VEGETABLE KINGDOM. This term is ap plied collectively to the various forms of plants, as the terms Animal Kingdom and Mineral King dom are applied to animals and minerals.
Extent.—Drs. Hooker and Thomson relate that all the main elements of the Indian flora exist .in its surrounding countries, and that the families of plants peculiar to it are of very limited number. The Aurantiacem, Dipteracem, Balsaminem, Eben acere, Jasininem, and Cyrtandracem are the only orders which are largely developed in India, and sparingly elsewhere, and of these few contain one hundred Indian species. India contains repre sentatives of every natural family on the globe, and it contains a more general and complete illustration of the genera of other parts of the world than any other country whatsoever. The Compositm are, however, especially deficient, as also are the Graminem and Cyperaceas in some regions, Leguminosm, Labiatm, and ferns in others ; whilst Euphorbiacem and Scrophulariacem aro universally present, and Orchidem appear to form a larger proportion of the flora of India than of any equally extensive country. The total number of Indian species of plants were estimated by Drs. Hooker and Thomson at 12,000 to 15,000, but they are not generally diffused, and it is believed that no part of the whole area in India produces 2000 species of flowering plants in a radius of 10 miles. In the more humid jungles, many species inay be gathered in an ex tensive area. In the dry arid tracts of Central India it would be difficult to collect 150 species in several miles. At 4000 to 5000 feet elevation in the Khassya, fifty species of Graminem and twenty to thirty species of Orchidem have been collected in an 8 miles' walk. The mountains of India, when above 4000 .or 5000 feet, present a temperate vegetation, which becomes wholly tem perate at greater elevations, and passes into an alpine flora over a large extent of still loftier mountain country. In the humid parts of tropical India, as in the impenetrable greeu jungles of the equable and rainy Malay Peninsula, of Eastern Bengal, the west coast of the Madras Presidency, and of Ceylon, the flora contrast strongly with the drier parts of the intertropical zone, and still more so with the loosely timbered districts of Central India and of the base of the Western Himalaya. The drier tropical forests of India are much modified in luxuriance and extension by the winter cold in those extra-tropical latitudes over which they spread ; hence many tropical genem and families, as most palms, Cycas, Diptero carpem (except Vatica), Aurantiacem, Conna racem, Meliacem, Myrtacem, Rubiacem, Ebenacese, and many more, which are sensitive to cold, are comparatively local when found beyond the tropics ; others which are indifferent to the cold of winter, as are many Leguminosm(viz. Bauhinia,
Acacia, Erythrina, Butea, Dalbergia, and Milletia), Bombax, Vatica, Nauclea, Combretacem, Ver benatem, Lagerstraemia, Grislea, Jasininem, and Bignoma Indica, are indifferent to the cold of winter, provided they experience a great, summer heat; and they advance far beyond the tropics, and lend a more or less tropical aspect to the flora even of tile base of the North-1V estern Hiinalaya in lat.
35° N. On the other hand, the perennially humid I forests are uniformly characterized by the pre valence of ferns ; and at elevations below 5000 to 7000 feet, by the immense number of epiphytal Orchidem Orontiacem, and Scitaminem. They contain a far greater amount of species than the drier forests, and are further characterized by Zingiberacem, Xyridem, palms, Pandanem, Dra enna, Piper, Chloranthus, Urticacem (especially Artocarpem, and Fici), Araliacem, Apocynem, shrubby Rubiacem, Aurantiacem, Garciniacem, Anonacere, nutmegs, and Dipterocarpem. Besides species of the Graminem and Cyperacem, a vast number of annual plants vegetate only durin the hot rainy season and, neither exposed t'g drought or cold, th'e small Legurninosm and Scrophularinm occur amongst Sida, Corchorus, Nama, Blumea, and other Compositm; some Labiatm (as Leucas, Anisomeles, etc.), Amarant acem, Acanthacem, Convolvnlacem, Ludwigia, Jussieua, etc. And these tropical annuals and perennial-rooted plants with annual stems, are not confined to the plains, but ascend the loftier mountain valleys as far as the well-marked rainy season extends, and only disappear where the accession of heat aud humidity is not sufficient in amount, or regular enough in period, to stimulate their vegetative organs. Among the most remark able of these extra-tropical examples of tropical genera are species of Bignonia, Osbeckia, Argos temma, Plectranthus, various Cyrtandracem, Scitacem, Aracem, Commelynacem, aud a few epi phytical Orchidem. And during the cold months only, in the extra-tropical regions of India, numerous genera and species of annual plants of the north temperate zone flower when the tropical plants are torpid.