on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part II. 239 
being the same with the Ericu. At any rate the Ericu and Bel 
Ericu, with which I am perfectly acquainted, are mere varieties, 
differing only in the colour of the tlower, as Rheede justly ob- 
serves ; and the white colour, in general at least, seems to be the 
effect of cultivation, as I have seen such only in gardens, where 
it is reared as being supposed to have greater virtues ; and it is 
on this account probably that the Brahmans of Malabar prefix 
Davi (divine) to its name. 
Plukenet considered the Egyptian, Syrian and Indian plants 
different (Alm. 35.) ; calling the first Apocynum erectum majus 
latifolium ægyptiacum flore luteo spicatum (Alm. 34.) ; the second 
Apocynum latifolium syriacum, incanum, erectum floribus umbella- 
tis minoribus, obsolete purpurascentibus, siliquis folliculatis rugosis ; 
and the third Apocynum erectum majus latifolium indicum, flore 
concavo amplo, carneo suave purpurascente. So far is well; but in 
his synonyma there is great confusion. For the Indian species he 
quotes the Ericu, which is proper; but joins with it the Apocynum 
latifolium /Egyptium incanum erectum floribus magnis pallide pur- 
pureis of the Par. Bat. Prod., which may perhaps be the Syrian 
kind or Beid el Ossar of Veslingius, but cannot be the Egyptian 
kind, called Beid el Ossar by Alpinus, which has yellow flowers. 
For the Syrian kind, again, he rightly quotes the Beid el Ossar 
of Veslingius with purplish flowers above mentioned ; but then 
he adds the Bel Ericu, which certainly is a mere variety of the 
Ericu with white flowers. He also follows Commeline in adding 
to this an American plant, as I have said, probably different 
from both. Further, for his Indian kind he quotes a figure in 
the Phytographia (t. 175. f. 3.), which certainly does not repre- 
sent the Ericu ; although in the explanation of the plate he says 
that it is meant to do so; but then he adds, that it also repre- 
sents the Beid el Ossar of Egypt, the Apocynum syriacum of 
J. Bauhin, and the Lapathum ægyptiacum lactescens siliqua Ascle- 
piades 
