510 Dr. Franco Hamilton's Commentary 



in the Flora Zeylanica (135.) adopted this opinion without doubt; 

 and, although he mangled the name into Poutaletsce, he added 

 all the synonyma by which the Cyprus of the ancients had been 

 known to the older botanists, and formed his Lawsonia ramls in- 

 ermibits. He however perceived that the Mail anschi was no 

 doubt of the same genus with the Cyprus of the ancients, and pos- 

 sessed of the same qualities ; but he considered it as of a distinct 

 species, which he called Lawsonia ramis spinosis. He no doubt 

 was perfectly right in so far as related to the Mail anschi and 

 Poutaktsie being different species ; for they are not even of the 

 same natural order nor Linnaean class ; and the latter, besides, 

 has none of the qualities of the Cyprus Jussieu, therefore, in 

 his Genera Plantarum (367, 222.), rejected this plant from the 

 genus Lawsonia ; yet still the compilers of the Encyclopedic (iii. 

 107.) considered it as only a different species, which they called 

 Lawsonia purpurea. Since, however (Supp. iii. 39. ), they have 

 removed it from that genus, owing to the discovery of M. Des- 

 fontaines, that it had one petal and four stamina, which indeed 

 might have long before been known from Jussieu, or even from 

 Rheede. The compilers, however, justly considered the cir- 

 cumstance of the branches of the Mail anschi terminating some- 

 times in a spinous point, as not sufficient to distinguish it as a 

 species from the Cyprus of the ancients growing in Egypt and 

 Arabia, where these spines are said not to occur. The whole 

 synonyma of the Lazvsonia spinosa and inermis, except the Pou- 

 taktsie, were therefore united under the denomination of Lazv- 

 sonia alba, only the plant with spines was considered as a variety. 

 I am however persuaded that even this is going too far ; for in 

 the same hedge I have observed plants in all degrees, some 

 having a great many branches ending in thorns, some only a few, 

 and some none at all. Although, therefore, both Willdenowand 

 the Hortus Ketcensis continue the distinction, I am persuaded 



that 



