altitude and it ranges between 15 °C in December and January and 31 °C in April and May. Annual [Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation] is between 2000 and 3000 mm, about two-thirds occurring during the [southwest monsoon] between June to September. Much of the rest occurs during the [northeast monsoon] between October and December. Summers are warm with some precipitation in April and winters are cold. Boundaries North: The boundary commences from the point nearest to the Medaganam in the interstate boundary up to Vellimalai. East: Thence the boundary follows the inter-state boundary from Vellimalai to Kallimalai Peak (1615 M) South: Thence the boundary follows along the main ridge to Chokkampettymalai Peak (1805 M). Thence along the main ridge to Udumalai (1594 M) (the same boundary which divides Ranni Forest Division and existing Periyar Tiger Reserve). West:Thence the boundary proceeds due north along the main ridge dividing Periyar Tiger Reserve and Ranni Forest Division to Manikamalai and thence along the ridge to Sundaramalai 1813 M from Sundaramalai the boundary runs along the main ridge to Mangaladevi top 1737 M, and thence to Pachimalai top 1805 M from Puchimala top the boundary follows the Nallah in itself bank, Nallah coming from Mannarkavala and then proceed along Cherakottai river till it joins the Periyar lake between Pandaravara-malai and Poupara. (G.O. (P) No.65/2003/F&WLD dated Thiruvananthapuram, 20 December 03) Flora The park is made up of tropical evergreen, semi -evergreen and moist deciduous forests, montane grasslands, montane savannas, man - made stands of eucalyptus, wetlands, lake and river ecosystems. A total of 1965 taxa (species and infraspecific) of flowering plants have been collected and described from the park. These include 17 species categorized as "possibly extinct". out of the aforementioned flowering plant taxa, about 171 species of grass and 140 species of orchids have been recorded within the park. The grasses are found in the open grasslands found on the edges of the water bodies and montane habitats where fire resistant vegetation grows and dense grasses like elephant grass are found. Various herbivores such as sambar, asian elephants, gaur and wild boar have been observed to graze here. Forests found here are composed of deciduous, evergreen and semi evergreen trees like teak, rosewoods, terminalia, sandalwoods, mangoes, jamun, tamarind, banyans, sacred fig, kino tree, bamboos, Diospyros bourdillonii, Hopea parviflora, Dipterocarpus indicus, Semecarpus travancorica and the only south Indian conifer, Nageia wallichiana. The medicinal gloriosa lily grows in the