192 Dr. Francis Hamitron’s Commentary 
ovata, latere posteriore angustato obliqua, acuta, serrata, costata, venis 
reticulata, subopposita; terminale pedicello elongato elevatum ; novella 
pilosiuscula, sed ante maturitatem pili decidui. 
Panicule ante folia erumpentes, facie terminales, sed foliis prodeuntibus novis 
infrafoliaceze, ramosissimee. Rami sparsi, angulati, divaricati, nudiusculi. 
Bractee squamiformes, vagæ, parvee, caduce. Flores odorati, e luteo 
rubescentes. 
Calyx campanulatus, coloratus, intus disco decemcrenato vestitus, basi decem- 
striatus, quinquefidus. Petala quinque calycis laciniis duplo longiora, 
oblonga, disci apici inserta. Filamenta decem, crenis disci inserta sub- 
ulata, alternis longioribus calycem zquantibus. Germen superum, sti- 
piti crasso insidens, subrotundum. Stylus teres longitudine staminum. 
Stigma subrotundum quinquelobum. 
Bacca calyce minuto emarcido insidens, magnitudine nucis Avellanæ turbinata, 
submucronata, quinquelocularis, loculis nonnullis semper fere abortienti- 
bus. 
Ben KaresJAM, seu CALESAM, p. 71. tab. 34. 
The specific name Ben, applied to this species of Calesam, signifies ‘white,’ as 
Katou, applied to the former, signifies ‘wild’ or ‘forest,’ both terms equally ap- 
plicable to each plant. The name given by the Brahmans of Malabar to the 
Ben Kalesiam in the text is stated to be Mourmoura; but on the plate it is 
said to be Zelara, a difference which I cannot reconcile. 
Commeline justly remarks, that what is represented as the fruit is not in 
reality such, but must be considered excrementitious, as he expresses it, that 
is, a growth proceeding from the plant owing to an operation of insects, as 
M. Poiret justly observes (Enc. Méth. Suppl. i. 613.). This is the only modern 
author who mentions the plant, and he conjectures it to belong to the order of 
Sapindi; but I think that I have found in fructification a species of Schinus, 
which, if different, is very nearly alike to the Ben Kalesjam. It must, however, 
be admitted that the Sapindi and Terebinthacew, to which latter the Schinus 
belongs, have a very strong affinity, and are rather distinguished by minute 
differences of fructification than by any great variety of general appearance. 
I shall now describe the plant above mentioned, as perhaps the same with the 
Ben Kalesjam. Specimens have been given to the library at the India House. 
