F.R.S., Sc.D. 135 
patana flora up country. It is far more interesting on the spot than on paper. 
The patana looks very uninteresting from a distance as nothing shows but 
Rhododendron arhoreum and a rough tussocky grass; but it really bears a 
fairly rich flora, composed almost entirely of xerophytic plants.” Several 
attempts had been made to explain the occurrence of a comparatively barren 
country occupied by the savannah- like patanas, at approximately all altitudes 
over 2000 feet, in the midst of a luxuriant sub-tropical vegetation; but 
much more information was needed. At the suggestion of the Director of 
the Peradeniya Garden (Dr ,T. C. Willis), Pearson undertook the task of dis- 
covering the causes which led to the development of the flora. Pie concluded 
that the peculiarities of the climate have cooperated with periodically recurrent 
grass-fires in transforming an open forest into barren grassy plains. His 
results include an enumeration of the species collected, an account of their 
biological characters, and an interesting examination of the factors concerned 
in producing the xerophilous character of both the wet and dry patanas, 
that is the vegetation above and below 4500 feet. In the joint paper with 
his friend Mr J. Parkin the conclusions given in the first account, which were 
based on field observations, are tested by a thorough anatomical investigation. 
It was found that the peculiarities which usually characterise plants of 
insolated areas are not more strongly developed in members of the dry flora 
than in the plants of the wet patanas; a fact probably due to the influence 
of the powerful monsoon winds, the functional activities of the roots being 
also lowered by the humic acids in the soil. The Ceylon visit introduced 
Pearson to a new world which he thoroughly enjoyed, and by his apprentice- 
ship to field-work in the wider sense he qualified himself for the later expeditions 
in South Africa which he conducted with conspicuous success. 
A paper written at Kew deals with an enquiry, undertaken at the suggestion 
of Sir William Thiselton-Dyer, into the morphology and functions of the double 
pitchers of four species of Dischidia: this piece of work is exceedingly good 
considering that the material consisted entirely of herbarium material. He 
made full use of the time spent in the Herbarium to familiarise himself with 
the methods of systematic botany and as the list of his publications shows his 
output during that period was considerable. In later years he amply repaid 
the Royal Gardens by his gifts of material collected in South Africa. A 
collection sent to Kew was one of the. finest series of succulents ever received 
in this country. The volume of the Botanical Magazine published in 1!)14 
is dedicated to Professor Pearson, “as successful in his leadership ol Botanical 
expeditions as he has been generous in distributing their fruits. lb' 
Botanic Garden of his old University has also greatly benefited by many 
contributions, and a word of acknowledgement is due to Mr Lynch, the abb 
Curator, for the skill with which he cultivated Welwitschia and other plants 
received from Pearson. 
A. B. H. TT. 
11 
