on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part IV. 207 
the Calaba of America; but he properly observes, that he possessed only the 
American kind, which was also probably the case with Linnzeus; and he 
suspects, with reason, that the Asiatic plant is different. 
MaLLAM Toppan, p. 83. tab. 40. 
The Malabar genus Toddali, called Bori by the Brahmans, is very unnatural, 
this and the following species having only a very slight resemblance in the leaf, 
and none at all to the Kaka Toddali described in the next volume (p.81.). In 
his note Commeline does not venture to class this species, although it has the 
utmost affinity and resemblance to a tree of the South of Europe which was 
well known to the early botanists, who called it Lotus s. Celtis. 
Plukenet was equally unfortunate in tracing an affinity to the Mallam Tod- 
dali. When he first mentioned it in the Almagestum (237.), he quoted as 
synonymous the name given to it by Ray, who was no more successful than 
himself, calling it “ Baccifera Indica racemosa, florum staminulis, binis, &c." 
From this it would appear that Ray was not aware of Rheede having described 
a female plant alone, and of his having mistaken the styli for stamina. Plukenet 
afterwards (Alm. 329.) suspected, without, however, being certain, that the 
Mallam Toddali might be his “ Sulvifolia arbor orientalis foliis tenuissime cre- 
natis" (Phyt. t. 221. f. 4.), which, indeed, is probably a Celtis, but certainly a 
different one from the Mallam Toddali, as it has pedunculus solitarius, uni- 
florus, and the leaves much too narrow. 
Even Linneus, when he published the Hortus Cliffortianus, erred far in 
classing the Mallam Toddali with the Ulmus, although this was no doubt some 
approximation to a true arrangement, both belonging to the same natural 
order. When, however, he published the Flora Zeylanica, he had become 
sensible that the Mallam Toddali was of the same genus with the Celtis, or 
Lotus of old botanists, and called it “Celtis foliis oblique cordatis subtus villosis" 
(Fl. Zeyl. 369.), adding to it the Arbor Gheeduba dicta, s. Gedhumba, of Her- 
man and Burman (Thes. Zeyl. 26. 102.), although they had not perceived this 
to be the same with the plant of Rheede. Linnzeus also included among the 
synonyma the tree of Plukenet, which I have mentioned as different, and an 
American tree described by Sloane, and perhaps by Plumier, although the 
latter was quoted with doubt. 
