on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part I. #Q3 



Can i ram, p. 67. Jig. 37. 

 The Strychnos NtiX Vomica of Authors. 



NlLICAMAKAM, p. 69- fig. 38. 



The name should have been written Nilica maram : the latter 

 word signifying tree, and the former word being in the posses- 

 sive case. Is Hi is the proper name, and Neli is the name by 

 which I found the tree called all over the south of India, while 

 we have other species, of what the natives consider the same 

 genus, in the Kirga Neli and Neli Poli. It is true that Zanoni 

 uses the word Nellika as in the nominative case ; but it should 

 have been Nelli kai, that is, the fruit A T e///, Kai in the dialects 

 of southern India signifying fruit. The name Anvali, used by the 

 Brahmans of Malabar, according to Rheede's orthography, seems 

 to be a corruption of the Sanscrita Afnalaki, in the llindwi cor- 

 rupted into Amlaki, and in the Bengalese into Amla. From the 

 Hindwi name is derived the Emblica of Europeans, which by 

 Linnaeus was made a species of Phyllanthus. As this genus has 

 for some time stood, it may be defined : 



Plantae inter Euphorbias inter tropicas nascentes, foliis minori- 

 bus, structura riorum et fructus haud bene cognita. 



Croton is a genus differing merely in having larger leaves. 



As European botanists have been acquiring more knowledge 

 of the structure of individuals, they have been separating from 

 both Phyllanthus and Croton various species to form new genera ; 

 but having been directed by no general views, and having not 

 been aware how few of the species correspond to the generic 

 characters of Croton and Phyllanthus given by Linnaeus, these 

 new genera have been formed with little judgement, and gene- 

 rally upon some one trifling variation in the fructification, which 

 will be found to include a few species in no manner remarkably 



3 t 2 like 



