172 Dr. Francis Hamiyron’s Commentary 
The word Elati-canto, used by the Brahmans of Malabar, is of a similar nature, 
Canto signifying Thorn in the Hindwi dialect. 
Commeline made no attempt to class this plant. Plukenet, having thought 
that he had a plant nearly allied to the Wadouka (p.97.) of this volume, con- 
ceived that it might be the Jdu Mulli, and called it Wadouke Malabarice haud 
multum dispar, Frutex aculeatus e Maderaspatan (Alm. 395.; Phyt. t. 69. f.7.); 
but the figure which he gives seems to have little or no resemblance to either 
Idu Mulli or Wadouka. He afterwards (Mant. 133.) formed a more rational 
conjecture, and says, “ Myrobalano Bellerice, ut nobis videtur Idu Mulli con- 
gener est, et nominari potest Myrobalanus Indica, Arbor spinis horrida, angus- 
tiore folio longo, fructu racemoso.” Now, although from the number of stamina, 
as well as from the habit, this cannot be a Myrobalanus or Terminalia, Y have 
little or no doubt of its belonging to the same natural order. At one time I 
thought that it might possibly belong to the genus called Pyrularia by Mi- 
chaux (Enc. Méth. v. 745.), but which Willdenow has chosen, without any 
good reason, to call Hamiltonia (Sp. Pl. iv. 1114.). The appearance of the 
plants, however, differs so much, that I now think them likely to belong to 
different genera. 
PorniNsir, seu PuniNsiI, seu VERCOEPOELONGI, p. 43. tab. 19. 
The Portuguese and Dutch names arise from the saponaceous quality of the 
fruit; but whether or not any of the Indian names allude to this quality I 
know not, all the Indian names for soap that I know being derived from the 
Portuguese, by whom, probably, this substance was introduced; nor is it yet 
common, except among persons employed by Europeans. 
. Commeline remarks, that the natives of hot climates (Indi) use various 
saponaceous fruits; but that the Poerinsi was of a genus totally unknown 
to botanists. Ray, in arranging the plants of the Hortus Malabaricus, threw 
no further light on the subject by calling it Prunifera fructu racemoso parvo, 
nucleo saponario, although J. Bauhin had given the name Saponaria to some 
American plants nearly allied to this; but the Nux Portoricensis amplissimis 
foliis venosis et late virentibus, with which Plukenet compares it (Im. 265.; 
Phyt. t. 208. f. 2.), having simple leaves, can have no affinity with the Poerinsii, 
nor with the Spherule saponarie of J. Bauhin. 
