532 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



Cat Ambalam, p. 93. 



Figure 50 is also quoted for this in the letter-press ; but it be- 

 longs to the preceding plant. 



The description of the Cat Ambalam is so imperfect, that I can 

 judge nothing of what it may be; only the term Cat prefixed to 

 the name implies that it grows wild. 



Agaty, p. 95. Jig. 51. 

 By mistake quoted in the letter-press as 53. 

 This very common and highly ornamental tree, by Syen, in 

 his note, was considered, most justly, as of the same genus with 

 the Sesban of Egypt, which, as he observes, is found also in 

 Ceylon, and is indeed common all over India. The Sesban was 

 then considered a Galega, a better classification than was after- 

 wards adopted (Burman Ind. l69> 170.), when both Agaty and 

 Sesban were united with Aeschynomene, the distinguishing cha- 

 racter of which is to have jointed legumes. The former was 

 then called A. grandiflora, and the latter A. Sesban. This clas- 

 sification being no longer tenable, Willdenow removed the two 

 kindred plants to the genus Coronilla from its character (lomen- 

 tum articulatum veiillum via alis longius), equally ill suited to 

 comprehend them ; as the Agaty has legumen bivalve, veiillum 

 alis brevius. On this account probably Dr. Roxburgh allowed 

 these plants to remain in the genus Aeschynomene {Hort. Beng. 

 56.), the alteration of Willdenow having been not for the better. 

 M. Poiret in the Encyclopedic (vii. 127- ) restored matters to the 

 opinion of Syen, making however Sesban a genus, and giving 

 the Agaty as the Sesban grandiflorus. In the Hort us Kewensis 

 (iv. 331.) the same idea is judiciously adopted ; but the names 

 are rendered more suitable to Latin declination, and thus we 

 have the Sesbana grandiflora. 



Cada 



