on the llortus Malabaricus, Part I. 487 



Rumphius (Herb. Amb. iii. 139. t. 90.), which I consider as n 

 different plant : for Rumphius says "fructus scssiles." Now the 

 fruit of the Itty alu is on a stalk. In order, indeed, to obviate 

 this difficult}', Willdenow calls the fruit rcccptaculum subsessile : 

 and the figure in Rumphius, probably all that Willdenow ever 

 consulted, has indeed this appearance in some parts : but this 

 must be attributed to the carelessness of the draughtsman, for 

 Rumphius was too blind to be able to check Mich errors, which 

 were frequent. It remains therefore doubtful whether we are to 

 consider the Itty alu or the Varinga parvifolia as the Ficus Ben- 

 jamina of Willdenow ; only the term receptaculum subsessile, 

 used in his specific character, is not at all applicable to the for- 

 mer : and as the same term is continued in the llortus Kewensis 

 (v. 487.)? some doubt isthrownon the plant meant in this valuable 

 work, although it quotes only the Itty alu. I have not seen any 

 tree that I could consider as the Itty alu ; nor in the llortus 

 Bengalensis is any mention made of the Ficus Benjamina. I 

 have, however, seen what I consider as both kinds of the Va- 

 ringa parvifolia of Rumphius. 



Arealu, p. A7.Jig. 27- 

 This is the Ficus religiosa of the llortus Kevcnsis (v. 484.), al- 

 though in this work Willdenow (Sp. PL iv. 1134.) is quoted; 

 and his plant is liable to some doubt, as besides the Arealu he 

 also quotes the Arbor conciliorum of Rumphius. Willdenow in- 

 deed says that the figure given by Rumphius is bad ; and no 

 doubt, as it represents a plant totally different form the Arealu, 

 so it ought. Prom this circumstance, however, we may infer 

 that Willdenow really meant the Arealu to be his Ficus religiosa, 

 as it was that of Linnseus, the proper synonyma being given in 

 the Flora Zeylanica (372.): for it must be observed, that while 

 Willdenow added the Arbor conciliorum, he omitted the Arbor 



3 b 2 zeylanica 



